Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
Lighting 189
exterior and interior lamps remain
on for a set amount of time, then
automatically turn off.
If equipped with Keyless Access,
the exterior lamps automatically turn
on when the driver’s door is opened
after the ignition is turned off. The
interior lights turn on when the
ignition is turned off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0170.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which
estimates the battery's temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts
the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. The voltmeter
gauge or the voltage display on the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
if equipped, may show the voltage
moving up or down. This is normal.
If there is a problem, an alert will be
displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed togenerate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed and it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome and
reading lamps if they are left on for
more than 10 minutes when the
ignition is off. This will keep the
battery from running down.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off, if the parking lamps or
headlamps have been manually left
on. This protects against draining
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
200 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 209
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 210
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 211
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 216
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 226
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 228
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 241
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 244
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 244
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 245
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 248
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 255
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 256
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 263
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
Driving and Operating 217
Caution (Continued)
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
. Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See Trailer Towing
0 274 for the trailer towing
capabilities of the vehicle
and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal
If equipped, the position of the
throttle and brake pedals can be
changed.
The pedals can only be adjusted
when the vehicle is in P (Park).
The switch used to adjust the
pedals is to the left of the steering
wheel.
Press the switch to the left to move
the pedals closer to your body.
Press the switch to the right to move
the pedals away.
Before you start driving, fully press
the brake pedal to confirm the
adjustment is right for you.
The vehicle may have a memory
function, which lets pedal settings
be saved and recalled. See Memory
Seats 069.
Ignition Positions
(Keyless Access)
Vehicles equipped with Keyless
Access have pushbutton starting.
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle for
the system to operate. If the
pushbutton start is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong radio
antenna signal causing interference
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
218 Driving and Operating
to the Keyless Access system.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless Access)
0 35 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Key
Access) 041.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, and the brake pedal
must be applied.
Stopping the Engine/LOCK/
OFF (No Indicator Lights) : When
the vehicle is stopped, press
ENGINE START/STOP once to turn
the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0224.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
turn off. Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
The vehicle may have an electric
steering column lock. The lock is
activated when the ignition is turned
off and either front door is opened.
A sound may be heard as the lock
actuates or releases. The steering
column lock may not release with
the wheels turned off center. If this
happens, the vehicle may not start.
Move the steering wheel from left to
right while attempting to start the
vehicle. If this does not work, the
vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
ignition off. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0240.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
222 Driving and Operating
starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Starting Procedure (Keyless
Access)
1. With the Keyless Accesssystem, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Press
ENGINE START/STOP with the
brake pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go
of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or if the RKE battery is low, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will
display a message.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you press ENGINE START/
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the button, and
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Engine Heater
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block
heater while the vehicle is parked
in a garage or under a carport.
Property damage or personal
injury may result. Always park the
vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.
If equipped, the engine heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
Vehicle Care 291
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0314
and Jump Starting - North America
0 368 and the back cover.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 0103.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
374 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
be injured. Set the parking brake
before shifting the transfer case
to N (Neutral).
To dinghy tow: 1. Position the vehicle being towed behind the tow vehicle,
facing forward and on a level
surface.
2. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle.
3. Apply the parking brake and start the engine.
4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting into
N (Neutral)” underFour-Wheel
Drive 0234 for the proper
procedure. Check that the
vehicle is in N (Neutral) by
shifting the transmission to
R (Reverse) and then to D
(Drive). There should be no
movement of the vehicle while
shifting. 5. With the transmission in D
(Drive), turn the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY. If equipped
with Keyless Access, turn the
engine off.
Caution
Failure to disconnect the negative
battery cable or to have it contact
the terminals can cause damage
to the vehicle.
6. Disconnect the negative battery cable at the battery and
secure the nut and bolt. Cover
the negative battery post with a
non-conductive material to
prevent any contact with the
negative battery terminal.
7. Shift the transmission to P (Park).
Caution
If the steering column is locked,
vehicle damage may occur. 8. Move the steering wheel to
make sure the steering column
is unlocked.
9. Release the parking brake.
10. Keep the ignition key in the towed vehicle in ACC/
ACCESSORY to prevent the
steering column from locking.
If equipped with Keyless
Access, keep the RKE
transmitter outside of the
vehicle, and manually lock
doors. Access the vehicle as if
it has a dead RKE transmitter
battery, by using the key in the
door lock.
Disconnecting the Towed Vehicle
Before disconnecting the towed
vehicle: 1. Park on a level surface.
2. Set the parking brake and shift the transmission to P (Park).
3. Connect the battery.
4. Apply the brake pedal.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349385) - 2018 - crc - 11/3/17
Index 435
Headlamps (cont'd)High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 159
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 183
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 160
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192, 196
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . 344
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 210
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . 244
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . . . 157
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 241
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192, 196I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . 217, 219
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Indicator
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 6
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 59
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
K
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . 35, 41
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 33
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 338 Lamps
Auxiliary Roof
Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 184
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Front Turn Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Malfunction Indicator
(Check Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 263
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 265
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 157
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . 112