Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
Driving and Operating 291
Pressing START LIGHT TEST in the
Trailering App automatically
activates trailer lamps. The
Trailering App is not a substitute for
manually inspecting your trailer
lamps. SeeTrailering App 0297.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer
turn signals will illuminate to indicate
the vehicle is turning, changing
lanes, or stopping. When towing a
trailer, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will illuminate even if the
trailer is not properly connected or
the bulbs are burned out.
Tow/Haul Mode
For instructions on how to enter
Tow/Haul Mode, see Driver Mode
Control 0247.
Tow/Haul assists when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load. See Tow/Haul Mode 0235.
Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be
most effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at least
75% of the vehicle's Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).
See
“Weight of the Trailer” under
Trailer Towing 0282.
Tow/Haul Mode is most useful when
towing a heavy trailer or carrying a
large or heavy load:
. through rolling terrain.
. in stop-and-go traffic.
. in busy parking lots.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
Mode when lightly loaded or not
towing will not cause damage;
however, it is not recommended and
may result in unpleasant engine and
transmission driving characteristics
and reduced fuel economy.Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System
The vehicle may have an Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system
for use with electric trailer brakes or
most electric over hydraulic trailer
brake systems. These instructions
apply to both types of electric trailer
brakes.
This symbol is on the Trailer Brake
Control Panel on vehicles with an
ITBC system. The power output to
the trailer brakes is proportional to
the amount of vehicle braking. This
available power output to the trailer
brakes can be adjusted to a wide
range of trailering situations.
The ITBC system is integrated with
the vehicle’ s brake, antilock brake,
and StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) systems. In trailering
conditions that cause the vehicle’s
antilock brake or StabiliTrak/ESC
systems to activate, power sent to
the trailer's brakes will be
automatically adjusted to minimize
trailer wheel lock-up. This does not
imply that the trailer has
StabiliTrak/ESC.
If the vehicle’s brake, anti-lock
brake, or StabiliTrak/ESC systems
are not functioning properly, the
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
294 Driving and Operating
2. Adjust the Trailer Gain, usingthe Trailer Gain (+) or (-)
adjustment buttons, to just
below the point of trailer wheel
lock-up, indicated by trailer
wheel squeal or tire smoke
when a trailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may not
occur if towing a heavily loaded
trailer. Adjust the Trailer Gain
to the highest allowable setting
for the towing condition.
3. Readjust Trailer Gain anytime vehicle loading, trailer loading,
or road surface conditions
change or if trailer wheel
lock-up is noticed at any time
while towing.
Other ITBC-Related DIC
Messages
TRAILER CONNECTED: This
message will briefly display when a
trailer with electric brakes is first
connected to the vehicle. This
message will automatically turn off
in about 10 seconds. This message
can be acknowledged before it
automatically turns off. CHECK TRAILER WIRING: This
message will display if:
.
The ITBC system first
determines connection to a
trailer with electric brakes and
then the trailer harness becomes
disconnected from the vehicle.
If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is stationary, this
message will automatically turn
off in about 30 seconds. This
message will also turn off if it is
acknowledged or if the trailer
harness is reconnected.
If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is moving, this
message will continue until the
ignition is turned off. This
message will also turn off if it is
acknowledged or if the trailer
harness is reconnected.
. There is an electrical fault in the
wiring to the trailer brakes. This
message will continue as long
as there is an electrical fault in
the trailer wiring. This message
will also turn off if it is
acknowledged. To determine whether the electrical
fault is on the vehicle side or trailer
side of the trailer wiring harness
connection:
1. Disconnect the trailer wiring harness from the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Wait 10 seconds, then turn the ignition back to RUN.
4. If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING message reappears,
the electrical fault is on the
vehicle side.
If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message only reappears when
connecting the trailer wiring harness
to the vehicle, the electrical fault is
on the trailer side.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE
SYSTEM: This message will display
when there is a problem with the
ITBC system. If this message
continues over multiple ignition
cycles, have the vehicle serviced.
If either the CHECK TRAILER
WIRING or SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message displays
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
Driving and Operating 295
while driving, the ITBC system may
not be fully functional or may not
function at all. When traffic
conditions allow, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of the road
and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and
turn the ignition back on. If either of
these messages continues, either
the vehicle or trailer needs service.
A GM dealer may be able to
diagnose and repair problems with
the trailer. However, any diagnosis
and repair of the trailer is not
covered under the vehicle warranty.
Contact your trailer dealer for
assistance with trailer repairs and
trailer warranty information.
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while
towing. If the vehicle is towing a
trailer and the TSC detects that
sway is increasing, the vehiclebrakes are selectively applied at
each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If equipped
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the
trailer has an electric brake system,
StabiliTrak/ESC may also apply the
trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/
ESC warning light will flash on the
instrument cluster. Reduce vehicle
speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer
sway continues, StabiliTrak/ESC
can reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned
off. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0244.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash
and in serious injury or death,
even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway,
reduce vehicle speed by
gradually removing your foot from
the accelerator. Then pull over to
check the trailer and vehicle to
help correct possible causes,
including an improperly or
overloaded trailer, unrestrained
cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. See Towing
Equipment 0286 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations.
Aftermarket Electronic Trailer
Sway Control Devices
Some trailers may come equipped
with an electronic device designed
to reduce or control trailer sway.
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
302 Driving and Operating
The Maintenance Status view
displays reminders. Touch a
reminder to edit.
Touch + New Maintenance
Reminder to go to the Select New
Reminder view.
The progress bar turns yellow when
the maintenance item reaches 90%
complete.
The progress bar turns red when
the maintenance item reaches
100% complete.
Maintenance Notifications
.Touch Service Complete to reset
the maintenance reminder.
. Touch Remind Me Later to delay
the reminder.
. Touch X next to Upcoming Alerts
(90%) to dismiss the alert. It will
not appear again.
. Touch X next to Maintenance
Due (100%) to delay the alert to
the next ignition cycle.
Always follow all of the maintenance
instructions that came with your
trailer.Guest Trailer Status View
Touch the Guest Trailer Profile for
the status views.
The Trailer Status view displays
mileage information. Touch to edit,
and follow the on-screen prompts.
Mileage and fuel economy will reset
after the trailer disconnects.
Checklist View
This view shows the recommended
steps to take before towing a trailer.
Touch the box next to each item if
that step has been completed.
Touch
pto access a detailed
view of each step. Within each
detailed view, touch Next and
Previous to navigate between steps.
The checklist is unique to the Trailer
Profile based on hitch type; for
example, the steps involve different
details between conventional,
gooseneck, and fifth-wheel hitch
types.
Custom Checklist Items
For each of the Trailer Profile
checklists, there is an option to
create custom items to view in the
checklist. The custom item will
appear at the bottom of the
checklist.
Guest Trailer and No Trailer
Connected
If Guest Trailer Profile is active or if
no trailer is connected, the checklist
will show all of the checklists
associated with Custom Trailer
Profiles in addition to default
checklists.
Trailers View
Touch the Trailers tab to view,
activate, create, edit, or delete
Trailer Profiles.
If a trailer is connected, touch the
Trailer Profile name to activate a
Trailer Profile.
There can be up to five Custom
Trailer Profiles on the vehicle.
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
310 Driving and Operating
(W x (A + W.B.)) /W.B.= Weight the
accessory is adding to the
front axle.
Where:W = Weight of added accessory
A = Distance that the accessory
is in front of the front axle
W.B. = Vehicle Wheelbase
For example, adding a 318 kg
(700 lb) snow plow actually adds
more than 318 kg (700 lb) to the
front axle. Using the formula, if the
snow plow is 122 cm (4 ft) in front of
the front axle and the wheelbase is
305 cm (10 ft), then: W = 318 kg (700 lb)
A = 122 cm (4 ft) W.B. = 305 cm (10 ft)
(W x (A + W.B.)/W.B. =
(318 x (122 + 305))/305 = 445 kg
(980 lb)
This means if the front axle reserve
capacity is more than 445 kg
(980 lb), the snow plow could be
added without exceeding the
front GAWR.
Heavier equipment can be added on
the front of the vehicle if less cargo
or fewer passengers are carried,
or by positioning cargo toward the
rear. This reduces the load on the
front. However, the front GAWR,
rear GAWR, and Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) must never
be exceeded.
{Warning
On some vehicles that have
certain front mounted equipment,
such as a snow plow, it may be
possible to load the front axle to
the front Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) but not have (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
enough weight on the rear axle to
have proper braking performance.
If the brakes cannot work
properly, the vehice could crash.
Always follow the snow plow
manufacturer or installer's
recommendation for rear ballast
to ensure a proper front and rear
weight distribution ratio.
Maintaining a proper front and
rear weight distribution ratio is
necessary to provide proper
braking performance.
Total vehicle reserve capacity is the
difference between the GVWR and
the weight of the truck with full fuel
and passengers. It is the amount of
weight that can be added to the
vehicle before reaching the GVWR.
Reserve capacity numbers are
intended as a guide when selecting
the amount of equipment or cargo
the truck can carry. If unsure of the
vehicle's front, rear, or total weight,
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
312 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 313
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 314
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 324
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 327
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 332
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . 336
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Battery - North America . . . . . . 338
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 343
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 344
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 344
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 345
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 346
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 346
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 350
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 351
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 351
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 362
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
Vehicle Care 313
Tire Pressure MonitorSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 383
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 395
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
1500-11698642) - 2019 - CRC - 2/20/19
Vehicle Care 325
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
On some vehicles, when the system
has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, a CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on to
indicate that an oil change is
necessary. Change the oil as soon
as possible within the next 1 000 km
(600 mi). It is possible that, if driving
under the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. For vehicles without the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message, an oil change is needed
when the REMAINING OIL LIFE
percentage is near 0%. Your dealer
has trained service people who will
perform this work and reset the
system. It is also important to checkthe oil regularly over the course of
an oil drain interval and keep it at
the proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. Always reset the
engine oil life to 100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself. To
reset the engine oil life system:
1. Display the oil life percentage on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0160 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Midlevel and Uplevel) 0161.
2. Press the thumbwheel on the steering wheel, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC controls, for several seconds.
When the confirmation
message displays, select YES.
The oil life will change
to 100%.
The oil life system can also be reset
as follows:
1. Display the oil life percentage on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0160 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Midlevel and Uplevel) 0161.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. If the display changes to 100%, the system is reset.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message and it
comes back on when the vehicle is
started and/or the oil life percentage
is near 0%, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.