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296 Driving and Operating
If either the CHECK TRAILER
WIRING or SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message displays
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 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 atrailer and the TSC detects that
sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes 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 may also apply the trailer
brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
warning light will flash on the
instrument cluster. Reduce vehicle
speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer
sway continues, StabiliTrak can
reduce engine torque to help slow
the vehicle. TSC will not function if
StabiliTrak is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control
0246.
{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 0289 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations.
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Driving and Operating 297
Aftermarket Electronic Trailer
Sway Control Devices
Some trailers may come equipped
with an electronic device designed
to reduce or control trailer sway.
Aftermarket equipment
manufacturers also offer similar
devices that connect to the wiring
between the trailer and the vehicle.
These devices may interfere with
the vehicle’s trailer brake systems
or other systems, including
integrated anti-sway systems,
if equipped. Messages related to
trailer connections or trailer brakes
could appear on the DIC. The
effects of these aftermarket devices
on vehicle handling or trailer brake
performance is not known.
{Warning
Use of aftermarket electronic
trailer sway control devices could
result in reduced trailer brake
performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
result in a crash. You or others
could be seriously injured or
killed. Before using one of these
devices:
. Ask the device or trailer
manufacturer if the device
has been thoroughly tested
for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of
your vehicle and any
optional equipment installed
on your vehicle.
. Before driving, check the
trailer brakes are working
properly, if equipped. Drive
the vehicle with the trailer
attached on a level road
surface that is free of traffic
at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply
the manual trailer brake
apply lever. Also, check the
trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning
correctly.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.If the trailer brakes are not
operating properly at any
time, or if a DIC message
indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer
brakes, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of
the road when traffic
conditions allow.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from
vehicle tires. Trailer tires are
designed with stiff sidewalls to help
prevent sway and to support heavy
loads. These features can make it
difficult to determine if the trailer tire
pressures are low only based on a
visual inspection.
Always check all trailer tire
pressures before each trip when the
tires are cool. Low trailer tire
pressure is a leading cause of trailer
tire blow-outs.
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298 Driving and Operating
Trailer tires deteriorate over time.
The trailer tire sidewall will show the
week and year the tire was
manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend
replacing tires more than six
years old.
Overloading is another leading
cause of trailer tire blow-outs. Never
load your trailer with more weight
than the tires are designed to
support. The load rating is located
on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed
rating for the trailer tires before
driving. This may be significantly
lower than the vehicle tire speed
rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed
rating is not shown, the default
trailer tire speed rating is 105 km/h
(65 mph).Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp 0155. A device connected
to the DLC —such as an
aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 0105 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 0105.
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Vehicle Care 299
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 300
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 301
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 311
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 313
Automatic Transmission Fluid (10-Speed Transmission) . . . 316
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 316
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 321
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 323
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Battery - North America . . . . . . 326
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 328
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 329
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 330
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 331
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 331
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . . . 334 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 336
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 337
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 337
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 350
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
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Tire Pressure MonitorSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 368
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 380
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
General 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:
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Vehicle Care 301
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 0326
and Jump Starting - North America
0 381 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 0105.
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302 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work. If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0
431.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 0105.
If equipped with remote vehicle
start, open the hood before
performing any service work to
prevent remote starting the vehicle
accidentally. See Remote Vehicle
Start 043. Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records
0416.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
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Vehicle Care 303
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbolon it. It is inside the vehicle
under the steering wheel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle tofind the secondary hood
release. The handle is under
the front edge of the hood near
the center. Push the handle to
the right and at the same time
raise the hood. Before closing the hood, be sure all
the filler caps are on properly. Then
bring the hood from full open to
within 15 cm (6 in) from the closed
position, pause, and push the front
center of the hood with a swift, firm
motion to fully close the hood.
Engine Compartment
Overview
For a heavy-duty Suburban, see the
Suburban Heavy-Duty Package
supplement.