Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
Lighting 191
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on when the key is
removed from the ignition. The
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 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 Personalization0172.
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 to
generate 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.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
Infotainment System 193
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Introduction
Infotainment
See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE),
and voice or speech recognition,
if equipped. It also includes
information on settings.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
If equipped, ANC reduces engine
noise in the vehicle’s interior. ANC
requires the factory-installed audio
system, radio, speakers, amplifier (if
equipped), induction system, and
exhaust system to work properly.
Deactivation is required by your
dealer if related aftermarket
equipment is installed.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
202 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 211
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 212
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 219
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 229
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 231
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 246
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 248
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 249
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 249
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 252
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 259
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 261
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 269
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
Driving and Operating 203
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Recommended Fuel (5.3LV8 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Recommended Fuel (6.2L V8 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 274
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 296
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
204 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts083.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
. Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
Driving and Operating 207
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
. Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Remove any underbody air
deflector, if equipped. Re-attach
the air deflector after off-road
driving.
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower air
dam, if equipped. However, driving
without the air dam reduces fuel
economy.Caution
Operating the vehicle for
extended periods without the front
fascia lower air dam installed can
cause improper airflow to the
engine. Reattach the front fascia
air dam after off-road driving.
Loading the Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving
{Warning
. Unsecured cargo on the
load floor can be tossed
about when driving over
rough terrain. You or your
passengers can be struck
by flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly.
. Keep cargo in the cargo
area as far forward and as
low as possible. The
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
heaviest things should be
on the floor, forward of the
rear axle.
. Heavy loads on the roof
raise the vehicle's center of
gravity, making it more likely
to roll over. You can be
seriously or fatally injured if
the vehicle rolls over. Put
heavy loads inside the
cargo area, not on the roof.
For more information about loading
the vehicle, see Vehicle Load Limits
0 215 andTires 0348.
Environmental Concerns
.
Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have been
set aside for public off-road
recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
. Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
208 Driving and Operating
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn 0229.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further. When driving on hills:
.
Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
. Maintain a slow speed.
. When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
. Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
. Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause a crash. There
could be a drop-off, embankment,
cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two-speed
automatic or electronic transfer
case, shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause your
vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in P (Park). This is
because the N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-12460269) - 2019 - CRC - 9/11/18
Driving and Operating 209
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low
gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
If the vehicle stalls on a hill: 1. Apply the brakes to stop the vehicle, and then apply the
parking brake.
2. Shift into P (Park) and then restart the engine.
.If driving uphill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to
R (Reverse), release the
parking brake, and back
straight down. .
Never try to turn the vehicle
around. If the hill is steep
enough to stall the vehicle,
it is steep enough to cause
it to roll over.
. If you cannot make it up the
hill, back straight down
the hill.
. Never back down a hill in
N (Neutral) using only the
brake. The vehicle can roll
backward quickly and you
could lose control.
. If driving downhill when the
vehicle stalls, shift to a
lower gear, release the
parking brake, and drive
straight down the hill.
3. If the vehicle cannot be restarted after stalling, set the
parking brake, shift into
P (Park), and turn the
vehicle off.
3.1. Leave the vehicle and
seek help. 3.2. Stay clear of the path the
vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
. Avoid turns that take the vehicle
across the incline of the hill.
A hill that can be driven straight
up or down might be too steep to
drive across. Driving across an
incline puts more weight on the
downhill wheels, which could
cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
. Surface conditions can be a
problem. Loose gravel, muddy
spots, or even wet grass can
cause the tires to slip sideways,
downhill. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it —a rock, a rut,
etc. —and roll over.
. Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline more
severe. If a rock is driven across
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, the vehicle can tilt
even more.