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Seats and Restraints 67
system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System 062.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags,
see Different Size Tires and Wheels 0352 for
additional important information.
If a snow plow is added to the vehicle, the
airbags should still work properly. The
airbag systems were designed to work
properly under a wide range of conditions,
including snow plowing with vehicles that
have the optional snow plow prep package
(RPO VYU). Do not change or defeat the
snow plow's “tripping mechanism.” If you
do, it can damage the snow plow and the
vehicle, and may cause an airbag
deployment.
If the vehicle must be modified because you
have a disability and have questions about
whether the modifications will affect the
vehicle's airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag system
will be affected if the vehicle is modified for
any other reason, call Customer Assistance.
See Customer Assistance Offices 0403.Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need regularly
scheduled maintenance or replacement.
Make sure the airbag readiness light is
working. See Airbag Readiness Light 0110.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged, opened,
or broken, the airbag may not work
properly. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any opened or
broken airbag coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module replaced.
For the location of the airbags, see Where
Are the Airbags? 059. See your dealer
for service.
Replacing Airbag System Parts
after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag systems
in the vehicle. A damaged airbag system
may not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting in
serious injury or even death. To help (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
make sure the airbag systems are
working properly after a crash, have
them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your dealer
for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on after
the vehicle is started or comes on when you
are driving, the airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light 0110.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.
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Driving and Operating 207
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Trailering App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Adding a Snow Plow or SimilarEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . 299
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions
are appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
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.

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218 Driving and Operating
Tire and Loading Information Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and Loading
Information label is attached to the
center pillar (B-pillar). The Tire and
Loading Information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum vehicle
capacity weight (2) in kilograms and
pounds.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also shows the size of the original
equipment tires (3) and the
recommended cold tire inflationpressures (4). For more information on
tires and inflation see
Tires0336 and
Tire Pressure 0341.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle Certification/
Tire label. It may show the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axles. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in this
section.
“Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit–
1.
Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing 0272 for important
information on towing a trailer, towing
safety rules, and trailering tips.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.
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220 Driving and Operating
Certification/Tire Label
A vehicle-specific Certification/Tire label
is attached to the center pillar (B-pillar).
The label may show the size of the
vehicle's original tires and the inflation
pressures needed to obtain the gross
weight capacity of the vehicle. This is
called Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, and cargo.
The Certification/Tire label also may
show the maximum weights for the
front and rear axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To determinethe actual loads on the front and rear
axles, weigh the vehicle at a weigh
station. Your dealer can help with this.
Be sure to spread the load equally on
both sides of the centerline.
The Certification/Tire label also contains
important information about the Front
Axle Reserve Capacity. See
Adding a
Snow Plow or Similar Equipment 0297.
{Warning
In the case of a sudden stop or
collision, things carried in the bed of
your truck could shift forward and
come into the passenger area,
injuring you and others. If you put
things in the bed of your truck, you
should make sure they are properly
secured.
Caution
Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not overload the
vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components
to get added durability might not
change the weight ratings. Ask your
dealer to help load the vehicle the
right way.
{Warning
Things you put inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a sudden
stop or turn, or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area of the
vehicle. Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so
that some of them are above the
tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in the vehicle.
.When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to.

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300 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 301
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 302
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 302
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 304
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 322
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 325
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 329
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . 332
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . 334
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 339
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 342
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 343
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 350
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . 352
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 352
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 354
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 367

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Vehicle Care 337
Warning (Continued)
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly worn,
replace them.
.Replace any tires that have been
damaged by impacts with
potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires can cause
a crash. Only the dealer or an
authorized tire service center
should repair, replace, dismount,
and mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in excess of
56 km/h (35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow, mud, ice,
etc. Excessive spinning may cause
the tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with all-season tires.
These tires are designed to provide good
overall performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original equipment
tires designed to GM's specific tire
performance criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall. Originalequipment all-season tires can be identified
by the last two characters of this TPC code,
which will be
“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on the
vehicle if frequent driving on snow or
ice-covered roads is expected. All-season tires
provide adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they may not
offer the same level of traction or
performance as winter tires on snow or
ice-covered roads. See Winter Tires0337.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally equipped
with winter tires. Winter tires are designed
for increased traction on snow and
ice-covered roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent driving on ice
or snow covered roads is expected. See your
dealer for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection. Also,
see Buying New Tires 0351.
With winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road noise, and
shorter tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
.Use tires of the same brand and tread
type on all four wheel positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the same size,
load range, and speed rating as the
original equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed rating as
the original equipment tires may not be
available for H, V, W, Y, and ZR speed rated
tires. If winter tires with a lower speed
rating are chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
All-Terrain Tires
This vehicle may have all-terrain or
mud-terrain tires. These tires provide good
performance on most road surfaces, weather
conditions, and for off-road driving. See
Off-Road Driving 0211.
The tread pattern on these tires may wear
more unevenly than other tires. Consider
rotating the tires more frequently than at
12 000 km (7,500 mi) intervals if irregular
wear is noted when the tires are inspected.
See Tire Inspection 0348.

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338 Vehicle Care
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The example
shows a typical light truck tire sidewall.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Tire Size:The tire size code is a
combination of letters and numbers
used to define a particular tire's width,
height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire
Size” illustration later in this section for
more detail. (2) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original equipment tires
designed to GM's specific tire
performance criteria have a TPC
specification code molded onto the
sidewall. GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety guidelines.
(3) Dual Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be carried and
the maximum pressure needed to
support that load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on
recommended tire pressure see Tire
Pressure 0341 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0217.
(4) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The Department of
Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.
DOT Tire Date of Manufacture
:The last
four digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two digits
represent the week (01-52) and the last
two digits, the year. For example, the third week of the year 2020 would have
a 4-digit DOT date of 0320. Week 01 is
the first full week (Sunday through
Saturday) of each year.
(5) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:
The letters and numbers following the
DOT code are the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size,
and date the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both sides of
the tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(6) Tire Ply Material
:The type of cord
and number of plies in the sidewall and
under the tread.
(7) Single Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be carried and
the maximum pressure needed to
support that load when used as a
single. For information on
recommended tire pressure see Tire
Pressure 0341 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0217.

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Vehicle Care 339
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The examples show a typical light truck
tire size.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire:The
United States version of a metric tire
sizing system. The letters LT as the first
two characters in the tire size mean a
light truck tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim
Association.
(2) Tire Width
:The 3-digit number
indicates the tire section width in
millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A 2-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width
measurements. For example, if the tire
size aspect ratio is 75, as shown in item 3 of the light truck (LT-Metric) tire
illustration, it would mean that the
tire's sidewall is 75 percent as high as it
is wide.
(4) Construction Code
:A letter code is
used to indicate the type of ply
construction in the tire. The letter R
means radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias ply
construction.
(5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of the
wheel in inches.
(6) Load Range
:Load Range.
(7) Service Description
:The service
description indicates the load index and
speed rating of a tire. If two numbers
are given as in the example, 120/116,
then this represents the load index for
single versus dual wheel usage (single/
dual). The speed rating is the maximum
speed a tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air inside
the tire pressing outward on each
square inch of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal) or psi
(pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The combined
weight of optional accessories. Some
examples of optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship of a
tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of cords
between the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains steel
wires wrapped by steel cords that hold
the tire onto the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire in which
the plies are laid at alternate angles
less than 90 degrees to the centerline
of the tread.