Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
16 Keys, Doors, and Windows
.PressQorKon the power door lock
switch.
.Pulling an interior door handle will unlock
the door. Pulling the door handle again
unlatches it.
Keyless Access
The remote key must be within 1 m (3 ft) of
the trunk or door being opened or locked.
Press the button on the door handle to
open. See “Keyless Access Operation” in
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 08. Free-Turning Locks
The door key lock cylinder turns freely when
either the wrong key is used, or the correct
key is not fully inserted. The free-turning
door lock feature prevents the lock from
being forced open. To reset the lock, turn it
to the vertical position with the correct key
fully inserted. Remove the key and insert it
again. If this does not reset the lock, turn
the key halfway around in the cylinder and
repeat the reset procedure.
Power Door Locks
PressQorKon the Remote Key. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 08.
Q:Press to lock the doors. The indicator
light in the switch will illuminate when
locked.
K: Press to unlock the doors.
Security Status indicator
A light on the upper surface of the driver's
door trim is used to indicate vehicle security
status.
This light will be OFF any time the ignition
is ON, except momentarily when vehicle
doors are locking.
Solid : Indicates securing with doors closed.
Fast Flash : Indicates securing with
doors open.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Keys, Doors, and Windows 25
Power Assist Steps
{Warning
To avoid personal injury or property
damage, before entering or exiting the
vehicle, be sure the power assist step is
fully extended. Do not step on the power
assist step while it is moving. Never place
hands or other body parts between the
extended power assist step and the
vehicle.
If equipped, the power assist steps will
deploy when the door is opened and
automatically retract three seconds after the
door is closed. The power assist steps will
retract immediately if the vehicle starts
moving.
Disable the power assist steps before jacking
or placing any object under the vehicle. Too
much ice buildup may prevent deployment
of the power assist steps. Check the step
position before exiting the vehicle. If this
happens, disable the power assist steps,
clear the ice, then enable the assist steps
and confirm normal function prior to use. Keep hands, children, pets, objects, and
clothing clear of the power assist steps
when in motion. The steps will reverse
direction if they encounter an obstruction
when opening or closing. Remove the
obstruction, then open and close the door
on the same side to complete the motion of
the assist steps. If the obstruction is not
cleared, the assist steps remain extended
while driving.
To extend or retract both power assist steps
for cleaning, see
Vehicle Personalization
0 124.
Enable/Disable
To enable or disable the power assist steps,
see Vehicle Personalization 0124.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent features;
however, they do not make the vehicle
impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
The indicator light, on the driver door near
the window, indicates the status of the
system. See Power Door Locks 016
Arming the Alarm System
1. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Lock the vehicle in one of three ways:
.Use the remote key.
.Use the Keyless Access system.
.With a door open, pressQon the
interior of the door.
3. After 30 seconds the alarm system will arm, and the indicator light will begin to
slowly flash. Pressing
Qon the remote
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Seats and Restraints 43
Obstructions
If something has blocked the driver seat
while recalling a memory position, the recall
may stop. Remove the obstruction and try
the recall again. If the memory position still
does not recall, see your dealer.
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats
{Warning
If temperature change or pain to the skin
cannot be felt, the seat heater may cause
burns. To reduce the risk of burns, use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of time. Do
not place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket,
cushion, cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to overheat. An
overheated seat heater may cause a burn
or may damage the seat.Heated and Ventilated Seat Buttons Shown,Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If equipped, the buttons are near the
climate controls on the center stack. To
operate, the engine must be on.
Press
Ior+to heat the driver or
passenger seatback.
Press
Jorzto heat the driver or
passenger seatback and cushion.
Press
Cor{, if available, to ventilate the
driver or passenger seat. A ventilated seat
has a fan that pulls or pushes air through
the seat. The air is not cooled. When this feature is off, the heated and
ventilated seat symbols on the buttons are
white. When a heated seat is turned on, the
symbol turns red. When a ventilated seat is
turned on, the symbol turns blue.
Press the button once for the highest
setting. With each press of the button, the
seat will change to the next lower setting,
and then to the off setting. The indicator
lights next to the buttons indicate three for
the highest setting and one for the lowest.
If the heated seats are on high, the level
may automatically be lowered after
approximately 30 minutes.
The passenger seat may take longer to
heat up.
Auto Heated and Ventilated Seats
When the vehicle is on, this feature will
automatically activate the heated or
ventilated seats at the level required by the
vehicle’s interior temperature.
The active high, medium, low, or off heated
or ventilated seat level will be indicated by
the manual heated or ventilated seat
buttons on the center stack. Use the manual
heated or ventilated seat buttons on the
center stack to turn auto heated or
ventilated seats off. If the passenger seat is
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Lighting 133
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 135
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . 135
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 135
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . 135
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . 137
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 140
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering
wheel.
There are four positions:
O: Turns off the automatic headlamps and
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL). Turn the
headlamp control to
Oagain to turn the
automatic headlamps or DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the off
position will only work when the vehicle is
shifted into P (Park). AUTO :
Automatically turns on the
headlamps, parking lamps, taillamps,
instrument panel lights, roof marker lamps
(if equipped), and license plate lamps.
;: Turns on the parking lamps including
all lamps, except the headlamps.
2: Turns on the headlamps with the
parking lamps and instrument panel lights.
When the headlamps are turned on while
the vehicle is on, the headlamps turn off
automatically 10 minutes after the ignition
is turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off, the
headlamps will stay on for 10 minutes
before turning off to prevent the battery
from being drained. Turn the headlamp
control off and then back to the headlamp
on position to make the headlamps stay on
for an additional 10 minutes.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on or in
ACC/ACCESSORY.
IntelliBeam System
If equipped, this system turns the vehicle's
high-beam headlamps on and off according
to surrounding traffic conditions.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Lighting 137
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster flashes
in the direction of the turn or lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less than
one second until the arrow starts to flash to
signal a lane change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three times.
It will flash six times if Tow/Haul Mode is
active. Holding the turn signal lever for
more than one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until the lever is released.
The lever returns to its starting position
whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane change the
arrows flash rapidly or do not come on, a
signal bulb could be burned out.Replace any burned out bulbs. If a bulb is
not burned out, check the fuse. See
Fuses
and Circuit Breakers 0333.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more than
1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime sounds at each
flash of the turn signal. The message TURN
SIGNAL ON will also appear in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). To turn the chime
and message off, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
The brightness of the instrument cluster
display, infotainment display and controls,
steering wheel controls, and all other
illuminated controls, as well as feature
status indicators can be adjusted.
D: Press the −or + to brighten or dim
the lights.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Lighting 139
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps turn on briefly at
night, or in areas with limited lighting,
when
Kis pressed on the remote key. After
about 30 seconds the exterior lamps turn off
when any door is opened, the unlock button
on the remote key is pressed, or when the
ignition is switched off. All interior lights
turn on and then the dome and remaining
interior lamps dim to off after 20 seconds.
Entry lighting feature for exterior lighting
can be changed by Vehicle Locator Lights.
See Vehicle Locator Lights under Vehicle
Personalization 0124.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is turned
off. The dome lamp comes on after the
ignition is turned off. The exterior lamps and
dome lamp remain on after the door is
closed for a set amount of time, then
automatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off immediately by
turning the exterior lamp control off.
The exit lighting for exterior lights can be
changed. See Vehicle Personalization 0124.
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, 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
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
308 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 309
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 309
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 310
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 312
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 317
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 333
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 339
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 344 Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 348
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 349
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 353
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 354
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 355
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 356
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 369
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 381
Use cleaners specifically designed for the
surfaces being cleaned to prevent
permanent damage. Apply all cleaners
directly to the cleaning cloth. Do not spray
cleaners on any switches or controls.
Remove cleaners quickly.
Before using cleaners, read and follow all
safety instructions on the label. While
cleaning the interior, open the doors and
windows to get proper ventilation.
To prevent damage, do not clean the
interior using the following cleaners or
techniques:
.Never use a razor or any other sharp
object to remove soil from any interior
surface.
.Never use a brush with stiff bristles.
.Never rub any surface aggressively or
with too much pressure.
.Do not use laundry detergents or
dishwashing soaps with degreasers. For
liquid cleaners, use approximately
20 drops per 3.8 L (1 gal) of water.
A concentrated soap solution will create
streaks and attract dirt. Do not use
solutions that contain strong or
caustic soap.
.Do not heavily saturate the upholstery
when cleaning.
.Do not use solvents or cleaners containing
solvents.
Interior Glass
To clean, use a terry cloth fabric dampened
with water. Wipe droplets left behind with a
clean dry cloth. If necessary, use a
commercial glass cleaner after cleaning with
plain water.
Caution
To prevent scratching, never use abrasive
cleaners on automotive glass. Abrasive
cleaners or aggressive cleaning may
damage the rear window defogger.
Cleaning the windshield with water during
the first three to six months of ownership
will reduce tendency to fog.
Speaker Covers
Vacuum around a speaker cover gently, so
that the speaker will not be damaged. Clean
spots with water and mild soap.
Coated Moldings
Coated moldings should be cleaned.
.When lightly soiled, wipe with a sponge
or soft, lint-free cloth dampened with
water.
.When heavily soiled, use warm soapy
water.
Fabric/Carpet/Suede
Start by vacuuming the surface using a soft
brush attachment. If a rotating vacuum
brush attachment is being used, only use it
on the floor carpet. Before cleaning, gently
remove as much of the soil as possible:
.Gently blot liquids with a paper towel.
Continue blotting until no more soil can
be removed.
.For solid soils, remove as much as
possible prior to vacuuming.
To clean: 1. Saturate a clean, lint-free colorfast cloth with water. Microfiber cloth is
recommended to prevent lint transfer to
the fabric or carpet.
2. Remove excess moisture by gently wringing until water does not drip from
the cleaning cloth.