Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
300 Driving and Operating
Vehicle
1. Transmission Fluid Temperature
2. Average Fuel Economy with TrailerProfile
Average Fuel Economy
Touch to view the average fuel economy of
the vehicle while the Trailer Profile is active.
Transmission Temperature
View the temperature of the transmission
fluid by looking at the graphic. The graphic
will indicate a dangerous level if the
temperature is at 130 °C–150 °C (270 °F–
300 °F).
Connections
1. Light Test Start Button
2. Trailer Electrical Diagnostics
Connections: OK
If a trailer connection is detected without
any faults, the view will display OK.
Trailer Connections Status
When a trailer is connected, the Trailering
App System detects the trailer connection
using the Stop/Turn Signal lighting circuits
and alerts the driver by requesting a trailer
profile setup through the Trailering App
System on the infotainment screen. The
Trailer Detection Alert setting must be
enabled for the alert to display when a trailer is connected. When a trailer is
connected and the ignition is off, the
Trailering App System will periodically pulse
the lighting circuits of the trailer to verify it
is still connected. The trailer lights may
periodically flash as a result of this trailer
connection detection. These flashes may be
more visible in dark ambient light
environments. The flashing or flickering
lights are a normal condition and the
Trailering App System has built-in
protections to prevent the battery from
draining. When Theft Alert is also enabled
the frequency and pattern of this flashing
will change.
Connection Problem
If any of the trailer connections are lost, a
message about the connection issue will
appear on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). The infotainment display will also
show the connection issue in the Connection
Status view.
If a trailer connection is not detected, the
Trailering App will not display the
Connection Status screen.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Driving and Operating 301
Connection Trailer Lighting Faults Detected
The Trailering App System monitors for
electrical faults on the trailer lights.
A message about the lighting issue will
appear on the DIC. The infotainment display
will also show the lighting issue in the
Connection Status view. Repair your trailer
lights if needed. A trailer lighting issue is
not covered by your GM warranty.
Diagnose View
Touch Diagnose to see more information
about the connection problem.
This view will display the names of the
trailer connector pins, a graphic of the trailer
connector, and a graphic of the back of the
trailer.
Any connector pin that failed will be amber
color, and the location of the corresponding
connection will be highlighted on the
graphic of the back of the trailer.
The Running Lights connection may not
detect partial outages. Activate the light test
to check all trailer lamps. See“Light Test”
following. Light Test
Touch Start Light Test to cycle the trailer
lights on and off to determine if they are
working. The test follows this sequence:
1. The running lights turn on first and remain on throughout the sequence.
2. The brake lights turn on for about two seconds.
3. The left turn signal light flashes three times.
4. The right turn signal light flashes three times.
5. The reverse lights turn on for about two seconds.
6. Steps 2–5 repeat for approximately one minute and 45 seconds, or until the
test deactivates.
Touch Stop to stop the test. The test will
automatically end after one minute and
45 seconds.
The sequence also deactivates when any of
the following occur:
.The ignition is turned off.
.The transmission is shifted out of P (Park).
.The brake pedal is pressed.
.The turn signal is activated.
.The hazard warning lights are activated.
Tires
1. Trailer Tire Pressure/Temperature
Tire Pressure and Temperature
If the TTPMS sensor-to-vehicle learn process
was completed, the status view will display
the current tire pressure and temperature of
the trailer tires related to the active Trailer
Profile. If a tire’s pressure is low or high, the
color of the pressure value will be amber.
If a sensor malfunctions, the values are
dashed lines. If the screen displays “Service
Tire Pressure Monitoring System”, the
vehicle needs to be taken to a dealer for
service.
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 309
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:
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 0327 and
Jump Starting - North America 0369 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 electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate Material –
special handling may apply. 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.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
310 Vehicle Care
Also, seeAdding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 068.
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 0408.
This vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to do your own service work,
see Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 68. 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 014.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service
work performed. See Maintenance Records
0 397.Caution
Even small amounts of contamination can
cause damage to vehicle systems. Do not
allow contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
{Warning
For vehicles with auto engine stop/start,
turn the vehicle off before opening the
hood. If the vehicle is on, the engine will
start when the hood is opened. You or
others could be injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can get hot
from running the engine. To help avoid
the risk of burning unprotected skin,
never touch these components until they
have cooled, and always use a glove or
towel to avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood before
opening.
To open the hood: 1. Pull the hood release lever with the
isymbol. It is on the lower left side
of the instrument panel.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 313
1. Remote Negative (–) Location. SeeJump
Starting - North America 0369.
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North America 0369.
3. Battery - North America 0327.
4. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0333.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0315.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0319. 7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
“When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0315.
8. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0319.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0318.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 326.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0324.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
314 Vehicle Care
6.2L V8 Engine
1. Remote Negative (–) Location. See Jump
Starting - North America 0369.
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North America 0369.
3. Battery - North America 0327.
4. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0333. 5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0315.
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0319.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0315. 8. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.
See Cooling System 0319.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0318.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 326.
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13690484) - 2021 - crc - 8/17/20
Vehicle Care 315
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See“Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0324.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see “Engine Oil”
in the Duramax diesel supplement.
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, careful attention must be paid to
engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect your
investment:
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0316.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” in this
section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0312 for
the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays, check the oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To get an accurate reading, park the
vehicle on level ground. Check the engine
oil level after the engine has been off for
at least two hours. Checking the engine
oil level on steep grades or too soon after
engine shutoff can result in incorrect
readings. Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to starting.
Remove the dipstick and check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, the engine
must be off for at least 15 minutes if the
engine is warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it with a clean paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at
the tip of the dipstick and the engine has
been off for at least 15 minutes, add 1 L (1
qt) of the recommended oil and then
recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for an
explanation of what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities
and Specifications 0398.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above
or below the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful to the
engine. If the oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the engine has so
(Continued)