Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
Driving and Operating 299
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips
{Warning
You can lose control when towing a
trailer if the correct equipment is not
used or the vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is too heavy or
the trailer brakes are inadequate for the
load, the vehicle may not stop as
expected. You and others could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged, and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Pull a
trailer only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your dealer for
advice and information about towing a
trailer with the vehicle.
Driving with a Trailer
Trailering is different than just driving the
vehicle by itself. Trailering affects handling,
acceleration, braking, and durability.
Successful and safe trailering requires proper
use of the correct equipment.The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering tips and
safety rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your passengers.
Read this section carefully before towing a
trailer.
When towing a trailer:
.Become familiar with, and follow all state
and local laws that apply to trailer
towing. These requirements vary from
state to state.
.State laws may require the use of
extended side view mirrors. If your
visibility is limited or restricted while
towing, install extended side view mirrors
on your vehicle, even if not required.
.Do not tow a trailer during the first
800 km (500 mi) of vehicle use to prevent
damage to the engine, axle, or other
parts.
.Perform the first oil change before heavy
towing.
.Do not drive over 800 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle during
the first 800 km (500 mi) of trailer
towing.
.Tow in D (Drive). Tow/Haul Mode is
recommended for heavier trailers. See
Tow/Haul Mode
0229. If the transmission downshifts too often, a lower gear may
be selected using Manual Mode. See
Manual Mode (Mechanical Shifter)
0227
or
Manual Mode (Electronic Shifter) 0229.
If equipped, the following driver assistance
features should be turned off when towing
a trailer:
.Park Assist
.Automatic Parking Assist (APA)
.Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB)
If equipped, the following driver assistance
features should be turned to alert or off
when towing a trailer, unless equipped with
Super Cruise:
.Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
.Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)
If equipped with Lane Change Alert (LCA),
the LCA detection zones that extend back
from the side of the vehicle do not move
further back when a trailer is towed. Use
caution while changing lanes when towing a
trailer.
If equipped, the Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA) feature is automatically disabled
when a trailer is attached to the vehicle.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
314 Driving and Operating
The ITBC system is powered through the
vehicle electrical system. Turning the vehicle
off will also turn off the ITBC system. The
ITBC system is fully functional only when
the vehicle is on.
{Warning
Connecting a trailer that has an air brake
system may result in reduced or
complete loss of trailer braking, including
increased stopping distance or trailer
instability which could result in serious
injury, death, or property damage. Only
use the ITBC system with electric or
electric over hydraulic trailer brake
systems.
Trailer Brake Control Panel
1. Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever
2. Trailer Symbol
3. Trailer Gain Adjustment Buttons
The trailer symbol on the control panel will
light amber when a trailer with electric
brakes is connected.
The ITBC control panel is on the center
stack. SeeInstrument Panel Overview 05.
The control panel allows adjustment to the
amount of output, referred to as Trailer
Gain, available to the trailer brakes and
allows manual application of the trailer
brakes. Use the ITBC control panel and the
DIC trailer brake display page to adjust and
display power output to the trailer brakes.
Trailer Brake DIC Display Page
The ITBC display page indicates:
.Trailer Gain setting
.Output to the trailer brakes
.Trailer connection
.System operational status
To display:
.Scroll through the DIC menu pages
.Press a Trailer Gain (+) or (−) button
.Activate the Manual Trailer Brake Apply
Lever
TRAILER GAIN: Press a Trailer Gain button to
recall the current Trailer Gain setting. Each
press and release of the gain buttons will
then change the Trailer Gain setting. Press
the Trailer Gain (+) or (-) to adjust. Press and
hold to continuously adjust the Trailer Gain.
To turn the output to the trailer off, adjust
the Trailer Gain setting to 0.0. This setting
can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with a
trailer connected or disconnected.
TRAILER OUTPUT: This displays anytime a
trailer with electric brakes is connected.
Output to the trailer brakes is based on the
amount of vehicle braking present and
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
Driving and Operating 315
relative to the Trailer Gain setting. Output is
displayed from 0 to 100% for each gain
setting.
The Trailer Output will indicate“- - - - - -”on
the Trailer Brake Display Page whenever the
following occur:
.No trailer is connected.
.A trailer without electric brakes is
connected. No DIC message displays.
.A trailer with electric brakes has become
disconnected. A CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message displays on the DIC.
.There is a fault present in the wiring to
the trailer brakes. A CHECK TRAILER
WIRING message displays on the DIC.
.The ITBC system is not working due to a
fault. A SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
message displays in the DIC.
Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever
Slide this lever to apply the trailer's electric
brakes independent of the vehicle brakes.
Use this lever to adjust Trailer Gain to
achieve the proper power output to the
trailer brakes. This lever may also be used
to request additional trailer braking at any
time. The trailer and the vehicle brake lamps will come on when either vehicle brakes or
manual trailer brakes are applied and
properly connected.
Trailer Gain Adjustment Procedure
Trailer Gain should be set for a specific
trailering condition and it must be
readjusted anytime vehicle loading, trailer
loading, or road surface conditions change.
{Warning
Trailer brakes that are over-gained or
under-gained may not stop the vehicle
and the trailer as intended and can result
in a crash. Always follow the instructions
to set the Trailer Gain for the proper
trailer stopping performance.
To adjust Trailer Gain for each towing
condition: 1. Drive the vehicle with the trailer attached on a level road surface
representative of the towing condition
and free of traffic at about 32–40 km/h
(20–25 mph) and fully apply the Manual
Trailer Brake Apply Lever.
Adjusting Trailer Gain at speeds lower
than 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph) may result
in an incorrect gain setting. 2. Adjust the Trailer Gain, using the Trailer
Gain (+) or (−) adjustment buttons, to
just below the point of trailer wheel
lock-up, indicated by trailer wheel squeal
or tire smoke when a trailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may not occur if
towing a heavily loaded trailer. Adjust
the Trailer Gain to the highest allowable
setting for the towing condition.
3. Readjust Trailer Gain anytime vehicle loading, trailer loading, or road surface
conditions change or if trailer wheel
lock-up is noticed at any time while
towing.
Other ITBC-Related DIC Messages
TRAILER BRAKES CONNECTED: This message
will briefly display when a trailer with
electric brakes is first connected to the
vehicle. This message will automatically turn
off in about 10 seconds. This message can
be acknowledged before it automatically
turns off.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING: This message will
display if:
.The ITBC system first determines
connection to a trailer with electric brakes
and then the trailer harness becomes
disconnected from the vehicle.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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322 Driving and Operating
Lights
This view displays 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.
If a trailer connection is detected without
any faults, the view will display No Issues
Found.
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. If a
default trailer profile is selected, theTrailering App System will not display a
Trailer Detection Alert to the user when a
trailer is connected.
When a trailer is connected and the vehicle
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 enabled, the
frequency and pattern of this flashing will
change.
If a connected trailer becomes disconnected,
a message about the trailer disconnect will
appear on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) immediately (if vehicle is on) or the
next time the vehicle is turned on (if trailer
was disconnected while vehicle is off). Check
your trailer connection if needed.
Connection Problem
If any of the trailer connections are lost, a
message about the connection issue appears
on the DIC. The infotainment screen will also
show the connection issue in the Lights
Status view.
Connection Trailer Lighting Faults Detected
The Trailering App System monitors for
electrical faults on the trailer lights.
A message about the lighting issue appears
on the DIC. The infotainment screen will also
show the lighting issue in the Lights Status
view. Repair your trailer lights if needed.
A trailer lighting issue is not covered by
your GM warranty.
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.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
Driving and Operating 323
3. The left turn signal light flashes threetimes.
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 on 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 vehicle 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
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.
Touch to set up the TTPMS for the Trailer
Profile. See “Trailer Tire Pressure Setup”
previously in this section for details on the
setup. Also, touch Sensor Setup if the trailer
tires were rotated or if the tire pressure
sensors in the tires were replaced for this
Trailer Profile. The vehicle will need to relearn the tire sensors and their locations.
See
“Trailer Tire Pressure Setup” previously
in this section.
Touch Edit Target Pressure to change the
recommended tire pressure for the trailer
tires. This will change the number at which
the vehicle displays alerts related to trailer
tire pressure.
Maintenance
Touch to view a list of maintenance
reminders for the Trailer Profile.
The Maintenance Status view displays
reminders for the Trailer Profile. Touch a
reminder to view, reset, delete, or edit it.
Resetting a reminder will reset the time and
mileage values for the reminder. The
progress bar turns yellow when the
maintenance item reaches 90% complete.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
326 Driving and Operating
set up for the Accessory/No Trailer Profile.
The Accessory/No Trailer profile cannot be
edited.
No Trailer Connected
When there is no trailer connected, Trailer
Profiles cannot be activated but most
options can be edited.
Trailer Brake Gain Memory
The system can store the brake gain setting
of a Trailer Profile or a Guest Trailer Profile.
When a Trailer Profile or Guest Trailer Profile
is selected, and a brake gain setting is set
for that Trailer Profile, a quick notice will
appear to indicate that the system has
recalled that profile's brake gain setting.
If a Trailer Profile is already active and the
brake gain setting had been set for that
Trailer Profile, the quick notice will trigger
whenever the vehicle is turned on.
If there was an error in setting the brake
gain for a Trailer Profile, there will be a
notification. This pop-up will not appear if
the Guest Trailer Profile is active or if there
is no trailer connected.Trailer brake gain should be set for a specific
trailering condition and must be adjusted
anytime vehicle loading, trailer loading,
or road surface conditions change.
Editing a Trailer Profile
Touch the trailer profile icon/name in the
Status View to access the Trailer
Profile view:
.Trailer Name
.Total Mileage
.Average Fuel Economy
.Set as Default Trailer
.GCW Alert
.Tow/Haul Mode Reminder Alert
.Theft Alert
.Maintenance Alert
.Delete/Remove TrailerTrailer Name
Touch to edit the Trailer Profile’s name. Use
at least one character and no spaces.
Total Mileage
Touch to edit the Trailer Profile’s mileage.
Touch Reset to reset trailer mileage to zero,
or enter a new value and touch Save.
Effect on Maintenance Reminders
If the mileage is reset or changed, and
mileage has already accumulated, any
maintenance reminders that have been set
up will be adjusted accordingly.
Average Fuel Economy
Touch to reset the average fuel economy for
the trailer profile. Touch Reset to reset fuel
economy.
Delete/Remove Trailer
Touch to remove the Trailer Profile and all
of its settings.
On the pop-up, touch Remove to remove the
Trailer Profile from the vehicle. Touch Cancel
to dismiss the pop-up and return to the
previous view.
Remove is displayed if there is a connected
OnStar plan active with the vehicle.
Removing a trailer profile will remove the
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
338 Vehicle Care
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See“Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0348.
Engine Oil
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 0340.
.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 0335 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 0426.
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)
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico/Paraguay-16515119) - 2023 - CRC - 6/2/22
340 Vehicle Care
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system that
indicates when to change the engine oil and
filter. This is based on a combination of
factors which include engine revolutions,
engine temperature, and miles driven. Based
on driving conditions, the mileage at which
an oil change is indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, the system must be reset every
time the oil is changed.
On some vehicles, when the system has
calculated that oil life has been diminished,
a CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message comes
on to indicate that an oil change is
necessary. Change the oil as soon as
possible within the next 1 000 km (600 mi).
It is possible that, if driving under the best
conditions, the oil life system might indicate
that an oil change is not necessary for up to
a year. The engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and, at this
time, the system must be reset. For vehicles
without the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message, an oil change is needed when the
REMAINING OIL LIFE percentage is near 0%.
Your dealer has trained service people whowill perform this work and reset the system.
It is also important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain interval and
keep it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, the
oil must be changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change. Remember to reset
the oil life system whenever the oil is
changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System
Reset the system whenever the engine oil is
changed so that the system can calculate
the next engine oil change. Always reset the
engine oil life to 100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself. To reset the
engine oil life system:
1. Display the oil life percentage on the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) 0126 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 127.
2. Press the thumbwheel on the steering wheel, or the trip odometer reset stem if
the vehicle does not have DIC controls,
for several seconds. When the
confirmation message displays, select
YES. The oil life will change to 100%. The oil life system can also be reset as
follows:
1. Display the oil life percentage on the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) 0126 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 127.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within five seconds.
3. If the display changes to 100%, the system is reset.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message and it comes back on when
the vehicle is started and/or the oil
life percentage is near 0%, the engine oil
life system has not been reset. Repeat the
procedure.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is usually not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level. The only reason for
fluid loss is a transmission leak or
overheated transmission. This vehicle is not
equipped with a transmission fluid level
dipstick. There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the transmission fluid