Chevrolet 2006 Avalanche User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-30
Airbag System ......................................... 1-52
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-67
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8
Windows ................................................. 2-22
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-24
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-26
Mirrors .................................................... 2-43
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-55
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-58
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-62
Sunroof .................................................. 2-89
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-90
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-28
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-46
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-66
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-57
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-11
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-49
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-50
Front Axle ............................................... 5-51
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-61
Tires ...................................................... 5-62
Appearance Care ................................... 5-103
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-111
Electrical System .................................... 5-111
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-120
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-14
Index ................................................................ 1
2006 Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the
names AVALANCHE and Z71 are registered trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
ever needed. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual
in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 06AVALANCHE A First Printing
©
2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Passenger Seat ..................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats .................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Rear Seats .......................................................1-7
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-7
Safety Belts .....................................................1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-14
Driver Position ..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-22
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-23
Center Front Passenger Position .....................1-23
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-24
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-27
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-29
Child Restraints .............................................1-30
Older Children ..............................................1-30
Infants and Young Children ............................1-33
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-36
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) ..................................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position ...................................................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position ....................................1-48
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position ....................................1-49
Airbag System ...............................................1-52
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-55
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-58
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-59
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-59
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-60
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-61
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-65
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-66
Restraint System Check ..................................1-67
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-67
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-68
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Passenger Seat
If your vehicle has a manual front passenger split bench
seat, you can adjust it with this lever located at the
front of the seat.
Lift the lever to unlock the seat and use your body to
slide the seat to where you want it. Release the
lever and try to move the seat with your body to make
sure that the seat is locked into place.
Power Seats
If your vehicle has power seats, the control(s) are
located on the outboard side of the front seats.
•Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
raising or lowering the front of the horizontal control.
•Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
raising or lowering the rear of the horizontal control.
•Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by raising or
lowering the whole horizontal control.
•Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the
horizontal control forward or rearward.
1-2

If your vehicle has power reclining seatbacks, the
control is located rear of the power seat control on the
outboard side of the seats. Adjust the angle of the
seatback by pressing the vertical control forward
or rearward. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5.
If your vehicle has manual reclining seatbacks,
see Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5.
Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows
seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory
Seat on page 2-90 for more information.
Power Lumbar
Your vehicle may have this feature.
The control is located on
the outboard side of the
seat cushion.
To increase or decrease support, hold the control
forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating
position changes, as it may during long trips, so
should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the
seat as needed.
1-3

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the buttons are
located on the front doors.
The engine must be
running for the heated
seats to work.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with
the heated seat and seatback symbol. Press the button to
cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium
and low and to turn the heated seat off. Indicator lights
will be lit to designate the level of heat selected: three for
high, two for medium, and one for low.
To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with
the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the
seatback button will be lit to designate that only the
seatback is being heated. Additional presses of
the seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for
the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again
to heat the whole seat.
The heated seats will be canceled after the ignition is
turned off. If you still want to use the heated seat feature
after you restart your vehicle, you will need to press
the heated seat button again.
1-4

Reclining Seatbacks
If the seats have manual reclining seatbacks, the lever
is located on the outboard side of the seat cushions.
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever. Release the lever
to lock the seatback where you want it.
Lift the lever without pushing on the seatback and the
seatback will go to an upright position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked
in place.
If your vehicle has a power recline, see Power Seats on
page 1-2.
1-5

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-6

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Pull the head restraint up to raise it. Push the head
restraint down to lower it.
The rear seat head restraints are adjustable and work
the same as the front seat head restraints.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The rear seat is a 60/40 split bench seat that can be
folded to give you more cargo space and access to the
folding midgate. See Midgate
®
on page 2-11 for
more information on operation of the folding midgate.
To fold either side of the seat do the following:
1. Push the rear seat head restraints all the
way down. 2. Pull the seat loop
located where the
seatback and
seat cushion meet. The
seat cushion will
release and allow you
to tilt it toward the
front of the vehicle.
1-7

3. Fold the seatback forward until it is flat. You may
have to move the front seats forward slightly to
do this.
4. Repeat the procedure for the other side.
To return the seats to the normal position, push the
seatback up and fold the seat cushion down.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
be sure to press the rear of the seat cushion
down. This action locks the seatback in place.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Raise the head restraint.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
1-8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-30.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
1-9

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.
1-10

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-11

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-12

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-13

Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-30
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
1-14