Chevrolet 2008 Avalanche User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats .............................................. 1-12
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-14
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-35
Airbag System ......................................... 1-60
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-76
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10
Windows ................................................. 2-23
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-26
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-30
Mirrors .................................................... 2-49
Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-58
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-61
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-64
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-71
Sunroof .................................................. 2-96
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-32
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-50
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-75
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-42
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-47
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-48
Front Axle ............................................... 5-49
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-50
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-55
Tires ...................................................... 5-56
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-99
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-107
Electrical System .................................... 5-108
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-115
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy ........... 7-16
Index ................................................................ 1
2008 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. GM reserves 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 wherever it appears
in this manual.
This manual describes features that may or may not be
on your specific vehicle.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Using this Manual
Read this owner manual from beginning to end to learn
about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures
and words work together to explain things.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 15854809 B Second Printing
©
2007 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Index
To quickly locate information about the vehicle use 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.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. A
box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about things
that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
Cautions tell what the hazard is and what to do to avoid
or reduce the hazard. Read these cautions.
A circle with a slash
through it is a safety
symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do Not do this”
or “Do Not let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Notices are also used in this manual.
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 the vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The
notice tells 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 which 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.
iv

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-3
Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-4
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals ....................1-6
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-8
Head Restraints ............................................1-11
Center Seat .................................................1-11
Rear Seats .....................................................1-12
Rear Seat Operation .....................................1-12
Safety Belts ...................................................1-14
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-19
Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-28
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-33
Lap Belt ......................................................1-34
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-35
Child Restraints .............................................1-35
Older Children ..............................................1-35
Infants and Young Children ............................1-38
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-42
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-44
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH) .................................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position ....................................1-53
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position ..........................1-56
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-56
Airbag System ...............................................1-60
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-63
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-65
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-67
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-67
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-68
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-69
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-74
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-74
Restraint System Check ..................................1-76
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-76
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-77
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
To move a manual seat forward or rearward:
1. Lift the bar to unlock
the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the
desired position and
release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1-2

Power Seats
On a vehicle with power seats, the controls used
to operate them are located on the outboard side
of the seats.
Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.
Your vehicle may have additional features to adjust your
vehicle’s power seat:
•Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion by
moving the front of the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion by
moving the rear of the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the entire seat by moving the entire
control up or down.
On seats with power reclining seatbacks, the control is
located behind the power seat control on the outboard
side of the seats. See “Power Reclining Seatbacks”
under Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-8.
A vehicle with a memory function allows seat settings to
be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat, Mirrors,
and Pedals on page 1-6 for more information.
Driver’s Seat with Power Seat Control, Power
Recline, and Power Lumbar shown
1-3

Manual Lumbar
On vehicles with this feature the control is located on
the outboard side of the seat.
Increase or decrease lumbar support by turning the
knob forward or rearward.
Power Lumbar
If the seats have power lumbar, the controls used
to operate this feature are located on the outboard
side of the seats.
•To increase lumbar support, press and hold the
front of the control.
•To decrease lumbar support, press and hold the
rear of the control.
1-4

The vehicle may have additional features to adjust the
power lumbar:
•To raise the height of the lumbar support, press
and hold the top of the control.
•To lower the height of the lumbar support, press
and hold the bottom of the control.
Release the control when the lower seatback reaches
the desired level of lumbar support.
Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows
seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory
Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-6 for more
information.
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.
Heated Seats
On vehicles with heated front seats, the controls are
located on the driver’s and passenger’s doors.
I(Heated Seatback): Press to turn on the heated
seatback.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback): Press to turn on the
heated seat and seatback.
The light on the button will come on to indicate that the
feature is working. Press the button to cycle through
the temperature settings of high, medium, and low and
to turn the heat to the seat off. Indicator lights will
show the level of heat selected: three for high, two for
medium, and one for low.
The heated seats will be canceled ten seconds after the
ignition is turned off. To use the heated seat feature
after restarting your vehicle, press the heated seat
or seatback button again.
1-5

Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals
Your vehicle may have the memory package.
The controls for this
feature are located on the
driver’s door panel, and
are used to program
and recall memory settings
for the driver’s seat,
outside mirrors, and the
adjustable throttle and
brake pedal.
To save your positions in memory, do the following:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat, including the seatback
recliner and lumbar, both outside mirrors, and
the throttle and brake pedals to a comfortable
position.
See Outside Power Mirrors on page 2-54 and
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal on page 2-33
for more information.
Not all mirrors will have the ability to save and
recall their positions.
Not all adjustable throttles and brake pedals will
have the ability to save and recall their positions.
2. Press and hold button 1 until two beeps are heard
indicating that the position has been stored.
A second seating, mirror, and throttle and brake pedal
position can be programmed by repeating the above
steps and pressing button 2.
To recall the memory positions, the vehicle must be in
PARK (P). Press and release either button 1 or button 2
corresponding to the desired driving position. The
seat, outside mirrors, and adjustable throttle and brake
pedals will move to the position previously stored.
You will hear a single beep.
1-6

If you use the remote keyless entry transmitter to enter
your vehicle and the remote recall memory feature
is on, automatic seat, adjustable mirror, and adjustable
pedal movements will occur. See “MEMORY SEAT
RECALL” under DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 3-66 for more information.
To stop recall movement of the memory function at any
time, press one of the power seat controls, memory
buttons, power mirror buttons, or adjustable pedal
switch.
If something has blocked the driver’s seat and/or the
adjustable pedals while recalling a memory position, the
driver’s seat and/or the adjustable pedals recall may
stop working. If this happens, remove the obstruction
and press the appropriate control for the area that is not
responding for two seconds. Try recalling the memory
position again by pressing the appropriate memory
button. If the memory position is still not recalling, see
your dealer for service.
Easy Exit Seat
The control for this feature is located on the driver’s
door panel between buttons 1 and 2.
With the vehicle in PARK (P), the driver’s seat exit
position can be recalled by pressing the exit button.
You will hear a single beep, and the driver’s seat
will move back.
If the easy exit seat feature is programmed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC), automatic seat movement
will occur when the key is removed from the ignition.
See “EASY EXIT SEAT” under DIC Vehicle
Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-66 for
more information.
The memory seat and easy exit features can also be
programmed using the DIC.
For programming information, see DIC Vehicle
Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-66.
1-7

Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
{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.
1-8

{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.
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
On seats with manual reclining seatbacks, the lever
used to operate them is located on the outboard side of
the seat(s).
To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the recline lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then
release the lever to lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure
it is locked.
1-9

To return the seatback to an upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback and the seatback will return to the upright
position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
If the seats have power reclining seatbacks, the control
used to recline them is located on the outboard side
of the seat behind the power seat control.
•To recline the seatback, tilt the top of the control
rearward.
•To bring the seatback forward, tilt the top of the
control forward.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-10

Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury
in a crash.
Pull the head restraint up
to raise it. To lower the
head restraint, press the
release button, located on
the top of the seatback,
while you push the head
restraint down.
Center Seat
Your vehicle may have a front center seat. The seatback
doubles as an armrest and cupholder/storage area for
the driver and passenger when the center seat is
not used. Do not use it as a seating position when the
seatback is folded down.
Head Restraint with
Tilt Feature shown
1-11

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 2-12 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.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
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.
1-12

{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.
{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.
1-13

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 harder or be ejected
from it and 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 passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
People riding on the tailgate (if equipped) can
easily lose their balance and fall even when
the vehicle is operated at low speeds. Falling
from a moving vehicle may result in serious
injuries or death.
{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 indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-34.
1-14

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
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 serious one.
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 40 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.
1-15

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-16