The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not
limited to, GM, the GM logo,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET
Emblem, SILVERADO, and Z71
are trademarks and/or service
marks of General Motors LLC, its
subsidiaries, affiliates, or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20902913 B Second Printing
Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited” for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual.
If the vehicle has the Duramax
®
diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement for additional and
specific information on this engine.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
Attention: Customer Service
47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
Blackplate(4,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
ivIntroduction
Using this Manual
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.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning or Caution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury or
death.
WARNING
{
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
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.”
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,
gauge, or indicator.
M : This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
* : This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
Blackplate(5,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
Introductionv
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
Buttons. See Driver InformationCenter (DIC) on page 5‑33.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑5 (Out of View).
E. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑13.
F. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑39.
Tow/Haul Selector Button
(If Equipped). See Tow/HaulMode on page 9‑44.
Range Selection Mode (Allison
Transmission and Hydra-Matic
6‐Speed Button) (If Equipped).
See Manual Mode onpage 9‑43.
G. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
H. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
I.Integrated Trailer Brake
Controller (If Equipped). See
Trailer Towing on page 9‑90.
J. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
K. Data Link Connector (DLC)
®
(Out of View). See MalfunctionIndicator Lamp on page 5‑25.
L. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
M. Parking Brake on page 9‑63.
Blackplate(4,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-4In Brief
N. Dome Lamps on page 6‑9.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑7
(If Equipped).
O. Cruise Control on page 9‑69.
P. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
Q. Horn on page 5‑5.
R. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3 (If Equipped).
S. Automatic Transfer Case
Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 10‑33.
T. Ashtray (If Equipped). See
Ashtrays on page 5‑12 and
Cigarette Lighter on page 5‑11.
U. StabiliTrak
®
System on
page 9‑65 (If Equipped).
Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑72 (If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal on
page 9‑27.
Exhaust Brake (If Equipped).
See “Brakes” in the Duramax
diesel supplement.
V. Power Outlets on page 5‑10.
W. Climate Control Systems
(with Air Conditioning) on
page 8‑1 or Climate Control
Systems (with Heater Only) on
page 8‑4 (If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑5
(If Equipped).
X. Power Take Off (PTO) Control
(If Equipped). See Power Take
Off (PTO) in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Y. Passenger Airbag Off Control
(If Equipped). See AirbagOn-Off Switch on page 3‑33.
Blackplate(5,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
2 NOTES
In Brief1-5
Blackplate(6,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-6In Brief
Instrument Panel (Premium Version)
Blackplate(7,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-7
A. Air Vents on page 8‑11.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑6.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
C. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑13.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑5 (Out of View).
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑39.
Range Selection Mode
(If Equipped). See ManualMode on page 9‑43.
F. Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑44
(If Equipped).
G. Driver Information Center (DIC)
Buttons. See Driver InformationCenter (DIC) on page 5‑33.
H. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
I.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
J. Integrated Trailer Brake
Controller (If Equipped). See
Trailer Towing on page 9‑90.
K. Dome Lamps on page 6‑9.
L. Automatic Transfer Case
Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 10‑33.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See MalfunctionIndicator Lamp on page 5‑25.
N. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
O. Parking Brake on page 9‑63.
P. Cruise Control on page 9‑69.
Q. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
R. Horn on page 5‑5.
S. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑3.
T. Climate Control Systems
(with Air Conditioning) on
page 8‑1 or Climate Control
Systems
(with Heater Only) on page 8‑4
(If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑5
(If Equipped).
U. Power Outlets on page 5‑10.
Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped).
See Ashtrays on page 5‑12 and
Cigarette Lighter on page 5‑11.
Blackplate(8,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-8In Brief
V. StabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑65 (If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal on
page 9‑27.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑72 (If Equipped).
Exhaust Brake (If Equipped).
See “Brakes” in the Duramax
diesel supplement.
W. Passenger Airbag Off Control
(If Equipped). See AirbagOn-Off Switch on page 3‑33.
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The RKE transmitter is used to
remotely lock and unlock the doors
from up to 60 m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle.
K : Press to unlock the driver door.
K again within three seconds
Press
to unlock all remaining doors.
Blackplate(9,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-9
Q : Press to lock all doors. Lock
and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑52.
L : Press and release to locate
the vehicle. Press
more than two seconds to sound the
panic alarm. Press
cancel the panic alarm.
See Keys on page 2‑2 and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
L and hold for
L again to
Remote Vehicle Start
With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
3. Immediately after completing
Step 2, press and hold
the turn signal lamps flash.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on as
long as the engine is running. The
doors will be locked and the climate
control system may come on.
The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.
Q.
/ until
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start:
.
Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
until the parking lamps turn off.
.
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.
Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start onpage 2‑5.
/
Door Locks
There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.
From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.
From inside, use the power door
locks or the manual door locks. To
lock or unlock the door with the
manual locks, push down or pull up
on the manual lock knob.
Blackplate(10,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-10In Brief
Power Door Locks
Crew Cab Premium Trim Shown,
Up-Level Similar
Windows
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door
to manually raise or lower the
manual windows.
Base Trim
For vehicles with power door locks:
Q : Press to lock the doors.K : Press to unlock the doors.
See Door Locks on page 2‑8 and
Power Door Locks on page 2‑9 for
more information.
Blackplate(11,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-11
Power Windows
Crew Cab Premium Trim Shown,
Others Models Similar
The driver door has a switch to
control all windows. Each
passenger door has a switch to
control that window. The power
windows work when the ignition is in
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY,
or Retained Accessory Power
(RAP). See Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) on page 9‑32.
Press the switch to lower the
window. Pull the switch up to
raise it.
For more information, see:
.
Windows on page 2‑20.
.
Power Windows on page 2‑21.
Power Sliding Rear Window
If equipped, the power sliding rear
window works when the ignition has
been turned to ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN, or when Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑32
.
Push the switch to open the
window.
.
Pull the switch to close the
window.
The power sliding rear window
cannot be operated manually.
Blackplate(12,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-12In Brief
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust the seat:
1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.
3. Try to move the seat back and
forth to be sure the seat is
locked in place.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3.
Power Seats
To adjust a power seat, if equipped:
.
Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.
.
If available, raise or lower the
front or rear part of the seat
cushion by moving the front or
rear of the control up or down.
.
If available, raise or lower the
entire seat by moving the entire
control up or down.
See Power Seat Adjustment onpage 3‑5.
Lumbar Adjustment
Manual Lumbar
If equipped, increase or decrease
manual lumbar support by turning
the knob forward or rearward.
See Lumbar Adjustment onpage 3‑6.
Blackplate(13,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
Power Lumbar
To adjust the power lumbar support,
if equipped:
.
On vehicles with two-way
lumbar, press and hold the top
or bottom of the control to
increase or decrease lumbar
support.
.
On vehicles with four-way
lumbar, press and hold the front
or rear of the control to increase
or decrease lumbar support. To
raise or lower the height of the
support, press and hold the top
or bottom of the control.
See Lumbar Adjustment onpage 3‑6.
In Brief1-13
Reclining Seatbacks
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
To recline a manual seatback:
1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.
Blackplate(14,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-14In Brief
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
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.
See Reclining Seatbacks onpage 3‑7.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a power seatback,
if equipped:
.
Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.
.
Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.
See Reclining Seatbacks onpage 3‑7.
Memory Features
On vehicles with the memory
feature, the controls on the driver
door are used to program and recall
memory settings for the driver seat,
outside mirrors, and the adjustable
throttle and brake pedals,
if equipped.
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ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-15
Storing Memory Positions
To save into memory:
1. Adjust the driver seat and
seatback recliner, both outside
mirrors, and the throttle and
brake pedals, if equipped.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17
and Adjustable Throttle andBrake Pedal on page 9‑27.
Not all mirrors and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals will
have the ability to save and
recall their positions.
2. Press and hold “1” until
two beeps sound.
3. Repeat for a second driver
position using “2.”
To recall, press and release “1” or
“2.” The vehicle must be in P (Park).
A single beep will sound. The seat,
outside mirrors, and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals,
if equipped, will move to the position
previously stored for the identified
driver.
See Memory Seats on page 3‑8 and
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑52.
Easy Exit Driver Seat
This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.
B : Press to recall the easy exit
seat position. The vehicle must be
in P (Park).
See Memory Seats on page 3‑8 and
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑52.
Blackplate(16,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-16In Brief
Heated and Ventilated
Seats
Heated and Cooled Seat Buttons
Shown, Heated Seat Buttons
Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
front doors. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
H : If available, press to cool
the seat.
I : Press to heat the
seatback only.
J : Press to heat the seat and
seatback.
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 lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.
See Heated and Ventilated FrontSeats on page 3‑10.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
See Head Restraints on page 3‑2
and Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3.
Blackplate(17,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-17
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.
Safety Belts on page 3‑14.
.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑15.
.
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑17.
.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑54.
Passenger Sensing
System
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, turns off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions. No other
airbag is affected by the passenger
sensing system.
If the vehicle has one of the
indicators pictured in the following
illustrations, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position unless
there is an airbag off switch located
in the glove box.
If there is an airbag off switch, the
vehicle does not have a passenger
sensing system. See Airbag On-OffSwitch on page 3‑33 for more
information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
overhead console when the vehicle
is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑37 for important information.
Blackplate(18,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-18In Brief
Mirror Adjustment
Using hood-mounted air deflectors
and add-on convex mirror
attachments could decrease mirror
performance.
Exterior Mirrors
Power Mirrors
Crew Cab Premium Trim with
Power Folding Mirrors Shown,
Up-Level Similar
1. Press (A) or (B) to select the
driver or passenger side mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control
pad to move the mirror up,
down, right, or left.
3. Adjust each outside mirror so
that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.
4. Press either (A) or (B) again to
deselect the mirror.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17.
If the vehicle has power folding
mirrors:
1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out
to the driving position.
2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to
the folded position.
See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑18.
The mirrors may also include a
memory function that works with the
memory seats. See Memory Seatson page 3‑8 for more information.
Blackplate(19,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-19
Crew Cab Up-Level Trim without
Power Folding Mirrors
1. Move the selector switch located
above the four-way control pad
to the left or right to choose
either the driver side or
passenger side mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows
located on the control pad to
move the mirror in the desired
direction.
3. Adjust each outside mirror so
that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
Manual Mirrors
If the vehicle has manual mirrors,
they can be adjusted by moving the
mirror up and down or left to right to
see a little of the side of the vehicle,
and have a clear view behind the
vehicle.
Manual Folding Mirrors
If the vehicle has manual folding
mirrors, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.
Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑18.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.
Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer. See Trailer-TowMirrors on page 2‑16.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicle with heated mirrors:
1 to heat the mirrors. If the
Press
vehicle has a towing mirror, only the
upper glass of the mirror is heated.
The lower convex part of the towing
mirrors is not heated.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Climate Control Systems (with Air
Conditioning) on page 8‑1 or
Climate Control Systems (with
Heater Only) on page 8‑4 or Dual
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8‑5 for more information.
Blackplate(20,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-20In Brief
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the exterior mirrors tilt to a
preselected position when the
vehicle is in R (Reverse). This
feature lets the driver view the curb
when parallel parking. The mirrors
return to the original position when
the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is
turned off or to OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be programed
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑52 for more information.
Interior Mirror
Adjustment
Hold the rearview mirror in the
center and move it to view the area
behind the vehicle.
Manual Rearview Mirror
For vehicles with a manual rearview
mirror, push the tab forward for
daytime use and pull it for nighttime
use to avoid glare from the
headlamps from behind. See
Manual Rearview Mirror on
page 2‑19.
Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror
For vehicles with an automatic
dimming rearview mirror. The mirror
will automatically reduce the glare
from the headlamps from behind.
The dimming feature comes on
when the vehicle is started.
See Automatic Dimming RearviewMirror on page 2‑20.
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ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
In Brief1-21
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The tilt lever is located on the lower
left side of the steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment
On vehicles with this feature, you
can change the position of the
throttle and brake pedals.
The control used to adjust the
pedals is located on the instrument
panel below the climate control
system.
Press the bottom of the control to
move the pedals closer to your
body. Press the top of the control to
move the pedals away.
See Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal on page 9‑27.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps are located in the
overhead console.
They come on when any door is
opened and turn off after all the
doors are closed.
Turn the instrument panel
brightness knob located below the
dome lamp override button,
clockwise to the farthest position to
manually turn on the dome lamps.
The dome lamps remain on until the
knob is turned counterclockwise.
Blackplate(22,1)
ChevroletSilveradoOwnerManual-2012
1-22In Brief
Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.
k : Press the button in and the
dome lamps remain off when a door
is opened. Press the button again to
return it to the extended position so
that the dome lamps come on when
a door is opened.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps in
the overhead console, press the
button located next to the lamp to
turn it on or off.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. The lamps
cannot be adjusted.
For more information about interior
lamps, see:
.
Dome Lamps on page 6‑9.
.
Reading Lamps on page 6‑9.
.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑8.
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
O : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again 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).