Get Vehicle Care -> Towing the Vehicle Guide for Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Light Truck 2023

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Vehicle Care

11. Start the vehicle with the good battery

and run the engine for a while.

Contact a professional towing service if the

disabled vehicle must be transported. GM

recommends a flatbed tow truck to

transport a disabled vehicle. Use ramps to

help reduce approach angles, if necessary.

Caution

The vehicle may be equipped with an

electric parking brake and/or an

12. Try to start the vehicle that had the

dead battery. If it will not start after a

few tries, it probably needs service.

electronic shifter. In the event of a loss of

12-volt battery power, the electric parking

brake cannot be released, and the vehicle

cannot be shifted to N (Neutral). Tire

skates or dollies must be used under the

non-rolling tires to prevent damage while

loading/unloading the vehicle. Dragging

the vehicle will cause damage not

If equipped, a tow eye may be located near

the spare tire or emergency jack. Do not use

the tow eye to pull the vehicle from the

snow, mud, sand, or ditch. Tow eye threads

may have right or left-hand threads. Use

caution when installing or removing the

tow eye.

Jumper Cable Removal

Reverse the sequence exactly when

removing the jumper cables.

After starting the disabled vehicle and

removing the jumper cables, allow it to idle

for several minutes.

covered by the vehicle warranty.

The vehicle must be in N (Neutral) and the

electric parking brake must be released

when loading the vehicle onto a flatbed tow

truck.

Towing the Vehicle

Transporting a Disabled Vehicle

Caution

Incorrectly transporting a disabled vehicle

may cause damage to the vehicle. Use

proper tire straps to secure the vehicle to

the flatbed tow truck. Do not strap or

hook to any frame, underbody,

Caution

The vehicle may be equipped with a tow

eye. Improper use of the tow eye may

cause damage to the vehicle and is not

covered by the vehicle warranty.

If equipped, use the tow eye to load the

vehicle onto a flatbed tow truck from a

flat road surface, or to move the vehicle

a very short distance at a walking pace.

The tow eye is not designed for off-road

recovery. The vehicle must be in

Vehicles Equipped with Electronic Shifter

The vehicle must be in N (Neutral) and the

electric parking brake must be released

when loading the vehicle onto a flatbed tow

truck.

If the vehicle is equipped with car wash

mode and has 12-volt battery power, refer

to “Car Wash Mode” under Automatic

Transmission (Electronic Shifter) 0 223 or

Automatic Transmission (Mechanical

Shifter) 0 220 to place the vehicle in

N (Neutral).

or suspension component not specified

below. Do not move vehicles with drive

axle tires on the ground. Damage is not

covered by the vehicle warranty.

N (Neutral) with the electric parking

brake released when using the tow eye.

Vehicle Care

403

If the 12-volt battery is dead and/or the

engine will not start, the vehicle will not

move. Try to jump start the vehicle. Refer

to Jump Starting - North America 0 399

and if the jump start is successful, retry

the “Car Wash Mode” procedure.

ground. Dolly towing is towing the vehicle

with two wheels on the ground and two

wheels on a dolly.

Front Attachment Points

Here are some important things to consider

before recreational vehicle towing:

Before towing the vehicle, become

familiar with the local laws that apply to

recreational vehicle towing. These laws

may vary by region.

Vehicles Equipped with Mechanical

Transmission Range Select Shifter

The vehicle must be in N (Neutral) and

the Electric Parking Brake must be

released when loading the vehicle onto a

flatbed tow truck. If the 12-volt battery is

dead and/or Electric Parking Brake is not

released, the vehicle will not move. Try to

jump start the vehicle with a known good

12-volt battery, shift the car into

The towing capacity of the towing

vehicle. Read the tow vehicle

manufacturer's recommendations.

How far the vehicle can be towed. Some

vehicles have restrictions on how far and

how long the vehicle can be towed.

Whether the vehicle has the proper

towing equipment. See your dealer or

trailering professional for additional

advice and equipment recommendations.

The vehicle is equipped with specific

attachment points to be used to pull the

vehicle onto a flatbed car carrier from a flat

road surface. Do not use these attachment

points to pull the vehicle from snow, mud

or sand.

N (Neutral), and release the Electric

Parking Brake. Refer to Jump Starting -

North America 0 399.

If jump starting is unsuccessful, the vehicle

will not move. Tire skates or dollies must be

used under the non-rolling tires to prevent

vehicle damage.

Whether the vehicle is ready to be towed.

Just as preparing the vehicle for a long

trip, make sure the vehicle is prepared to

be towed.

Recreational Vehicle Towing

Recreational vehicle towing means towing

the vehicle behind another vehicle, such as a

motor home. The two most common types

of recreational vehicle towing are dinghy

and dolly towing. Dinghy towing is towing

the vehicle with all four wheels on the

Follow the tow vehicle manufacturer’s

instructions. See your dealer or trailering

professional for additional advice and

equipment recommendations.

404

Vehicle Care

Caution

Only dinghy tow four-wheel-drive vehicles

with a two-speed transfer case that have an

N (Neutral) and a 4 n (Four-Wheel Drive

Low) setting.

Caution

Use of a shield mounted in front of the

vehicle grille could restrict airflow and

cause damage to the transmission. The

repairs would not be covered by the

vehicle warranty. If using a shield, only

use one that attaches to the towing

vehicle.

If a vehicle with two-wheel drive or a

single-speed transfer case is towed with

all four wheels on the ground, the

drivetrain components could be damaged.

The repairs would not be covered by the

vehicle warranty.

Warning

{

Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle's

transfer case into N (Neutral) can allow

the vehicle to move even if the

Two-wheel-drive vehicles and vehicles with a

single-speed transfer case should not be

towed with all four wheels on the ground.

transmission is in P (Park). You or others

could be injured. Set the parking brake

and use wheel blocks before shifting the

transfer case to N (Neutral).

Dinghy Towing (Two-Wheel-Drive

Vehicles and Vehicles with a

Single-Speed Transfer Case)

Dinghy Towing (Vehicles with a

Two-Speed Transfer Case)

To dinghy tow:

1. Position the vehicle being towed behind

the tow vehicle, facing forward and on a

level surface.

2. Securely attach the vehicle being towed

to the tow vehicle.

3. Apply the parking brake and start the

engine.

4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See

“Shifting into N (Neutral)” under

Four-Wheel Drive 0 230.

5. With the engine running, release the

parking brake and verify that the

transfer case is in N (Neutral) by shifting

Vehicle Care

405

the transmission to D (Drive) and then to

R (Reverse). There should be no

movement while shifting the

transmission.

10. Disconnect the negative (–) battery

cable. See “Negative Battery Cable

Disconnection” in Battery - North

America 0 352.

STOP for five seconds until the green

light comes on the button is illuminated.

See Ignition Positions 0 211.

4. Set the parking brake. See Electric

Parking Brake 0 236.

6. Shift the transmission to P (Park).

7. Release the parking brake.

8. Turn the vehicle off.

Caution

5. Disconnect from the tow vehicle.

6. Start the engine.

If the steering column is locked, vehicle

damage may occur.

9. Turn on the ignition without starting the

engine. To do this, take your foot off the

brake pedal then press and hold ENGINE

START/STOP for five seconds until the

green light on the button is illuminated.

See Ignition Positions 0 211.

7. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).

11. Move the steering wheel to make sure

the steering column is unlocked.

8. Shift the transfer case to 2 m (Two-Wheel

Drive High). When the shift to 2 m

(Two-Wheel Drive High) is complete, the

light in the instrument cluster will stop

flashing and stay lit. See

12. For column shift transmissions, verify the

transmission is in P (Park). Failing to put

the transmission into Park before flat

towing can damage the transmission.

Four-Wheel-Drive Light 0 120.

Warning

{

13. Keep the remote key outside of the

vehicle and manually lock the doors.

Access the vehicle by using the key in

the door lock. See Door Locks 0 19.

9. Check that the vehicle is in 2 m

(Two-Wheel Drive High) by starting the

engine and shifting the transmission to

D (Drive) and then to R (Reverse). There

should be movement of the vehicle while

shifting.

To avoid death, serious injury,

or property damage, before dinghy

towing the vehicle, always disconnect and

secure the negative battery cable and

cover the negative battery post and cable

with a non-conductive material. If the

battery is left connected or the battery

cable contacts the post, the Electric

Parking Brake may activate during

towing, which could cause a crash.

Disconnecting the Towed Vehicle

Before disconnecting from the tow vehicle:

10. Shift the transmission to P (Park) and

turn off the ignition.

1. Park on a level surface. Secure the

vehicle with wheel blocks.

11. Release the parking brake and remove

the wheel blocks.

2. Re-connect the negative (–) battery. See

Battery - North America 0 352.

12. Reset any lost presets.

3. Turn on the ignition without starting the

engine. With your foot off the brake

pedal, press and hold ENGINE START/

406

Vehicle Care

The outside temperature display will

default to 0 °C (32 °F) but will reset with

normal usage.

Appearance Care

Exterior Care

Dolly Towing

Locks

Locks are lubricated at the factory. Use a

de-icing agent only when absolutely

necessary, and have the locks greased after

using. See Recommended Fluids and

Lubricants 0 421.

Washing the Vehicle

To preserve the vehicle's finish, wash it

often and out of direct sunlight.

Caution

Do not tow this vehicle with two wheels

on the ground, or vehicle damage could

occur. This damage would not be covered

by the vehicle warranty.

Warning

{

Do not power wash any part of the

vehicle’s interior, including the vinyl floor

covering. This could damage safety and

other systems in the vehicle, which

would not be covered by the vehicle

warranty.

Dolly towing this vehicle is not allowed with

either the front or the rear tires on the

ground for two-wheel drive or four-wheel

drive, regardless of transfer case.

Vehicle Care -> Towing the Vehicle for Your Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Light Truck 2023

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