2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 125

Your vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that adjusts the transmission shifting to the current driving conditions in order to reduce rapid upshifts and downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is designed to determine, before making an upshift, if the engine is able to maintain vehicle speed by analyzing things such as vehicle speed, throttle position, and vehicle load. If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the transmission does not upshift and instead holds the current gear. In some cases, this could appear to be a delayed shift, however the transmission is operating normally. Your vehicle's transmission uses adaptive shift controls. Adaptive shift controls continually compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed ideal shifts stored in the transmissions computer. The transmission constantly makes adjustments to improve vehicle performance according to how the vehicle is being used, such as with a heavy load or when temperature changes. During this adaptive shift control process, shifting might feel different as the transmission determines the best settings. When temperatures are very cold, the Allison Transmission® and Hydra-Matic® 6-Speed transmission's gear shifting could be delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts could be more noticeable with a cold transmission. This difference in shifting is normal. MANUAL MODE (M): This position, is available on vehicles with the Allison Transmission® or Hydra-Matic® 6-Speed transmission. It lets drivers select the range of gears appropriate for current driving conditions. If your vehicle has this feature, see Range Select Mode (Allison Transmission® or Hydra-Matic® 6-Speed transmission) later in this section. THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving. It reduces vehicle speed more than DRIVE (D) without using the brakes. You might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding roads, when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears and when going down a steep hill. SECOND (2): This position reduces vehicle speed even more than THIRD (3) without using your brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use the brakes off and on. If you manually select SECOND (2) in an automatic transmission, the transmission will start in second gear. You can use this feature for reducing the speed of the rear wheels when you are trying to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces. 2-31