2011 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 Owner's Manual - Page 397

Vehicle Care How to Check Automatic Transmission Fluid Notice: Too much or too little fluid can damage the transmission. Too much can mean that some of the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Too little fluid could cause the transmission to overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if checking the transmission fluid. Before checking the fluid level, prepare the vehicle as follows: 1. Start the engine and park the vehicle on a level surface. Keep the engine running. 2. Apply the parking brake and place the shift lever in P (Park). 3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then, move the shift lever back to P (Park). 4. Allow the engine to idle (500 - 800 rpm) for at least 1 minute. Slowly release the brake pedal. 5. Keep the engine running and press the Trip/Fuel button or trip odometer reset stem until TRANS TEMP (Transmission Temperature) displays on the Driver Information Center (DIC). 6. Using the TRANS TEMP reading, determine and perform the appropriate check procedure. If the TRANS TEMP reading is not within the required temperature ranges, allow the vehicle to cool, or operate the vehicle until the appropriate transmission fluid temperature is reached. Cold Check Procedure 10-13 Use this procedure only as a reference to determine if the transmission has enough fluid to be operated safely until a hot check procedure can be made. The hot check procedure is the most accurate method to check the fluid level. Perform the hot check procedure at the first opportunity. Use this cold check procedure to check fluid level when the transmission temperature is between 27°C and 32°C (80°F and 90°F). 1. Locate the transmission dipstick at the rear of the engine compartment, on the passenger side of the vehicle. See Engine Compartment Overview on page 10‑6 for more information.