2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Doors User Manual
Tailgate
Manual Tailgate
Warning
It is extremely dangerous to ride on the tailgate, even when the vehicle is operated at low speeds. People riding on the tailgate can easily lose their balance and fall in response to vehicle maneuvers. Falling from a moving vehicle may result in serious injuries or death. Do not allow people to ride on the tailgate. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a seat belt properly.
Use the key to unlock the tailgate.
Open the tailgate by lifting up on its handle while pulling the tailgate down.
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it upward until it latches.
After closing the tailgate, pull it back to be sure it is latched securely.
Some tailgates have an electric latch. If the battery is disconnected or has low voltage, the tailgate will not open. The tailgate will resume operation when the battery is reconnected or recharged.
Power Release Tailgate
Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of the power tailgate as it is opening and closing, and keep hands away from the tailgate hinges when in use. You or others could be injured if caught in the path of the power tailgate or tailgate hinges.
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make sure the area behind the tailgate is clear before opening it.
In the case of a dead battery, the tailgate can be opened manually. Contact your dealer or Roadside Assistance. If equipped, to lock or unlock the tailgate, use the RKE transmitter or the key. See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation 
11. The vehicle must be in P (Park).
To open the tailgate:
- Press
quickly on the RKE transmitter until the tailgate moves.
- Press
on the center stack. 
- Press the touch pad on the tailgate handle after unlocking all doors. Use the top of the tailgate to pull against if assistance is required. If equipped with Keyless Access, a locked tailgate can be opened if the RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft).
To close the tailgate, firmly push it upward until it latches. Pull it back to be sure it is latched securely.
Power Tailgate
Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of the power tailgate as it is opening and closing, and keep hands away from the tailgate hinges when in use. You or others could be injured if caught in the path of the power tailgate or tailgate hinges.
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make sure the area behind the tailgate is clear before opening it.
If equipped with a power open/close tailgate, the tailgate can be opened or closed in several ways. To open the tailgate, do one of the following:
- Press quickly on the RKE transmitter until the tailgate moves. See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation11. If equipped with Keyless Access, a locked tailgate can be opened if the RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft).
- Presson the center stack.
- Press the touch pad on the tailgate handle after unlocking all doors. To close the tailgate, do one of the following:
- Press on the RKE transmitter once, then quickly press and hold until the tailgate completely closes. If is released prior to it being fully closed, the tailgate will reopen.
- Press and hold on the center stack until the tailgate is fully closed. If is released prior to the tailgate being fully closed, it will reopen. A chime will sound when the tailgate is fully closed.
- Press the touch pad on the tailgate handle.
A chime sounds and the taillamps flash during the closing operation. If the warning chime is not functioning, the tailgate will not power close. Power opening is still enabled. See your dealer for service. The power tailgate may be temporarily disabled after repeated power cycling over a short period of time. If this occurs, the tailgate can still be operated manually. The vehicle must be in P (Park) to operate the power tailgate. If the vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) while the power function is in progress, the tailgate will continue to completion. If the vehicle is accelerated while the tailgate is still closing, the tailgate may stop and reverse direction. Make sure the tailgate is closed and latched before driving.
Lift-to-Close Operation
To close the tailgate using the lift-to-close feature, lift the tailgate from the full-open position to at least 10 cm (4 in) and hold it momentarily. Then, the tailgate will start closing automatically. If the tailgate is lifted more than halfway between open and close, then it will not close automatically.
Obstacle Detection
If the tailgate encounters an obstacle during a power open cycle, it will stop on the obstacle. After removing the obstruction, the tailgate can be allowed to open. If the tailgate encounters an obstacle during the closing cycle, it will stop and reverse to full open.
If the tailgate encounters multiple obstacles, the power function will deactivate. After removing the obstructions, manually close the tailgate to resume normal power operation.
Manual Operation
The tailgate can be manually closed from the full-open position when the tailgate is lifted in a continuous motion. If the tailgate motion is stopped between the full-open and half-closed positions, the lift-to-close feature can engage and power close the tailgate. If the touch pad is pressed during power operation, the tailgate will stop and allow manual operation. The tailgate must be held after stopping, or it will continue to open.
MultiFlex Tailgate
Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of the power tailgate as it is opening and closing, and keep hands away from the tailgate hinges when in use. You or others could be injured if caught in the path of the power tailgate or tailgate hinges.
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make sure the area behind the tailgate is clear before opening it.
If equipped with this feature, the vehicle must be in P (Park).
Switches in the inner tailgate prevent the primary tailgate from being opened when the inner tailgate is not fully closed.
To open the primary tailgate:
- Press quickly on the RKE transmitter until the tailgate moves. See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation 0 11. If equipped with Keyless Access, the tailgate can be opened if the RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft).
- Press on the center stack.
- Press the lower touch pad on the tailgate handle after unlocking all doors. Use the top of the tailgate to pull against if assistance is required.
To close the primary tailgate, firmly push it upward until it latches. Pull it back to be sure it is latched securely.
To open the inner tailgate, press the upper touch pad on the tailgate handle after unlocking all doors. Pull the top of the tailgate to open. 
Caution
Do not open the inner tailgate with the primary tailgate open if there is a hitch ball or trailer attached. This may damage the tailgate.
To close the inner tailgate with the primary tailgate closed, firmly push or pull it upward until it latches. Pull it back to be sure it is latched securely.
To close the inner tailgate with the primary tailgate open:
- Hold the primary tailgate and firmly close the inner tailgate.
- Raise the inner tailgate so it meets the primary tailgate and close together at the same time.
When using the tailgate step as a load stop, the load must be secured as the load could shift. See Cargo Tie-Downs 94.
MultiFlex Inner Tailgate Enable/Disable
The MultiFlex inner tailgate may be equipped with an enable/disable feature to prevent the inner tailgate from being opened when a hitch or other equipment is installed that could damage the inner tailgate.
To disable the inner tailgate from opening:
ensure that the remote key is within 1 meter (3 ft) of the rear bumper and then hold the upper touchpad on the tailgate handle for three seconds. The tail lamps will flash to alert you that the inner gate has been disabled. The inner and outer tailgate can still be operated like a traditional tailgate, but the inner gate will not be able to be opened alone.
To enable the inner tailgate function, hold the upper touchpad on the handle for 3 seconds until the tail lamps flash. The inner tailgate can now be opened separately from the outer tailgate.
Tailgate Step
Warning
To avoid personal injury, keep hands away from the hinges when operating the tailgate step.
With the primary and inner tailgates open, the tailgate step can be lowered to access the pickup bed.
Using the Step
Caution
When using the tailgate as a step, the load rating is 170 kg (375 lb), which includes a person and cargo. Overloading the tailgate step can cause damage to the tailgate system.
- To lower the tailgate step, press the button at the center of the step. Make sure it lowers to the fully open position.
- To close the tailgate step, lift it firmly. Make sure that both side latches are engaged.
Do not place a load on top of the step when using it as a load stop.
Using the Assist Handle 
The assist handle helps with entering the pickup box. To use:
- Lift up on the handle until it locks in the open position.
- To return the assist handle, pull the release lever toward the ball end of the handle and push the handle back to the closed position.
Applying Loads to Tailgates
Caution
Do not put ramp loads on the inner tailgate alone. Damage to the inner tailgate may occur.
When applying any load to the tailgate, distribute the weight evenly across the width of the tailgate. This applies to all tailgate types.
- Use a load-distributing member (1).
- Secure the ramp to the bumper (2).
Transporting Items That Can Catch Fire
Warning
To avoid personal injury and/or vehicle damage when transporting items that can catch fire, such as leaves, mulch, hay,or cardboard, in the truck bed:
- Make sure items are securely contained inside the truck bed. Never allow them to hang over the sides or fall in between the truck bed and the cab.
- Never place items between the cab and the truck bed. They could touch hot exhaust parts and ignite.
Warning
Keep cigarettes, sparks, and other ignition sources away from the area between the bed of the truck and cab. They could fall onto the fuel system below and start a fire. You or others could be injured and/ or the vehicle damaged.
Power Assist Steps
Warning
To avoid personal injury or property damage, before entering or exiting the vehicle, be sure the power assist step is fully extended. Do not step on the power assist step while it is moving. Never place hands or other body parts between the extended power assist step and the vehicle.
If equipped, the power assist steps, when enabled, will extend when the door is opened. They will retract three seconds after the door is closed or immediately if the vehicle starts moving. Keep hands, children, pets, objects, and clothing clear of the power assist steps when in motion. The steps will reverse direction if there is an obstruction. If possible, carefully remove the obstruction, then open and close the door on the same side to complete the motion. If the obstruction is not cleared, the assist steps remain extended. Slight movement of the steps while extended is normal.
Kick Switch
- Place the vehicle in P (Park) and unlock the doors.
- Kick the switch to extend the power assist step to the tire. A Driver Information Center (DIC) message displays.
- Kick the switch again to return to normal operation.
Enable/Disable
To enable or disable the power assist steps see Vehicle Personalization 132.
Cleaning
To extend or retract both power assist steps for cleaning, see Vehicle Personalization 132.