tow CHEVROLET SSR 2003 1.G Owner's Guide

Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes—and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions
for the trailer brakes so you’ll be able to install,
adjust and maintain them properly.
Your trailer’s brake system can tap into the vehicle’s
hydraulic brake system only if:
The trailer parts can withstand 3,000 psi
(20 650 kPa) of pressure.
The trailer’s brake system will use less than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3 cc) of uid from your vehicle’s
master cylinder. Otherwise, both braking systems
won’t work well. You could even lose your brakes.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
uid tap at the port on the master cylinder that
sends uid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this. If you do, it will bend and nally break off.
Use steel brake tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch, parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
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Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring and a heavy-duty turn signal asher (included
in the optional trailering package).
The arrows on your instrument panel will ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also ash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
Under normal conditions, use DRIVE (D) to tow a trailer.
You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3)
or, if necessary, a lower gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads or hilly conditions.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the transmission in PARK (P) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If you do get the overheat
warning, seeEngine Overheating on page 5-27.
4-47

Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-5for more information. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission
uid (don’t overll), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt,
cooling system and brake system. Each of these is
covered in this manual. If you’re trailering, it’s a
good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The trailer wiring is a four-wire harness assembly. The
wires are blunted and taped to the wiring harness.
The harness and wiring are stored under the vehicle on
the driver’s side. The harness has no connector and
should be wired by a qualied electrical technician. The
technician can use the following color code chart
when connecting the wiring harness to your trailer.
Black: Ground wire.
Yellow: Left turn lamps.
Dark Green: Right turn lamps.
Brown: Parking lamps.
Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then tape or
strap it to your vehicle’s frame rail. Be sure you
leave it loose enough so the wiring doesn’t bend or
break, but not so loose that it drags on the ground. Store
the harness in its original place. Wrap the harness
together and tie it neatly so it won’t be damaged.
4-49

Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick
handle is a yellow ring
located in the engine
compartment toward the
passenger’s side of
the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for more
information on location.Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-14

When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the hole at the tip of the dipstick,
then you’ll need to add at least one quart of oil. But
you must use the right kind. This part explains what
kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity,
seeCapacities and Specications on page 5-90.
Notice:Do not add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the upper
hole, your engine could be damaged.The engine oil ll cap is
located in the engine
compartment toward the
passenger’s side of
the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for more
information on location.
Be sure to ll it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the
way back in when you’re through.
5-15

{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps
to stop ame if the engine backres. If it is
not there and the engine backres, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre
can cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt
can easily get into your engine, which will damage
it. Always have the air cleaner/lter in place
when you are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change the
Automatic Transmission Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transmission uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the uid and lter every 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one
or more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, change the uid and lter every
60,000 miles (100 000 km).
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-5.
5-21

Checking the Automatic Transmission
Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transmission dipstick
handle may have this
symbol on it or say
TRANS/LOCK.The transmission dipstick is located on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle in the rear of the engine compartment.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
more information on location.
1. Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The uid level must be in the COLD area,
below the cross-hatched area, for a cold check or in
the HOT area or cross-hatched area for a hot check.
4. If the uid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle down
to lock the dipstick in place.
5-23

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or
hear no steam, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-38.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.If there’s still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you’re parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Surge Tank B. Engine Cooling Fan
5-28

{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause a crash. When you change
a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or a paper
towel to do this; but be sure to use a scraper
or wire brush later, if you need to, to get all
the rust or dirt off.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or the
threads of the wheel nuts. If you do, the wheel
nuts might come loose and the wheel could
fall off, causing a crash.
{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become
loose and even come off. This could lead to a
crash. Be sure to use the correct wheel nuts.
If you have to replace them, be sure to get new
GM original equipment wheel nuts.
Notice:Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead
to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specication.
5-63

If a Tire Goes Flat
Your vehicle has no spare tire, no tire changing
equipment and no place to store a tire.
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. See
Tires on page 5-51. If air goes out of a tire, it’s much
more likely to leak out slowly. But if you should
ever have a “blow out” here are a few tips about what to
expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the at tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel rmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blow out, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a skid and may require the same correction you’d
use in a skid. In any rear blow out, remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes at, avoid further tire and wheel damage by
driving slowly to a level place and stopping. Then do this:
1. Turn on the hazard warning ashers.
2. Set the parking brake rmly.
3. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).4. Turn off the engine.
5. Inspect the at tire.
If the tire has been separated from the wheel or has
damaged sidewalls or large tears that allow rapid
air loss, call a tire repair facility. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program on page 7-5.
If the at tire is due to a slow leak caused by a nail or
other similar road hazard, the tire inator kit may be used
to repair the damaged tire temporarily. The kit uses a
liquid tire sealant to seal small punctures in the tread
area of the tire. The at tire is then inated to at least
26 psi (179 kPa) and driven to evenly distribute the tire
sealant. The tire pressure is checked after driving for a
maximum of 10 minutes to see if the slow leak has been
stopped. If the tire pressure is 19 psi (131 kPa) or more,
inate the tire up to the standard operating pressure as
shown on the tire and loading information label found on
center pillar near the door latch or on the rear edge of the
driver’s door. SeeInation - Tire Pressure on page 5-56.
You should have the damaged tire repaired as soon as
possible. The tire sealant is a temporary repair only.
For more information regarding the tire inator kit
seeTire Inator Kit on page 5-66.
Notice:If the tire pressure has dropped below
19 psi (131 kPa), the vehicle should not be driven.
Damage to the tire may be severe and the sealant
will not be effective. Contact Roadside Assistance,
seeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-5.
5-65