service CHEVROLET EXPRESS 2003 User Guide

Outside Heated Mirrors
Your outside mirrors can
be defrosted by pressing
the button located near the
fan control.
An indicator light in the button will light while the heated
outside mirrors are activated.
Your rear window defogger comes on while the heated
mirrors are on. If your vehicle has a rear window
defogger, see “Rear Window Defogger” inClimate
Control System on page 3-18.
OnStar®System
OnStar®uses global positioning system (GPS) satellite
technology, wireless communications, and call centers
to provide you with a wide range of safety, security,
information, and convenience services.
A complete OnStar
®user’s guide and the terms and
conditions of the OnStar®Subscription Service
Agreement are included in the vehicle’s glove box
literature. For more information, visit www.onstar.com or
www.onstarcanada.com. Contact OnStar
®at
1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827), or press the
OnStar
®button to speak to an OnStar®advisor 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
Terms and conditions of the Subscription Service
Agreement can be found at www.onstar.com or
www.onstarcanada.com.
OnStar®Services
For new vehicles equipped with OnStar®, the Safe and
Sound Plan is included for the rst year. You can
extend this plan beyond the rst year, or upgrade to the
Directions and Connections Plan to meet your needs.
For more information, press the OnStar
®button to speak
with an advisor.
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Safe and Sound Plan

Automatic Notication of Airbag Deployment
Emergency Services
Roadside Assistance
Stolen Vehicle Tracking
AccidentAssist
Remote Door Unlock/Vehicle Alert
Remote Diagnostics
Online Concierge
Directions and Connections Plan

All Safe and Sound Plan Services
Driving Directions
RideAssist
Information and Convenience Services
OnStar®Personal Calling
As an OnStar®subscriber, the Personal Calling
capability is available if your hand-held cell phone is
lost, forgotten, or has a low battery. It is a hands-free
wireless phone that is integrated into the vehicle.Calls can be placed nationwide using simple voice
commands with no additional contracts and no additional
roaming charges. To nd out more about OnStar
®
Personal Calling, refer to the OnStar®user’s guide in
the vehicle’s glove box or visit www.onstar.com or
www.onstarcanada.com; or speak with an OnStar
®
advisor by pressing the OnStar®button or by calling
1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
OnStar®Virtual Advisor
Virtual Advisor is a feature of OnStar®Personal Calling
that uses minutes to access up-to-date weather and
traffic reports for your area, news and sports updates,
stock quotes, entertainment and more. You are also able
to listen and reply to your E-mail through your vehicle’s
audio system. Customize your information prole at
www.myonstar.com. See the OnStar
®user’s guide for
more information.
Storage Areas
Your front storage compartment is at the center of the
instrument panel extension, by the oor. To open
the compartment, pull up on the latch. The compartment
will open automatically.
Storage compartments may also be included on the
inside of each front door.
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If the airbag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your
airbag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the airbag system
may not be working properly. The airbags in
your vehicle may not inate in a crash, or they
could even inate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the airbag
readiness light stays on after you start
your vehicle.
The airbag readiness light should ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Airbag Off Light
If your vehicle is equipped with an airbag off switch,
when you turn the right front passenger’s airbag
off, the airbag off light will come on and stay on to
remind you that the airbag has been turned off. This light
will go off when you turn the airbag back on again.
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-66for more on this,
including important safety information.
United States
Canada
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{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s airbag is turned
off for a person who is not in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person will not have the extra protection of
an airbag. In a crash, the airbag will not be
able to inate and help protect the person
sitting there.
Do not turn off the passenger’s airbag unless
the person sitting there is in a risk group
identied by the national government. See
Airbag Off Switch on page 1-66for more on
this, including important safety information.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the airbag, it means
that something may be wrong with the airbag
system. The right front passenger’s airbag
could inate even though the switch is off. If
this ever happens, do not let anyone whom the
national government has identied as a
member of a passenger airbag risk group sit in
the right front passenger’s position (for
example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-66.
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You can only drive for a short time with the reading in
either warning zone. If you must drive, turn off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully. If
it stays on after your parking brake is fully released,
it means you have a brake problem.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.This light should come on briey when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-34.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system warning light on
can lead to an accident. If the light is still on
after you have pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
United States
Canada
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Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on
for several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock
brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-29
for more information.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briey when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If
the light doesn’t come on then, have it xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
StabiliTrak Not Ready Light
If your vehicle has the
StabiliTrak®system, this
light will come on
according to the
description table for the
StabiliTrak
®system.
For more information, seeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-8.
You will hear three chimes if the light turns on and one
chime if the light turns off.
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StabiliTrak Indicator Light
If you have the StabiliTrak
system, this light will be on
or ashing, according to
the description table for the
StabiliTrak
®system.
For more information, seeStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-8.
You will hear three chimes if the light turns on and
one chime if the light turns off.
If this light remains on steady, your vehicle needs to be
taken in for service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area your engine is
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
operating conditions, you should pull off the road,
stop your vehicle, and turn off the engine as soon
as possible.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-24.
United StatesCanada
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The Check Engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after awhile, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good, and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-8. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap hasbeen left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x
any mechanical or electrical problems that may
have developed.
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A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing
low oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as possible.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
Change Engine Oil Light
This light is displayed
when your vehicle needs
to be serviced.
If your vehicle has a V8 engine and this light is ashing,
it indicates that the oil level is low.
When this light is on steady, your vehicle needs to be
serviced. SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
Once the engine oil has been changed, the change
engine oil light must be reset. Until it is reset, the light
will stay on for a while each time the engine is
started. For more information on resetting the system,
see “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-16.
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