warning CHEVROLET KODIAK 2004 Owner's Manual

Change Engine Oil Light
The change engine oil light
should come on briefly as
a bulb check when you
start the engine. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it
serviced.
If the change engine oil light comes on and stays on
after you start the engine, have the oil changed.
For additional information on when to change engine oil
for gasoline engines or DURAMAX™ diesel engines,
seeEngine Oil (Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine) on page 5-20
orEngine Oil (Gasoline Engine) on page 5-20or
Engine Oil (DURAMAX™ Diesel) on page 5-25. To reset
the change engine oil light, seeEngine Oil
(Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine) on page 5-20orEngine Oil
(Gasoline Engine) on page 5-20orEngine Oil
(DURAMAX™ Diesel) on page 5-25.
Engine Overspeed Warning Light
If your vehicle has this
light, it will come on if your
engine is operating at
too many revolutions per
minute (rpm).
It will also come on for a moment as a check when you
start your engine.
If it comes on when you’re driving, reduce your engine
speed immediately.
Engine Shutdown Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
engine shutdown feature,
this light will come on
when engine shutdown
is active.
For more information, seeEngine Alarm and Automatic
ShutdownunderStarting Your Diesel Engine on
page 2-14.
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Transmission Temperature Gage
If you have an automatic
transmission, this gage is
located above the
switchbank in the center of
the instrument panel.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the
temperature of the transmission oil. A reading in the
warning zone, the red area beginning at 300°F (150°C),
means you must stop driving and check into the
cause. One possible cause is a low oil level in the
transmission.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above normal
operating range, you can damage the transmission.
This could lead to costly repairs that would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not drive your
vehicle while the transmission temperature gage
reading is above normal. See your dealer for service.
Exhaust Brake Indicator Light
If your vehicle is equipped
with an exhaust brake, you
will have this light,
located above the comfort
controls in the center of
the instrument panel.
The exhaust brake indicator light will come on and stay
on whenever the diesel engine exhaust brake or
exhaust restrictor is active. For more information, see
Diesel Engine Exhaust Brake on page 2-25.
Differential Lock Indicator Light
If your vehicle has this
feature, this light is located
in the center of the
instrument panel. The light
is on when the inter-axle
differential lock system
is in use.
The light will come on momentarily during starting. If the
light fails to come on, have it repaired as soon as
possible so you will be aware when the lock system is
in use.
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Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light will come on
when your vehicle is low
on windshield washer fluid.
For more information, seeWindshield Washer Fluid on
page 5-44.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on as
you’re starting the engine,
just as a check.
If this light comes on and stays on while you are driving.
it means that either your engine coolant temperature
gage or your engine oil pressure gage may be showing
a reading in the warning zone.When the check gages light comes on, you will also
hear a warning tone. The tone and the light will
stay activated until the problem is corrected.
This light may also come on if your vehicle is equipped
with the optional automatic engine shutdown system
and engine shutdown has begun. SeeEngine Alarm and
Automatic ShutdownunderStarting Your Diesel
Engine on page 2-14.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage is located
on the right side of your
instrument panel cluster.
When the ignition is on, your fuel gage lets you know
about how much fuel you have left. When the gage first
shows empty, you’ll still have a little fuel left, but you
should get more fuel soon.
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If your vehicle has dual fuel tanks, the reading on the
gage is the total fuel left in both tanks.
Here are four concerns of some operators. None of
these shows a problem with your fuel gage:
•The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
•The gage does not go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
•At the gas station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
•It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated.
If you have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, also see your
Caterpillar®Operation & Maintenance Manual.
Water in Fuel Warning Light
If your vehicle is equipped
with a diesel engine, you
may have this light.
This light will come on to warn you that there is water in
the fuel system. For more information on how this
light works, seeWater in Fuel on page 5-10.
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Air Filter Restriction Indicator
If your vehicle has this
feature, the gage is
located above the
switchbank in the center of
the instrument panel. It
monitors the engine
air filter.
As the filter gets dirty, the yellow indicator will begin to
rise. When it reaches 25 inches of vacuum on the
scale, the filter should be replaced.
After replacing the filter, reset the gage by pressing in
the yellow reset button at the bottom of the gage.
If you have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, also see your
Caterpillar®Operation & Maintenance Manual.
Air Pressure Gage
If your vehicle has air
brakes, the air pressure
gage is located above the
switchbank in the center
of the instrument panel.
This gage shows the air pressure for both your front
and rear brake systems.
If the needle on the gage indicates that the air pressure
is below 60 to 75 psi (415 to 517 kPa), the low air
warning light will come on. An alarm will also sound if
this happens.
The yellow pointer shows the pressure available for the
front system, while the green pointer shows pressure
for the rear. There should be no more than 4 psi
(28 kPa) difference showing between the systems.
Don’t drive until both pointers are showing at least
115 psi (793 kPa), so you’ll have enough air if you need
to apply your brakes.
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Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pacewith the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Hydraulic Brake Systems
If your engine stops running, or if your primary brake
system stops working, your vehicle has a reserve power
assist system to help you slow down. Just slowly and
steadily apply the brake pedal until you can safely get off
the road. The pedal will seem harder to push down.
Do not pump the pedal; the system will not work well or
at all that way.
You may find that the steering wheel seems hard to turn
when you are turning and braking at the same time.
Also, the PRIMARY BRAKE warning light may come on
and the warning tone may sound. This is normal
because the main hydraulic brake system and power
steering both use the power steering pump. If this ever
happens, let up on the brake pedal a little. When
you let up on the brake pedal in that situation, it lets the
steering get a little more help from the pump.
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Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-34.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
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Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.If you have the Traction Control System, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have
this system, or if the system is off, then an acceleration
skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface” — and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the
brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores
steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
4-16

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reflections
from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you can not avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through owing
water, as you might at a low water crossing,
your vehicle can be carried away. As little as
six inches of owing water can carry away a
smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other
vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore
police warning signs, and otherwise be very
cautious about trying to drive through
owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
•Turn on your low-beam headlamps and your
marker and clearance lamps, if your vehicle has
them — not just your parking lamps — to help make
you more visible to others.
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•Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
•Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-68.
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
•Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
•Larger vehicles can not be driven everywhere
smaller ones can. There are low underpasses, truck
routes and other special situations. Usually these
are well marked, so be sure to watch for the signs.
•Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You will save time and energy. See
Freeway Driving on page 4-22.
•Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
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