tires CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2003 1.G Owner's Manual

·Consider using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh less than 5,000 lbs. (2 270 kg) for light duty
vehicles, or less than 7,500 lbs. (3 405 kg) for heavy
duty vehicles. You should always use a sway control
if your trailer will weigh more than these limits. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
·Don't tow a trailer at all during the ®rst 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
·Then, during the ®rst 500 miles (800 km) that you tow
a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and don't
make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine
and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
·If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow
in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the transmission
to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection
if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy
loads and/or hilly conditions). If you have a manual
transmission and you are towing a trailer, it's better
not to use the highest gear. See
Tow/Haul Mode
Light on page 3-53.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
·the weight of the trailer,
·the weight of the trailer tongue
·and the weight on your vehicle's tires.
Tow/Haul Mode
Tow/haul is a feature on automatic transmission
equipped vehicles that assists when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load. The purpose of
the tow/haul mode is to:
·Reduce the frequency and improve the predictability
of transmission shifts when pulling a heavy trailer or
a large or heavy load.
·Provide the same solid shift feel when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load as when
the vehicle is unloaded.
·Improve control of vehicle speed while requiring
less throttle pedal activity when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
Automatic transmission equipped vehicles are provided
with a button at the end of the shift lever which when
pressed enables tow/haul. When the button is pressed,
a light on the instrument panel will illuminate to
indicate that tow/haul has been selected. Tow/haul may
be turned off by pressing the button again, at which
time the indicator light on the instrument panel will turn
off. The vehicle will automatically turn off tow/haul
every time it is started.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add
the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See
Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-58for more information about your vehicle's
maximum load capacity.If you're using a weight-carrying or a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10
percent to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight (B). Do not exceed the maximum allowable
tongue weight for your vehicle.
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights
are proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them
right simply by moving some items around in the
trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are in¯ated to the upper limit
for cold tires. You'll ®nd these numbers on the
Certi®cation label at the rear edge of the driver's door or
see
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-58. Then be
sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer tongue. If you use
a weight distributing hitch, make sure you don't go over
the rear axle limit before you apply the weight
distribution spring bars.
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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 the trailer hitch and platform
(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.
While towing a trailer or when exposed to long periods
of sunshine, the ¯oor of the truck bed may become
very warm. Avoid putting items in the truck bed
that might be affected by high ambient temperatures.
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.
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.
4-86

Bulb Replacement..........................................5-59
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-59
Headlamps..................................................5-59
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps.........................................5-61
Roof Marker Lamps......................................5-62
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp.............................................5-63
Pickup Box Identi®cation and Fender Marker
Lamps.....................................................5-65
Taillamps.....................................................5-65
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-67
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-68
Tires..............................................................5-69
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-69
Dual Tire Operation.......................................5-70
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-71
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-73
Buying New Tires.........................................5-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-75
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-76
Wheel Replacement......................................5-76
Tire Chains..................................................5-78
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-79
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-80Appearance Care..........................................5-100
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle...............5-100
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-103
Weatherstrips.............................................5-103
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle.............5-103
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-105
Finish Damage...........................................5-106
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-106
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-106
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-107
Vehicle Identi®cation.....................................5-108
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)................5-108
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-109
Electrical System..........................................5-109
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-109
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-109
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-109
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-110
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-121
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are ®rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque speci®cations.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-18.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your brakingsystem Ð for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you need new ones put in Ð be sure you get
new approved GM replacement parts. If you do not,
your brakes may no longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for
your vehicle, the balance between your front and rear
brakes can change Ð for the worse. The braking
performance you have come to expect can change in
many other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelcožbattery. When it's time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery's label. We recommend an ACDelco
ž
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-47

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your Chevrolet Warranty booklet for details.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
·Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index.
·Underin¯ated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Overin¯ated tires are more likely to be cut,
punctured or broken by a sudden
impact Ð such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
·Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure
The Certi®cation/Tire label or Tire and Loading
Information label shows the correct in¯ation pressures
for your tires when they're cold. ªColdº means your
vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no more than 1 mile (1.6 km). See
Loading Your
Vehicle on page 4-58.
Notice:Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
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·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation), you
can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage ®rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire in¯ation pressure is low,
add air until you reach the recommended amount.
If you over®ll the tire, release air by pushing on the metal
stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the tire
pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Dual Tire Operation
When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel
bolt or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque
after 100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and
10 000 km) of driving. For proper torque and wheel nut
tightening information, see ªRemoving the Flat Tire
and Installing the Spare Tireº in the index.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically.
See ªTire Inspection and Rotationº earlier in this
section. Also see ªScheduled Maintenance Servicesº in
the Index for scheduled rotation intervals
5-70

{CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underin¯ated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
®re. You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly in¯ated.
See ªTiresº and ªIn¯ation ± Tire Pressureº in the Index
for more information on proper tire in¯ation.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-73andWheel Replacement
on page 5-76for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench/hoist shaft to tighten the cable.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-80.
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels, also see
Dual Tire
Operation on page 5-70.The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If your vehicle has single rear wheels and the tread
design for your front tires is the same as your rear tires,
always use one of the correct rotation patterns shown
here when rotating your tires. If your vehicle is an
SS model, the spare tire is not designed to be used in
the tire rotation.
If your vehicle has front tires with different tread designs
(such as all season vs. on/off road) than the rear
tires, don't rotate your tires front to rear.
5-71

If your vehicle has dual rear wheels and the tread
design for your front tires is the same as your rear tires,
always use one of the correct rotation patterns shown
here when rotating your tires.If your vehicle has dual rear
wheels and the tread
design for the front tires is
different from the dual rear
tires, always use the
correct rotation pattern
shown here when rotating
your tires. The dual tires
are rotated as a pair, and
the inside rear tires became
the outside rear tires.
When you install dual wheels, be sure the vent holes in
the inner and outer wheels on each side are lined up.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the
Certi®cation/Tire label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº
under
Capacities and Speci®cations on page 5-118.
5-72

{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 an accident. 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. See ªChanging a Flat
Tireº in the Index.
When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it's
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining. Some
commercial truck tires may
not have treadwear
indicators.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
·You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
·You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.
·The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
·The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
·The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
5-73