CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2003 1.G Owners Manual

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-5
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-8
Checking Things Under
the Hood......................................................5-8
Hood Release................................................5-9
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-10
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid (Except Allison
Transmission
ž) ..........................................5-23Automatic Transmission Fluid (Allison
Transmission
ž) ..........................................5-26
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-28
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-29
Engine Coolant.............................................5-30
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-33
Engine Overheating.......................................5-33
Cooling System............................................5-36
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-41
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-42
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-43
Brakes........................................................5-44
Battery........................................................5-47
Jump Starting...............................................5-48
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-54
Rear Axle.......................................................5-55
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-56
Noise Control System.....................................5-58
Tampering with Noise Control System
Prohibited.................................................5-58
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

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

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-9.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-80.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See
Part E: Maintenance Record on page 6-22.
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
·Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
CAUTION: (Continued)
5-3

CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the air¯ow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see ªDiesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel Systemº in the Diesel Engine
Supplement.
For vehicles with gasoline engines, please read this.
Gasoline Octane
For all except the Silverado SS model, use regular
unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 87 or higher.
If the octane is less than 87, you may get a heavy
knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use a
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine. A
little pinging noise when you accelerate or drive
uphill is considered normal. This does not indicate a
problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel is necessary.
If you are using 87 octane or higher-octane fuel and
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
If you have the Silverado SS model, use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 91 or higher
for best performance. You may also use middle
grade or regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane
or higher, but your vehicle's acceleration may be slightly
reduced. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
5-4

Gasoline Speci®cations
It is recommended that gasoline meet speci®cations
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these speci®cations could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
ªAuto Makers' Choiceº
label on the pump.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certi®ed to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
speci®cations. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
speci®cations, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-49)
and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this
occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to contribute to clean air.
General Motors recommends that you use these
gasolines, particularly if they comply with the
speci®cations described earlier. Canada Only
5-5

Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to ®nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or contact
a major oil company that does business in the country
where you will be driving.
Filling Your Tank
{CAUTION:
Fuel vapor is highly ¯ammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Do not smoke if you are near fuel or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, ¯ames and smoking
materials away from fuel.
The fuel cap is located behind a hinged door on the
driver's side of the vehicle.
5-6

While refueling, hang the fuel cap by the tether using the
hook located on the inside of the ®ller door.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
{CAUTION:
If you get fuel on yourself and then something
ignites it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
quickly. This spray can happen if your tank is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any
ªhissº noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See
Cleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicle on page 5-103.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-49.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get the
right type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type, it may not ®t properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and
may damage your fuel tank and emissions system.
See ªMalfunction Indicator Lampº in the Index.
5-7

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ®ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
·Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
·Do not ®ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
·Bring the ®ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ®ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the ®lling is complete.
·Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-8

Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
1. Pull the handle inside
the vehicle located
under and to the left of
the steering wheel.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and pull up on
the secondary hood release located near the
center of the grill.
3. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all ®ller caps are
on properly. Pull down the hood and close it ®rmly.
5-9

Engine Compartment Overview
When you lift up the hood on the VORTECŸ 4300 V6 engine, you'll see the following:
5-10