check engine CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2003 9.G User Guide

BATTERY NOT CHARGING
If the battery is not charging during operation, this
message will appear on the DIC. Driving with this
problem could drain your battery. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as possible. Press the select
button to acknowledge this message and clear it
from the DIC display.
BUCKLE SEATBELT
If your vehicle is equipped with the passenger sensing
system, this message reminds you to buckle the
driver's and/or passenger's seatbelt. See
Passenger
Sensing System on page 1-83. The message will come
on and a chime will sound when the ignition is in
RUN or ON and the following conditions occur:
·The driver's seatbelt is unbuckled.
·The driver's seatbelt is unbuckled and the
passenger's seatbelt is unbuckled with the
passenger airbag enabled.
Press the select button to acknowledge the message
and clear it from the DIC display.
BUCKLE PASSENGER
If your vehicle is equipped with the passenger sensing
system, this message reminds you to buckle the
passenger's seatbelt. See
Passenger Sensing System
on page 1-83. This message will come on and a
chime will sound when the ignition is in RUN or ON and
the driver's seatbelt is buckled and the passenger's
seatbelt is unbuckled with the passenger airbag enabled.
Press the select button to acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL
This message is displayed when the engine oil needs to
be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be sure to reset the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL message. This message
will clear itself after 10 seconds until the next ignition
cycle, or until the message is reset. See
Engine
Oil, When to ChangeunderEngine Oil on page 5-18.
3-65

CHECK OIL LEVEL
If the oil level in the vehicle is low, this message will
appear on the DIC. Check the oil level and correct it as
necessary. You may need to let the vehicle cool or
warm up and cycle the ignition to be sure this message
will clear. The message will clear itself after 10
seconds, until the next ignition cycle. Once the problem
is corrected, press the select button to clear the
message from the DIC display.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
If a low tire pressure is detected in any of the vehicle's
tires, this message will appear on the DIC, along
with a chime. Press the select button, or reset stem, to
acknowledge the message and clear it from the DIC
display. It will appear at each ignition cycle until the tires
are in¯ated to the correct in¯ation pressure.
CHECK WASHER FLUID
If the washer ¯uid level is low, this message will appear
on the DIC. Press the select button to acknowledge
the message and clear it from the DIC display.
The message will clear itself after 10 seconds, or until
the next ignition cycle. Adding washer ¯uid will clear the
message.
DRIVER DOOR AJAR
If the driver's door is not fully closed, this message will
appear on the display and you will hear a chime.
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC. Press the select
button to acknowledge the message and clear it from
the DIC display.
ENGINE COOLANT HOT
If the cooling system temperature gets hot, this message
will appear in the DIC. Stop the vehicle and let the
engine idle in PARK (P) to allow the coolant to reach a
safe temperature. This message will clear when the
coolant temperature drops to safe operating
temperature. To acknowledge this message press the
select button
ENGINE OVERHEATED
If the engine cooling system reaches unsafe
temperatures for operation, this message will appear in
the DIC and you will hear a chime. Stop and turn off
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so to avoid severe
damage. The message will clear when the engine has
cooled to a safe operating temperature.
3-66

FUEL LEVEL LOW
If the fuel level is low, this message will appear on the
DIC and you will hear a chime. Refuel as soon as
possible. Press the select button will acknowledge this
message and clear it from the DIC display.
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the driver's side rear door is not fully closed, this
message will appear on the display and you will hear a
chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door
for obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see if
the message still appears on the DIC. Press the
select button to acknowledge the message and clear it
from the DIC display.
LOW COOLANT LEVEL
If your vehicle is equipped with a low coolant level
sensor, this message will appear on the DIC if
the engine coolant level is low. Adding coolant will clear
the message.
OIL LIFE RESET
This message will appear on the DIC display for about 10
seconds after the change engine oil message is reset.
OIL PRESSURE LOW
If low oil pressure levels occur, this message will be
displayed on the DIC and a chime will sound. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible and do not operate
it until the cause of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
If the passenger's door is not fully closed, this message
will appear on the display and you will hear a chime.
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see if the
message still appears on the DIC. Press the select
button to acknowledge the message and clear it from
the DIC display.
REAR ACCESS OPEN
If the liftgate is open while the ignition is in RUN, this
message will appear on the DIC display and you will hear
a chime. Turn the vehicle off and check the liftgate.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message on the DIC
display. Press the select button to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the DIC display.
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REDUCED ENGINE POWER
This message is displayed when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the engine further enters
the engine coolant protection mode.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-33for further
information.
REPLACE LIFTGATE FUSE
This message will be displayed if the liftgate lock
malfunctions and/or the liftgate fuse blows. For more
information on fuses, see
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-109.
If the message returns after replacing the fuse, see you
dealer for service.
KEYFOB X BATTERY LOW
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low, this
message will appear on the DIC. The battery needs
to be replaced in the transmitter. Press the select button
to acknowledge the message and clear it from the
DIC display.
SERVICE AIRBAG
If there is a problem with the air bag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have a quali®ed
technician inspect the system for problems. Press
the select button to acknowledge this message and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service. Press the select button to
acknowledge the message.
SERVICE 4 WHEEL STEER
If a problem occurs with the 4 wheel steer system, this
message will appear on the DIC. If the message
appears, stop as soon as possible, and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the four wheel
steer system needs service. Press the select button
to acknowledge the message.
3-68

SERVICE 4WD
If a problem occurs with the four wheel drive system
this message will appear on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the four wheel
drive system needs service. Press the select button to
acknowledge the message.
SERVICE RIDE CONTROL
If a problem occurs with the suspension system, this
message will appear on the DIC. If the message
appears turn off the vehicle. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC display. If the
message is still displayed, or appears again when you
begin driving, the ride control needs service. Press
the select button to acknowledge the message.
RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the passenger's side rear door is not fully closed, this
message will appear on the display and you will hear
a chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see if
the message still appears on the DIC. Press the select
button to acknowledge the message and clear it
from the DIC display.
SERVICE STABILITY
If you ever see the SERVICE STABILITY message, it
means there may be a problem with your
Stabilitrak
žsystem. If you see this message try to reset
the system (stop; turn off the engine; then start the
engine again). If the SERVICE STABILITY message still
comes on, it means there is a problem. You should
see your dealer for service. The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the bene®t of Stabilitrak
ž,
so reduce your speed and drive accordingly. Press the
select button to acknowledge the message and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
This message will be displayed if one or more of the tire
monitor sensors have malfunctioned, or if all of the
tire monitor sensors have not been programmed
successfully. Press the select button or reset stem, to
clear it from the display. The message will reappear
at each ignition cycle until the system has been
serviced.
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STABILITY SYS ACTIVE
You may see the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message on
the DIC. It means that an advanced computer-controlled
system has come on to help your vehicle continue to go
in the direction in which you're steering.
Stabilitrak
žactivates when the computer senses that
your vehicle is just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a
patch of ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the
system activates, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration
in the brake pedal. This is normal. When the STABILITY
SYS ACTIVE message is on, you should continue to
steer in the direction you want to go. The system is
designed to help you in bad weather or other difficult
driving situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit.
STABILITY SYS DISABLED
The STABILITY SYS DISABLED message will turn on
when you press the Stabilitrakžbutton, or when the
stability control has been automatically disabled. To limit
wheel spin and realize the full bene®ts of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
Stabilitrak
žon. However, you should turn Stabilitrakžoff
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow and
you want to ªrockº your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if
you are driving in extreme off-road conditions and require
more wheel spin. See
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow on page 4-56. To turn the Stabilitrakžsystem
back on press the Stabilitrakžbutton again. There arefour conditions that can cause this message to appear.
One condition is overheating, which could occur if
Stabilitrak
žactivates continuously for an extended period
of time. The message will also be displayed if the brake
system warning light is on. See
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-42. The message could be displayed if
the stability system takes longer than usual to complete
its diagnostic checks due to driving conditions. Also, if an
engine or vehicle related problem has been detected, and
the vehicle needs service, the message will appear.
The message will turn off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
STABILITY SYS READY
Text under development.
TIGHTEN FUEL CAP
If the vehicle's fuel cap is not tightened properly this
message may appear along with the check engine light
on the instrument panel. Reinstall the fuel cap,
making sure to fully install the cap. See
Filling Your
Tank on page 5-9. The diganostic system can determine
if the fuel cap has been 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 and message off.
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Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle ± like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio ± be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle's engine,
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it ®rst. Figure out which radio you have in your vehicle,
®nd out what your audio system can do and how to
operate all of its controls to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Your vehicle may have a feature called Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your
audio system even after the ignition is turned off.
See ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º under
Ignition
Positions on page 2-22.
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS)
Press and hold the HR or MIN arrow for two seconds.
Then press the HR (down) arrow until the correct hour
appears on the display. Press and hold the MIN (up)
arrow until the correct minute appears on the display.
The time may be set with the ignition on or off.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð 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 pace with 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.Anti-lock Brake System
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. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-44
.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come on
accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights
and chime will come on each time the ignition is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service.
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Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down ®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Supplemental Brake Assist System
If your vehicle has vacuum assist power brakes, it is also
equipped with a supplemental brake assist system that
supplies additional vacuum to the vacuum brake booster
if engine vacuum is reduced. Under certain conditions,
the supplemental brake assist system may run brie¯y
after starting your vehicle or when you apply and release
the brake pedal and it may continue to run even after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal. When the
supplemental brake assist system is operating, you mayhear a motor running or feel a slight vibration in the
steering wheel or brake pedal. This indicates that the
supplemental brake assist system is working to supply
additional vacuum for your vacuum assist power brakes.
This is a normal operation of your brake system and does
not require that the brake system be serviced.
Each time you start your vehicle and accelerate to 10
mph, the supplemental brake assist system will perform a
self-diagnostic check of the system and you may hear or
feel the supplemental brake assist motor run brie¯y.
While you are driving your vehicle, the supplemental
brake assist system monitors itself to ensure that it is
operating properly. If there is a problem with the
supplemental brake assist system, the SERVICE BRAKE
BOOSTER message will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center. See
DIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-64.
If your supplemental brake assist system runs every
time you apply and release the brake pedal or you notice
that the brake pedal has suddenly become much
harder to push and the vehicle takes longer to stop, you
should have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
4-9

If desired, you can change the TAS automatic
engagement feature so that the system will not come on
automatically when the engine is started. To do so:
1. Park the vehicle with the ignition off and the
transmission in PARK (P).
2. Turn the ignition to RUN; do not start the engine.
3. Apply the brake pedal, shift into NEUTRAL (N),
press the accelerator pedal to the ¯oor and then
press the TAS on/off button and hold it down for at
least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
The next time you start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the TAS is
set to come on automatically or not, you can always turn
the system on or off by pressing the TAS on/off button.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
StabilitrakžSystem
Your vehicle is equipped with the Stabilitrakžwhich
combines antilock brake, traction and stability control
systems and helps the driver maintain directional control
of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you ®rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 m.p.h.
(32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately two
miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the STABILITY
SYS DISABLED or SERVICE STABILITY message
will be displayed. If the vehicle has gone through heavy
acceleration or braking during the ®rst two miles after
starting your vehicle, the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message may appear. If this is the case, your
vehicle does not need servicing. Turn your vehicle off
and back on again to reset the system. If either message
appears on the Driver Information Center (DIC), and
your vehicle hasn't gone through hard acceleration
or braking in the ®rst two miles, your vehicle should be
taken in for service.
4-12