tire pressure CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2003 9.G Owners Manual

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

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's 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 front wheel and at
both rear wheels.The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
4-8

Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you can't, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
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're going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn't 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 re¯ections
from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and
raindrops ªdimpleº the water's surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn't a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
4-43

Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in
your ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh Ð such as after a day's
work Ð don't plan to make too many miles that ®rst
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll ®nd experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They'll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
·Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
·Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
·Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
·Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
·Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all in¯ated to the
recommended pressure?
·Weather Forecasts:What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
·Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-47

Loading Your Vehicle
The Certi®cation/Tire label is found on the rear edge of
the driver's door or in the Incomplete Vehicle
Document in the cab.
The label shows the size of your original tires and the
in¯ation pressures needed to obtain the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.The Certi®cation/Tire label also tells you the maximum
weights for the front and rear axles, called Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To ®nd out the actual loads
on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a
weigh station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can
help you with this. Be sure to spread out your load
equally on both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the GAWR
for either the front or rear axle.
The Certi®cation/Tire label also contains information
about your Front Axle Reserve Capacity. See ªFront
Axle Reserve Capacityº later in this section.
4-62

Tires..............................................................5-67
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-69
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-70
Buying New Tires.........................................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-74
Wheel Replacement......................................5-74
Tire Chains..................................................5-76
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-76
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-77
Spare Tire...................................................5-98
Appearance Care............................................5-99
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-99
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-102
Weatherstrips.............................................5-102
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle.............5-102
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-104Finish Damage...........................................5-104
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-105
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-105
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-105
Vehicle Identi®cation.....................................5-107
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)................5-107
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-107
Electrical System..........................................5-108
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-108
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-108
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-108
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-109
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-121
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-121
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
·
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.
·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.
5-67

In¯ation Ð 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 4-62.
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
·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.
5-68

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.
{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.
5-70

12. Disconnect the jack handle from the jack and
carefully remove the jack. Use one hand to push
against the spare while ®rmly pulling the jack out
from under the spare tire with the other hand.
If the spare tire is hanging from the cable, insert the
hoist handle, extension and wheel wrench into
the hoist shaft hole in the bumper and turn
the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower the
spare the rest of the way.
13. Tilt the retainer at the
end of the cable and
pull it through the
wheel opening. Pull the
tire out from under
the vehicle.
14. If the cable is hanging under the vehicle, turn the
wheel wrench in the hoist shaft hole in the bumper
clockwise to raise the cable back up.Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or ¯at tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been replaced.
To continue changing the ¯at tire, see ªRemoving the
Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tireº earlier in
this section.
Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a fully in¯ated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time, so check its
in¯ation pressure regularly. See
In¯ation Ð Tire
Pressure on page 5-68and ªLoading Your Vehicleº for
information regarding proper tire in¯ation and loading
your vehicle. For instruction on how to remove, install or
store a spare tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on
page 5-77.
After installing the spare tire on your vehicle, you should
stop as soon as possible and make sure the spare is
correctly in¯ated. Have the damaged or ¯at road
tire repaired or replaced as soon as you can and
installed back onto your vehicle. This way, a spare tire
will be available in case you need it again.
5-98