transmission oil GMC SAFARI 2003 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: GMC, Model Year: 2003, Model line: SAFARI, Model: GMC SAFARI 2003Pages: 376, PDF Size: 2.25 MB
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When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked (preferably on level ground) with the
automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If you do get the overheat
warning, seeEngine Overheating on page 5-28.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
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Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission uid (don’t over ll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you nd them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these sections
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
If you have the optional trailering package, your vehicle
will have an eight-wire harness, including the center
high-mounted stoplamp battery feed wire. The harness
is stored on the passenger’s side of the vehicle near
the rear wheel well. This harness has a 30 amp battery
feed wire and no connector, and should be wired by
a quali ed electrical technician. After choosing an
aftermarket trailer mating connector pair, have the
technician attach one connector to the eight-wire trailer
harness and the other connector to the wiring harness
on the trailer. Be sure the wiring harness on the trailer is
taped or strapped to the trailer’s frame rail and leave
it loose enough so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not so loose that it drags on the ground. The eight-wire
harness must be routed out of your vehicle betweenthe rear door and the oor, with enough of the harness
left on both sides so that the trailer or the body won’t
pull it. If you do not have the optional trailering package,
your vehicle will still have a trailering harness. The
harness is located near the passenger’s side rear wheel
well. It consists of six wires that may be used by
after-market trailer hitch installers.
The technician can use the following color code chart
when connecting the wiring harness to your trailer.
Brown: Rear lamps.
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
White (Heavy Gage): Ground.
Light Green: Back-up lamps.
White (Light Gage): Center High-Mounted Stoplamp.
Blue: Auxiliary circuit (eight-wire harness only).
Orange: Fused auxiliary (eight-wire harness only).
Store the harness in its original place. Wrap the
harness together and tie it neatly so it won’t
be damaged.
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Page 213 of 376

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 Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood.....................5-9
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Cover...............................................5-17
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-25
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-28
Cooling System............................................5-30
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................5-37Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-48
Rear Axle.......................................................5-49
Front Axle......................................................5-49
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-51
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-54
Taillamps.....................................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-57
Inflation -- Tire Pressure................................5-58
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-58
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-60
Buying New Tires.........................................5-60
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-61
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-63
Wheel Replacement......................................5-63
Tire Chains..................................................5-64
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-64
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-65
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-75
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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A. Windshield Washer Fluid
B. Engine Coolant
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
D. Transmission Dipstick
E. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
F. Engine Oil Fill
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Battery
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.The engine oil dipstick has a yellow ring and is located
near the center of the engine compartment. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more
information on location.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
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Page 234 of 376

How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the engine air cleaner/filter remove thefilter
from the vehicle and lightly shakefilter to release
loose dust and dirt. If thefilter remains caked with dirt, a
newfilter is required.
To inspect or replace thefilter, do the following:
1. Unsnap both clips on the cover.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Change thefilter.
4. Snap both clips to secure the engine air
cleaner/filter cover.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/ lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ame if the engine back res. If it isn’t there
and the engine back res, you could be burned.
Don’t drive with it off, and be careful working on
the engine with the air cleaner/ lter off.Notice:If the air cleaner/ lter is off, a back re can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/ lter in place when
you’re driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmissionfluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both thefluid andfilter every 15,000 miles
(25 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
•In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
•In hilly or mountainous terrain.
•When doing frequent trailer towing.
•Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change thefluid andfilter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km).
SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
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How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmissionfluid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-34.
Addfluid only after checking the transmissionfluid while
it is hot. (A cold check is used only as a reference.) If
thefluid level is low, add only enough of the properfluid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It doesn’t take muchfluid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L).Don’t overfill.
Notice:We recommend you use only uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, because uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by uid other than DEXRON
®-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
•After addingfluid, recheck thefluid level as
described under“How to Check.”
•When the correctfluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; thenflip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle isfilled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occursfirst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
•Give freezing protection down to−34°F(−37°C).
•Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
•Protect against rust and corrosion.
•Help keep the proper engine temperature.
•Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL®is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner -- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs rst.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
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Fuse/Circuit
BreakerUsage
12 L, M1, M2 Blower Motor, Rear Air
Conditioning Relay Coil, Front Cont.
Temp. Door Motor, HI Blower Relay,
Defogger Timer Coil
13 Cigarette Lighter, Door Lock
Switches, Dutch Door Release
Module
14 Cluster Illum, Climate Controls,
Chime Module, Radio Illumination,
Rear Heat Switch Illumination, Rear
Wiper/Washer Switch Illumination,
Rear Liftgate Switch Illumination,
Remote Cassette Illumination,
Overhead Console, Truck Body
Control Illumination
15 Truck Body Module, Headlamp
Relay
16 Front Turn Signals, Rear Turn
Signals, Trailer Turn Signals,
Back-Up Lamps, Brake
Transmission Shift Interlock SolenoidFuse/Circuit
BreakerUsage
17 Front Wipers, Front Washer Pump
18 VCM-Ign 3, VCM-Brake, Cruise
Stepper Motor Signal, ATC Module
19 Instrument Panel Radio: ATC (Main
Feed), 2000 Series (Standby)
20 PRNDL/Odometer, TCC Enable and
PWM Solenoid, Shift A and Shift B
Solenoids, 3–2 Downshift Solenoid,
Instrument Panel Cluster, VCM
Module
21 Powr Adjust Mirrors
22 Not Used
23 Rear Wiper, Rear Washer Pump
24 Not Used
A (Circuit Breaker) Power Door Lock
Relay, 6–Way Power Seats
B (Circuit Breaker) Power Windows
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Capacities and Specifications
ApplicationCapacities
English Metric
Cooling Capacities
Quantity without Rear Heater
Quantity with Rear Heater13.5 quarts
16.5 quarts12.8 L
15.6 L
Engine Oil with Filter 4.5 quarts 4.3 L
Fuel Tank 27.0 gallons 101.8 L
Transmission Fluid (Drain and Refill) 5.0 quarts 4.7 L
Differential Fluid
Front Axle
Rear Axle2.6 pints
3.5 pints1.2 L
1.7 L
Refrigerant Type 134a
Front A/C
Front and Rear A/C2.25 lbs.
3.0 lbs.1.02 kg
1.36 kg
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the appropriate level, as recommended in this
manual. recheck the fluid level after filling. SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-34for
more information.
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Selecting the Right Schedule
First you’ll need to decide which of the two schedules is
right for your vehicle. Here’s how to decide which
schedule to follow:
Short Trip/City Definition
Follow the Short Trip/City Scheduled Maintenance if any
one of these conditions is true for your vehicle:
•Most trips are less than 5 miles (8 km). This is
particularly important when outside temperatures
are below freezing.
•Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
•You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
•If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police,
taxi or other commercial application.
One of the reasons you should follow this schedule if
you operate your vehicle under any of these conditions
is that these conditions cause engine oil to break
down sooner.
Short Trip/City Intervals
Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km):Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or 3 months, whichever occursfirst). Chassis
Lubrication (or 3 months, whichever occursfirst).
Drive Axle Fluid Check.
Every 6,000 Miles (10 000 km):Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Inspection. Front Wheel Bearing Repack
(two–wheel drive only) (or at each brake relining,
whichever occursfirst). Automatic Transmission Service
(severe conditions only).
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Replacement. Fuel Filter Replacement.
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km):Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions). Transfer
Case Fluid Change.
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km):Spark Plug Wire
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement. Positive
Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection.
Every 150 000 Miles (240 000 km):Cooling System
Service (or every 60 months, whichever occurs
first). Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection.
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure to follow the complete scheduled maintenance
on the following pages.
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Long Trip/Highway Definition
Follow this scheduled maintenanceonlyif none of the
conditions from the Short Trip/City Scheduled
Maintenance are true. Do not use this schedule if the
vehicle is used for trailer towing, driven in a dusty area
or used off paved roads. Use the Short Trip/City
schedule for these conditions
Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine under
highway conditions will cause engine oil to break down
slower.
Long Trip/Highway Intervals
Every 7,500 Miles (12 500 km):Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or every 12 months, whichever occurs
first). Chassis Lubrication (or 12 months, whichever
occursfirst). Drive Axle Fluid Check. Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km):Engine Air Cleaner
Filter Inspection. Automatic Transmission Service
(severe conditions only).Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km):Fuel Filter
Replacement. Engine Air Cleaner Filter Replacement.
Front Wheel Bearing Repack (two–wheel drive only) (or
at each brake relining, whichever occursfirst).
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km):Automatic
Transmission Service (normal conditions). Transfer
Case Fluid Change.
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km):Spark Plug Wire
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement. Positive
Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection.
Every 150,000 Miles (240 000 km):Cooling System
Service (or every 60 months, whichever occurs
first). Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection.
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure to follow the complete scheduled maintenance
on the following pages.
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