GMC SIERRA 2003 Owner's Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
.......................................1-29
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-55
Restraint System Check
............................1-71
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
.................................................2-11
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-13
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-15
Mirrors
....................................................2-28
OnStar
®System
......................................2-33
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-35
Storage Areas
.........................................2-39
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-41
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-24
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-42
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-56Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-46
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under
the Hood
.............................................5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-45
Rear Axle
...............................................5-46
Front Axle
...............................................5-47
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-56
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
.....................................5-82
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-90
Electrical System
......................................5-91
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-100
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 GMC Sierra Denali Owner ManualM
2003 - Sierra Denali Owner Manual

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem and the name SIERRA DENALI
are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name″General Motors of
Canada Limited″for GMC whenever it appears in this
manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. S2315 B First Edition©
Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/24/02
All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
ii
2003 - Sierra Denali

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You willfind a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.You will alsofind a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means“Don’t,”
“Don’t do this”or“Don’t let
this happen.”
iii
2003 - Sierra Denali

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you willfind these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need helpfiguring out a specificnameofa
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv
2003 - Sierra Denali

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you mayfind on your vehicle:
v
2003 - Sierra Denali

✍NOTES
vi
2003 - Sierra Denali

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Power Seats..................................................1-2
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Rear Seats.......................................................1-6
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-7
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-7
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-12
Driver Position..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-20
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-21
Center Passenger Position.............................1-21
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-23
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults..........................1-26
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-28
Child Restraints.............................................1-29
Older Children..............................................1-29
Infants and Young Children............................1-31
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-35
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-38
Top Strap....................................................1-39Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-40
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position............................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear
Seat Position............................................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-49
Air Bag Systems............................................1-55
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-57
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?....................1-58
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?.....................1-59
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-59
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?.......1-59
Air Bag Off Switch........................................1-61
Passenger Sensing System............................1-66
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-70
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-71
Restraint System Check..................................1-71
Checking Your Restraint Systems
...................1-71
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
............................................1-72
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
2003 - Sierra Denali

Front Seats
Power Seats
Horizontal Control:You can adjust your vehicle’s front
seats with the horizontal control located on the
outboard edge of each front seat.
Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or
lowering the forward edge of the control. Raise or lower
the rear of the seat by raising or lowering the rear
edge of the control.
Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole
control toward the front or toward the rear of the
vehicle.
Moving the whole control up or down raises or lowers
the entire seat cushion.
Vertical Control:SeeReclining Seatbacks on
page 1-4.
1-2
2003 - Sierra Denali

Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has this
feature, the four-way
control is located on the
outboard side of the seat.
To increase or decrease support, press and hold the
front or rear of the control. Let go of the control when the
lower seatback reaches the desired level of support.
You can also reshape the side wing area of the
lower seatback for more lateral support. To increase or
decrease support, press and hold the top or bottom
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the button used to
control the driver’s
heated seat is located on
the driver’s door panel.
The button used to control
the passenger’s heated
seat is located on the
passenger’s door panel.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button.
Press the button to cycle through the temperature
settings of high, medium, and low. The indicator light
will glow to indicate the level of heat selected.
To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with
the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the
button will glow to designate that only the seatback
is being heated.
The engine must be running for them to operate.
The heated front seats will be canceled after the ignition
is turned off. If you still want to use the heated front
seat feature after you restart your vehicle, you will need
to press the heated seat button again.
1-3
2003 - Sierra Denali

Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicles front seatbacks have a recline feature.
Vertical Control:You can use the vertical control to
adjust the angle of the seatback. Move the reclining front
seatback rearward or forward by moving the vertical
control toward the rear or toward the front of the vehicle.But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-4
2003 - Sierra Denali