oil change GMC SIERRA DENALI 2003 User Guide

Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
The coolant surge tank
pressure cap must be fully
installed on the coolant
surge tank.
Nofice: Your pressure cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant loss
and possible engine damage from overheating. See “Capacities and Specifications” for more
information.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
on page 3-36. In addition, you will
find a LOW COOLANT, ENGINE OVERHEATED and a
REDUCED ENGINE POWER message in the DIC on
the instrument panel. See
Driver lnformation Center
(DIC)
on page 3-43.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition exists and the
REDUCED ENGINE POWER message is displayed, an
overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups
of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a
loss in power and engine performance.
This operating mode allows your vehicle to be driven to
a
safe place in an emergency. Driving extended miles (km)
and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
Nofice: After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair the
cause of coolant
loss, change the oil and reset the oil
life system. See “Engine
Oil” in the Index.
5-27

FabricKarpet Leather
Your dealer has cleaners for the cleaning of fabric and
carpet. They will clean normal spots and stains
very well.
You can get
GM - approved cleaning products from
your dealer. See
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials
on page 5-92.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can - before
they set.
0 Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often.
A soft brush may be used if stains are
stubborn.
If a ring forms on fabric after spot cleaning, clean
the entire area immediately or it will set.
Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do this more than once.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don’t get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and vinyl/leather cleaner. See your dealer for
this product. Use a
soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Then, let
the leather dry naturally.
Do not use heat to dry.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
immediately.
If dirt is allowed to work into the finish,
it can harm the leather.
Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones
or waxes may cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult to see through the
windshield under certain conditions.
Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft cloth
or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Wood Panels
Use a clean cloth moistened in warm, soapy water (use
mild dish washing soap).
Dry the wood immediately
with a clean cloth.
5-87

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
I
IMPORTANT:
KEEP ENGINE OIL
AT THE PROPER
LNEL AND CHANGE
AS
RECOMMENDED
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan
supplements your new vehicle warranties. See your
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet or your dealer
for details.
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment. All recommended maintenance procedures
are important. Improper vehicle maintenance can
even affect the quality of the air we breathe. Improper
fluid levels or the wrong tire inflation can increase
the level of emissions from your vehicle.
To help protect
our environment, and to keep your vehicle in good
condition, please maintain your vehicle properly.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and
recommended fluids and lubricants as prescribed in this
manual are necessary to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. Any damage caused by failure
to follow recommended maintenance may not be
covered by warranty.
6-2

Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
This part contains engine oil and chassis lubrication scheduled maintenance which explains the engine oil life
system and how it indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. Lubricate chassis components with
each oil change.
Also, listed are scheduled maintenance
services which are to be performed at the mileage
intervals specified.
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good condition. But we don’t know exactly how
you’ll drive it. You may drive very short distances only
a few times a week. Or you may drive long distances in
very hot, dusty weather. You may use your vehicle in
making deliveries. Or yo may drive
it to work, to
do errands or in many other ways.
Because
of all the different ways people use their
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may need more
frequent checks and replacements.
So please read
the following and note how you drive.
If you have any
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good condition,
see your dealer. This part tells
you the maintenance services you should
have done and when you should schedule them.
When you go to your dealer for your service needs,
you’ll know that GM-trained and supported service
people will perform the work using genuine
GM parts.
The proper fluids and lubricants
so use are listed in Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these.
All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before you or anyone else drives the
vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will find these limits on your vehicle’s
Certification/Tire label. See
Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-45.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
are driven off-road in the recommended manner.
See
Operating Your All- Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off
Paved Roads on page 4- 16.
use the recommended fuel. See Gasoline Octane
on page 5-5.
6-4

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(1 66 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(1 66 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at
150,000 miles
(240
000 km) and 200,000 miles (332 000 km) should
be repeated at the same intervals after 150,000 miles
(240
000 km) and 200,000 miles (332 000 km) for the life
of this vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-10
and Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page
6- 14.
Footnotes
t The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle
's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page
6-15.
Engine Oil and Chassis Lubrication
Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life SystemTM (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change
is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will
come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within
the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
it
you are driving under the best conditions, the oil life
system may not indicate that an
oil change is necessary
for over a year. However, your engine
oil and filter
must be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. It
is also important to
check your oil regularly and keep
it at the proper level.
6-5

If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at
3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed. See
Engine Oil on
page 5-73
for information on resetting the system.
An Emission Control Service.
Lubricate chassis components with each engine oil
and filter change.
Lubricate the front suspension, ball joints, steering
linkage, transmission shift linkage, transfer case shift
linkage and parking brake cable guides. Ball joints
should not be lubricated unless their temperature is
10°F (-12°C) or higher or they could be damaged.
After the services are performed, record the date,
odometer reading and who performed the service on the
maintenance record pages in Part
E of this schedule.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
0 Check readfront axle fluid level and add fluid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.
page 5-62 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
0 Inspect engine air cleaner filter if you are driving in
dusty conditions. Replace filter
if necessary. An
Emission Control Service. (See footnote
t.)
0 Check readfront axle fluid level and add fluid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-62
for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote +.)
6-6

Transfer Case and Front Axle
(All-Wheel Drive) Inspection
Every 12 months, or at engine oil change intervals,
check front axle and transfer case and add lubricant
when necessary.
A fluid loss could indicate a problem.
Check and have it repaired,
if needed. Check vent
hose at transfer case for kinks and proper installation.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc; Inspect
disc brake pads for wear and rotors
for surface condition. Inspect other brake parts,
including calipers, parking brake, etc. You may need to
have your brakes inspected more often if your driving
habits or conditions result in frequent braking.
6-1 5

Care of Your (cont.)
CD Player
................................ ... 3-84
CDS
.......................................................... 3-84
Cargo Lamp
............................. ... 3-14
CARGO LAMP
ON ....................... ... 3-56
Cassette Tape Messages
................................. 3-73
Cassette Tape Player Service
........................... 6-10
CD Adapter Kits
............................................. 3-74
CD Changer
................................................... 3-78
CD Functions
................................................. 3-80
Center Console Storage Area
........................... 2-39
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block
.................. 5-98
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts
............. 1-22
Chains, Tires .................................................. 5-68
Check Cargo Lamp
............................................... 5-56
CHANGE ENGINE OIL .................................... 3-54
Engine Light
.................................... ... 3-38
Check Engine Light
.......................... ... 3-38
CHECK OIL LEVEL
..................................... 3-58
CHECK WASHER FLUID
................................. 3-58
Checking Brake Fluid
...................................... 5-40
Checking Coolant ............................................ 5-26
Checking Engine Oil
........................................ 5-14
Checking Things Under the Hood
...................... 5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................... 1-73
Chemical Paint Spotting
................................... 5-91 Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems
............................... 1-36
Infants and Young Children
........................... 1-32
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children
(LATCH System) .......................... 1-43
Older Children ............................................. 1-30
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
LATCH System
........................................ 1-46
Rear Seat Position
................................... 1-48
Outside Seat Position
............................ 1-46
Front Seat Position
................................... 1-50
Top Strap ................................................... 1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................ 1-41
Cigarette Lighter
............................................. 3-17
Where
to Put the Restraint
........................... 1-38
Cleaning Inside of Your Vehicle
.................................. 5-86
Outside
of Your Vehicle ................................ 5-88
Underbody Maintenance
............................... 5-91
Weatherstrips
.............................................. 5-88
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
....................... 5-89
Cleaning the Mirror
......................................... 2-30
Climate Control Dual Automatic
..... . 3-18

Fluid Automatic Transmission
................................ 5-21
Power Steering
........................................... 5-37
Windshield Washer
...................................... 5-38
FM Stereo
..................................................... 3-82
Fog Lamps
.................................................... 3-14
Folding the Rear Seat
....................................... 1-7
Following Distance
.......................................... 4-57
Footnotes
........................................................ 6-5
Front Axle
...................................................... 5-51
Front Reading Lamps
...................................... 3-15
Fuel
............................................................... 5-5
Additives ...................................................... 5-6
California Fuel
.............................................. 5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
..................... 5-9
Filling Your Tank
........................................... 5-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries .............................. 5-7
Gage ......................................................... 3-42
Gasoline Octane
........................................... 5-5
Gasoline Specifications .................................. 5-5
Low Warning Light ....................................... 3-42
System Inspection
....................................... 6-14
Fuel Information Button
.................................... 3-46
FUEL LEVEL LOW
......................................... 3-58
Fuses Fuses and Circuit Breakers
........................... 5-95
Windshield Wiper ......................................... 5-95
G
Gage
Engine Coolant Temperature
......................... 3-36
Fuel
.......................................................... 3-42
Oil Pressure
........................................... 3-40
Speedometer
.......................................... 3-26
Tachometer
................................................. 3-26
Transmission Temperature
............................. 3-36
Voltmeter Gage
........................................... 3-33
Garage Door Opener
....................................... 2-35
Gasoline
Octane
.................................................... 5-5
Specifications
............................................... 5-5
Glass Surfaces ............................................... 5-88
Glove Box
..................................................... 2-39
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities
.................................................... 7-5
Gate
Operator and Canadian Programming
........ 2-37
Hazard Warning Flashers
............................... 3-3
Head Restraints
............................................... 1-6
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
.................... 3-6
Headlamps
.................................................... 5-52
Bulb Replacement
....................................... 5-52
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps
........................................ 5-53

W
Underbody Flushing Service ............................. 6-1 3
Underhood Fuse Block
.................................... 5-99
Understanding Radio Reception
........................ 3-82
Using HomeLink@
........................................... 2-38
Using the Recovery Hooks
............................ 4-43
Uniform Tire
Quality Grading
............................ 5-65
United States
................................................... 7-4
v
Vehicle
Control
....................................... ......... 4-5
Damage Warnings
........................................ iv
Loading
....................................... ........ 4-45
Symbols
......................................................... iv
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN)
............................................. 5-94
Service Parts Identification Label
................... 5-94
Vehicle Personalization Memory Seat
.......................................... 2-42
Vehicle Storage
.............................................. 5-43
Vinyl
............................................................. 5-87
Visors
........................................................... 2-1 2
Voltmeter Gage
.......................................... 3-33 Warning Lights. Gages and
Indicators
................ 3-24
Warnings DIC Warnings and Messages
........................ 3-53
Other Warning Devices
.................................. 3-4 ...
Safety and Symbols ......................................... III
Washing Your Vehicle ...................................... 5-88
Hazard Warning
Flashers
............................... 3-3
Vehicle Damage .............................................. iv
Weatherstrip Lubrication
................................... 6-11
Weight of the Trailer
........................................ 4-53
Weight of Trailer Tongue
.................................. 4-54
What to Add
.................................................. 5-40
What to
Do with Used Oil ................................ 5-18
What
Kind
of Engine Oil to Use ........................ 5-16
What to Use
.......................... 5-25, 5-37, 5-38, 5-50
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance
.......................... 5-67
Replacement
............................................... 5-67
When to Add Engine Oil
.................................. 5-15
(GM Oil Life SystemTM)
................................ 5-17
When
to Change Engine Oil
When to Check
.............................................. 5-62
When to Check and Change
............................ 5-21
When to Check Lubricant
................................. 5-50
15