GMC SIERRA DENALI 2003 Owners Manual

Brake Pedal Travel Battery
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together
if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality
GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system -for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in
- be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change
- for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve come to expect
can change in many other ways
if someone puts in the
wrong replacement brake parts. Your new
vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco@
battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page
5-12 for battery location.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
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Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days
or more, remove the black, negative
(-) cable from the
battery. This will help keep your battery from
runnir
-- down.
Batte
s have acid that ca )urn I and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next for
tips on working around a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer
to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see Theft-Deterrent
Feature on page
3-8 1.
Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may
want
to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below
to do it safely. Batteries can hurt you.
They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or
0 They contain enough electricity to ignite.
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can
hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in PARK
(P) before setting the parking
brake.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive gear not in
NEUTRAL.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3.
4.
Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlets. Turn
off
the radio and all the lamps that aren’t needed.
This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
Open the hoods and locate the positive
(+) and
negative
(-) terminal locations of the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive
(+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative
(-) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.
The remote positive
(+) terminal is located behind
a red plastic cover near the engine accessory
drive bracket.
To uncover the remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic cover.
The remote negative
(-) terminal is located on the
engine drive bracket on all
V8 and diesel
engines, and on the thermostat housing on the
8.1L engine. On
V8 engines it is marked ”GND.”
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
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Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@
battery installed in your new vehicle. But
if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If
it is low, add water
to take care of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
I
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative
(-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
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6. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to the
positive
(+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery. Use
a remote positive
(+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery’s
negative
(-) cable.
Use a remote
negative
(-) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
7. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
9. Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative
(-) cable
doesn’t go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal part, or to the remote negative
(-)
terminal on the vehicle with the dead battery.
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I 10. Connect the other
end of the
negative
(-) cable
to the negative
(-)
terminal of the dead
battery or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal
if the vehicle has one.
11. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
12. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Notice: Damage to your vehicle may result from
electrical shorting if jumper cables are removed
incorrectly.
To prevent electrical shorting, take care
that the cables don’t touch each other or any
other metal. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
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A 8
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
9. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal
Negative Terminal
Negative
(-) Terminals To
disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from the
2. Disconnect the black negative (-) cable from
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle that
had the bad battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) remote terminal cover to its
original position.
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All-Wheel Drive
Lubricant checks in this section also apply to these
vehicles. However, there are two additional systems that
need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. See
Part C: Periodic
Maintenance Inspections on page
6- 14.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level
is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the filler plug hoie.
Use care not to overtighten the plug.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See
Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page
6-16.
Automatic Transfer Case (A) Fill Plug (B) Drain Plug
5-49

Rear Axle
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. See
PaHA: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page
6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface. The
proper level is from
5/8 inch to 1 5/8 inch (1 5 mm to
40 mm) below the bottom of the filler plug hole. Add
only enough fluid to reach the proper level. The proper
level for vehicles with QUADRASTEERTM
(4 Wheel
Steer) is from
0 to 1/4 inch (0 to 6 mm) below the filler
plug hole. Add only enough fluid to reach the proper
level.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page
6- 16.
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Front Axle
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. See
Pat? A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page
6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom
of the filler plug hole,
you may need to add some lubricant.
When the differential is cold, add enough lubricant to
raise the level to
0 to 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) below the filler
plug hole.
When the differential is at operating temperature
(warm), add enough lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom
of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See
Pat? D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page
6-16.
5-51