service indicator GMC SIERRA DENALI 2003 Owners Manual

The 2003 GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual a
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-30
Air Bag Systems
...................................... 1-57
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-73
Features and Controls
..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
................................................. 2-1 0
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-1 3
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-15
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-28
Onstar@ System
...................................... 2-33
HomeLink@ Transmitter
............................. 2-35
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-39
Instrument Panel
............................................. 3-1
Vehicle
Personalization
............................. 2-42
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-1 8
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-24
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-43
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-61 Driving Your Vehicle
....................................... 4-1
Your
Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-45
Service and Appearance Care
.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............................................. 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-49
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-50
Front Axle
............................................... 5-51
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-60
Tires
...................................................... 5-61
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-86
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-94
Electrical System
...................................... 5-95
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-1 04
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
.... 5-1 05
Maintenance Schedule
..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index
................................................................. 1

Never put a rear facing child restraint in the right front
passenger seat unless the air bag is
off. Here’s why:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint ca
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inflating air bag. Be
sure to turn
off the air bag before using a
rear-facing child restraint
in the right front seat
position. If a forward-facing child restraint
is
suitable for your child, always move the passenger seat as far back as
it will go.
A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing
child restraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat position, see
Where
to Put the Restraint
on page 1-38
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on when you have
turned
off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger’s air bag could inflate
even though the switch
is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until you have the vehicle serviced, don’t let
anyone whom the national government has identified as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group
sit in the right front passenger’s
position (for example, don’t secure a
rear-facing child restraint
in your vehicle). See
”Air Bag Off Switch’’
in the Index.
In addition to the
AIR BAG OFF switch, your vehicle
may have the passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-68 and
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-30 for
more on this, including important safety information.
1-51

When either the passenger sensing system and/or
the AIR BAG
OFF switch has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag, the
off
indicator in the passenger air bag status indicator
on the rearview mirror will light and stay lit
when
y-” turn the ignition to RUN or START.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions
of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If the air bag readiness light
in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes
on when you have
turned
off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger’s air bag could inflate
even though the switch
is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until
you have the vehicle serviced, don’t let
anyone whom the national government has identified as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the right front passenger’s
position (for example, don’t secure a
rear-facing child restraint
in your vehicle). See
”Air Bag
Off Switch” in the Index. 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
1-53

If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identified by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an
air bag.
In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able
to inflate and help protect the person sitting
there. Don’t
turn off the passenger’s air bag
unless the person
sitting there is in a risk
group. See
”Air Bag Off Switch” in the Index
for more on this, including important safety
information.
I he air bag readiness I r. It ever comes ~ 7
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger’s air bag
CAUTION: (Continued)
wuld inflate even though the svvl;ch is off. If
this ever happens, don’t let anyone whom the
national government has identified as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group
sit
in the right front passenger’s position (for
example, don’t secure a rear-facing child
restraint
in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced.
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system your
rearview mirror will have a passenger air bag status
indicator.
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator
- United States
3-30

If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identified by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an
air bag.
In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able
to inflate and help protect the person sitting
there. Don’t turn
off the passenger’s air bag
unless the person sitting there is
in a risk
group. See ”Air Bag
Off Switch” in the Index
for more on this, including important safety information.
If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or
if there are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service. If the air bag
off indicator and the air bag
readiness light ever come on together,
it
means that something may be wrong with the
air bag system.
If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting
in the right front
passenger seat may not have the protection of
the air bag. See ”Air Bag Readiness Light” in
the Index.
3-32

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
I I
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The Check Engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice: If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not
run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to
pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing - A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center
diagnosis and service may be required.
Light On Steady - An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
3-38

Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to
indicate that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this
message appears on the display, your cassette
tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes,
but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage to your tapes and player.
If you notice
a reduction in sound quality, try a known good
cassette to see
if the tape or the tape player is at fault.
If this other cassette has
no improvement in sound
quality, clean the tape player.
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealership.
The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from
being ejected, use the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE AUX button for five
seconds. The tape symbol
on the display will
flash for two seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
After the cleaning cassette is ejected, the cut tape
detection feature will be active again.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to
clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will
not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type
cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type
cleaning cassette is not recommended.
After you clean the player, press and hold the EJECT
button for five seconds to reset the CLN indicator.
The radio will display
- or CLEANED to show the
indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
3-83

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If this fuel is not available
in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see
Malfunction lndicator Lamp on page 3-38 )
and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this
occurs, return
to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly.
You should not have
to add anything to your fuel. Gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute
to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly
if
they comply with the specifications described earlier.
Notice: Your vehicle was not designed for fuel
that contains methanol. Don’t use fuel containing
methanol.
It can corrode metal parts in your
fuel system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under
your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer
for service.
5-6

Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The air cleanedfilter assembly has an indicator, if
equipped, that lets you know when the engine air
cleanedfilter is dirty and needs to be serviced. The air
cleanedfilter indicator is located on the air cleaner cover.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12 for
more information on location.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-10
to determine when to check the indicator.
- The service window A
with the percentage scale
shows the amount of
engine air cleanedfilter life
used. When both service
window
A and service
window
B turn orange,
replace the engine
air cleaner/filter.
lfter changing the air filter, press the top button on the
ndicator to reset it. The air
cleanedfilter assembly is located on the front
corner of the engine compartment on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle. See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 5-12
for more information on location.
5-1 9

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.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
around
the tire.
tire’s rubber.
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Certificationflire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specifications (TPC
Spec) number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get
new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number.
That way your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give proper endurance, handling,
speed rating, traction, ride and other things during
normal service on your vehicle.
If your tires have an
all-season tread design, the TPC number will be
followed by an
“MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
5-64