transmission GMC SIERRA DENALI 2003 Owners Manual

Section 2 Features and Controls
Keys ............................................................... 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry System
......................... 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation
........... 2-4
Doors and Locks
............................................. 2-6
Door Locks
.................................................... 2-6
Power Door Locks
.......................................... 2-7
Rear Doors
................................................... 2-8
Tailgate
........................................................ 2-8
Windows
........................................................ 2-10
Power Windows
............................................ 2-11
Swing-Out Windows
...................................... 2-11
Sun Visors
................................................... 2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
.................................. 2.13
Content Theft-Deterrent
................................. 2.13
Passlock@
.................................................... 2.14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
................ 2.15
New Vehicle Break-In
.................................... 2.15
Ignition Positions
.......................................... 2.15
Starting Your Engine
..................................... 2.16
Engine Coolant Heater
.................................. 2.17
Automatic Transmission Operation
................... 2.18
All-Wheel Drive
............................................ 2-21
Parking Brake
.............................................. 2-22
Shifting Into Park
(P) ..................................... 2-23 Shifting
Out
of Park (P) ................................. 2-25
Parking Over Things That Burn
....................... 2-26
Engine Exhaust
............................................ 2-26
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked
.... 2-27
Mirrors
........................................................... 2-28
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStap, Compass and Temperature
Display
.................................................... 2-28
Outside Power Mirrors
................................... 2-31
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors
..................... 2-31
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror
.................. 2-31
Outside Curb View Assist Mirrors
.................... 2-32
Outside Convex Mirror
................................... 2-32
Outside Heated Mirrors
.................................. 2-32
Onstar@ System
............................................. 2-33
HomeLink@ Transmitter
................................... 2-35
Programming the HomeLink Transmitter
........... 2-35
Storage Areas
................................................ 2-39
Glove Box
................................................... 2-39
Cupholder(s)
................................................ 2-39
Center Console Storage Area
......................... 2-39
Tonneau Cover
............................................ 2-39
Vehicle Personalization
................................... 2-42
Memory Seat
............................................... 2-42
2- 1

LOCK (A): This position locks your ignition and
transmission. It’s a theft-deterrent feature. You will only
be able to remove your key when the ignition is
turned to
LOCK.
ACCESSORY (B): This position lets you use things like
the radio, power windows and the windshield wipers
when the engine is
off.
RUN (C): This position is for driving.
START
(D): This position starts your engine.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
The Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature will allow
certain features on your vehicle to continue to work
up to
10 minutes after the ignition key is turned to OFF.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position - that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice: Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15
seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let
go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try.
2-1 6

To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment, near the power steering fluid
reservoir. If you have a diesel engine, refer to
diesel supplement for location.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 0-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could
be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong
11 0-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug ana
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission
that features an electronic shift position indicator
located within the instrument panel cluster. This display
is powered anytime the shift lever
is capable of being
moved out
of PARK (P). See Fuses and Circuit Breakers
on page
5-95.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK
(P): This position locks your wheels. It’s the
best position to use when you start your engine because
your vehicle can’t move easily.
2-1 8

It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully
in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re
on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P). See “Shifting
Into Park
(P)” in the Index. If you’re pulling a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
REVERSE
(R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice
or sand without damaging your transmission, see
If You
Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-42.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRF’
lk’’ when your vehicle is beir- towed.
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine
is
“racing” (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Don’t
shift into a drive gear while your engine
is
racing.
Notice: Damage to your transmission caused by
shifting out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with
the engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If
you need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
2-1 9

DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, driving on steep hills or for off-road
driving. You may want to shift the transmission to
THIRD
(3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal driving,
however it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes occasionally.
If you manually select SECOND
(2), the transmission
will drive in second gear. You may use this feature
for reducing the speed of the rear wheels when you are
trying to start your vehicle from a stop on slippery
road surfaces. FIRST
(1): This position
gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle
is moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your rear wheels won’t turn, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal.
This could overheat and damage the transmission.
Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P) to hold
your vehicle in position on a hill.
On cold days, approximately
32°F (OOC) or colder, your
transmission is designed to shift differently until the
engine reaches normal operating temperature. This is
intended to improve heater performance.
2-20

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK
(P). This is called ”torque
lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat.
To find out how, see Shifting lnto
Park
(P) on page 2-23.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition
is in RUN. See Automatic Transmission
Operation on page
2- 18.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to LOCK.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the vehicle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.
you want.
2-25

Be sure that people and objects are clear of the garage
door or gate operator you are programming. When
programming a garage door, it is advised to park outside
of the garage.
It is recommended that a new battery be installed in
your hand-held transmitter for quicker and more
accurate transmission of the radio frequency.
Your vehicle’s engine should be turned
off while
programming the transmitter. Follow these steps to
program up to three channels:
1. Press and hold down the two outside buttons,
releasing only when the indicator light begins to
flash, after
20 seconds. Do not hold down the
buttons for longer than 30 seconds and do not
repeat this step to program a second and/or third
transmitter to the remaining two HomeLink@ buttons.
2. Position the end of your hand-held transmitter about
1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) away from the HomeLink@
buttons while keeping the indicator light in view.
3. Simultaneously press and hold both the desired
button on HomeLink@ and the hand-held transmitter
button.
Do not release the buttons until Step 4
has been completed.
Some entry gates and garage door openers may
require you to substitute Step 3 with the procedure
noted in “Gate Operator and Canadian
Programming” later in this section.
4. The indicator light will flash slowly at first and then
rapidly after HomeLink@ successfully receives the
frequency signal from the hand-held transmitter.
Release both buttons.
5. Press and hold the newly-trained HomeLink@ button
and observe the indicator light.
If the indicator light stays on constantly,
programming is complete and your device should
activate when the HomeLink@ button is pressed and
released.
To program the remaining two HomeLink@ buttons,
begin with Step
2 under “Programming HomeLink@.”
Do not repeat Step 1 as this will erase all of the
programmed channels.
If the indicator light blinks rapidly for two seconds
and then turns to a constant light, continue with
Steps 6 through
8 following to complete the
programming of a rolling-code equipped device
(most commonly, a garage door opener).
6. At the garage door opener receiver (motor-head
unit) in the garage, locate the “Learn” or “Smart”
button. This can usually be found where the hanging
antenna wire is attached to the motor-head unit.
7. Firmly press and release the “Learn” or “Smart”
button. The name and color of the button may
vary by manufacturer.
You
will have 30 seconds to start Step 8.
2-36

8. Return to the vehicle. Firmly press and hold the
programmed HomeLink@ button for two seconds,
then release. Repeat the press/hold/release
sequence
a second time, and depending on the
brand of the garage door opener (or other rolling
code device), repeat this sequence a third time
to complete the programming.
HomeLink@ should now activate your rolling code
equipped device.
To program the remaining two HomeLink@ buttons,
begin with Step
2 of “Programming HomeLink@.” Do not
repeat Step
1.
Gate Operator and Canadian
Programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require transmitter
signals to “time out”
or quit after several seconds of
transmission. This may not be long enough for
HomeLink@ to pick up the signal during programming.
Similarly, some
U.S. gate operators are manufactured to
“time out” in the same manner.
If you live in Canada, or you are having difficulty
programming a gate operator by using the
“Programming HomeLinkm’ procedures (regardless of
where you live), replace Step
3 under “Programming
HomeLink@’ with the following:
Continue to press and hold the HomeLink@ button while
you press and release every two seconds (cycle)
your hand-held transmitter until the frequency signal has
been successfully accepted by HomeLink@. The
indicator light will flash slowly at first and then rapidly.
Proceed with Step
4 under “Programming HomeLink@’
to complete.
2-37

Section 3 Instrument Panel
I~s~Pu~~~IP Panel OWWV~~W ............................... 3.2
Hazard Warning Flashers
................................ 3.3
Other Warning Devices ................................... 3.4
Horn
............................................................. 3.4
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3.4
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.5
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.11
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.15
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3.17
Climate Controls
............................................ 3.18
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
........... 3.18
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
............. 3.24
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.25
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3.26
Tachometer
................................................ -3-26
Safety Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.26
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-27
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator
................. 3.30
Battery Warning Light
.................................... 3.33
Brake System Warning Light
.......................... 3.34
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
............. 3.35
Air
Bag
Off Light .......................................... 3-28
Voltmeter Gage
............................................ 3-33
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
..... ..... 3.36 Transmission Temperature
Gage
..................... 3.36
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3.38
Oil Pressure Gage
........................................ 3-40
Cruise Control Light
...................................... 3.41
Tow/Haul Mode Light
.................................... 3-41
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3.42
Driver Information Center (DIC)
....................... 3.43
DIC Operation and Displays
........................... 3.43
DIC Warnings and Messages
......................... 3.53
Audio System(s)
............................................. 3.61
Setting the Time
...................... .......... 3.6 1
Radio with Cassette and CD ..... .............. 3.62
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
............................. 3.76
CD Changer
................................................ 3-78
Theft-Deterrent Feature
................................. -3-81
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
....................... 3.81
Understanding Radio Reception
...................... 3-82
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
................ -3-83
Care of Your CDs
......................................... 3.84
Care of Your CD Player
................................ 3.84
Fixed Mast Antenna
...................................... 3.84
XMTM Satellite Radio Antenna System
............. 3.84
DAB Radio Antenna System
........................... 3.84
Low Fuel Warning Light
................................. 3-42

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful
in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on,
0 the exterior lamp control is in AUTO
0 the automatic transmission is not in PARK (P), and
0 the light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the
DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be
on. The instrument panel won’t be lit up either. When
it begins to
get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps or the last
chosen headlamp setting that was used.
W-hen you turn the exterior iamp controi
to off, the
headlamps will go off, and your DRL lamps will
illuminate, provided it is not dark outside.
Shifting the transmission into PARK
(P) will allow you to
idle the vehicle with the DRL off. The DRL will stay
off until you release the parking brake or shift the
transmission out of PARK (P).
Puddle Lamps
Your vehicle is equipped with puddle lamps to help you
see the area near the base
of the front doors when it
is dark out. The puddle lamps will illuminate when a door
is opened or when you press the UNLOCK button on
the keyless entry transmitter.
3-1 3