brake GMC YUKON DENALI 2003 Owner's Manual

Voltmeter Gage
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
in
RUN, this gage
shows your battery’s state
of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
Readings in the low warning zone may occur when a
large number of electrical accessories are operating in
the vehicle and the engine is left at an idle for an
extended period. This condition is normal since the
charging system is not able
to provide full power
at engine idle.
As engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds allow the charging system
to create maximum power. You
can only drive for a short time with the reading in
either warning zone. If you must drive, turn
off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
flash when you set the parking brake. The light will
flash
if the parking brake doesn’t release fully. If you try
to drive with the parking brake engaged, a chime will
sound when the vehicle speed is greater than 3 mph
(5 km/h).
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds there
could be a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.
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w,
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have
the vehicle towed for service. See Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-44.
Your brake system may not be working
properly
if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on then, have
it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
3-35

If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. You will also hear a
chime sound when the light is on steady.
If the regular
brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the
regular brake system warning light is also on you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes. In addition to both lights, you will
also hear a chime sound on the first occurrence of
a problem and each time the car is shut off and then
restarted. See Brake System Warning Light on
page
3-34.
Traction Off Light
If you have the
Stabilitrak@system, this
light should come on briefly
when you turn the
ignition to
RUN.
If the light doesn’t come on then, the system may
require service; have it fixed
so it will be there to warn
you
if the system is turned off.
For more information on the traction off light, see
Stabilitrak@
System on page 4-9.
3-36
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
~~ ~
United States
I I
Canada
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator
of how hard your vehicle is
working. During a majority of the operation, the gage
will read 21
0°F (100°C) or less. If you are pulling a load
or going up hills, it is normal for the temperature to
fluctuate and approach the 250°F (122°C) mark.
If the
gage reaches the 260°F
(125°C) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system
is working beyond its capacity.
See Engine Overheating on page
5-25.

Transmission Temperature Gage
--
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a transmission
temperature gage.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the
temperature of the transmission fluid. The normal
operating range is from
100°F (38°C) to about 265°F
(1 30°C).
At approximately 265°F (130°C), the DIC will display a
TRANSMISSION HOT message and the transmission
will enter a transmission protection mode. When
the transmission enters the protection mode, you may
notice a change in the transmission shifting patterns.
The transmission will return to normal shifting patterns
when the transmission fluid temperature falls below
260°F
(1 27°C). See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 3-43 for
further information.
If the transmission fluid reaches temperatures of
approximately 275°F (135°C) or greater, the DIC will
display a TRANS
HOT tDLE ENGtNE warning message
and a chime will sound. Pull the vehicle
off the
roadway when it is safe
to do so. Set the parking brake,
place the transmission in PARK
(P) and allow the
engine to idle until the transmission temperature falls
below 260°F (127°C).
If the transmission continues
to operate above 265°F
(1 30"C), please contact your
nearest dealer or the
GM Roadside Assistance Center.
Notice: If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above the normal
operating range, you can damage the transmission.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered under your warranty.
The following situations can cause the transmission to
operate at higher temperatures:
0 Towing a trailer,
* hot outside air temperatures,
0 hauling a large or heavy load,
low transmission fluid level,
high transmission fluid level,
0 restricted air flow to the radiator.

BATTERY
If the battery is not charging during operation, this
message will appear
on the DIG. Driving with this
problem could drain your battery. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as possible. Pressing the
select button will acknowledge this message and clear
it
from the DIC display.
SERVlCE AIR
If there is a problem with the air bag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have a qualified
technician inspect the system for problems. Pressing
the select button will acknowledge this message
and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTE
If a problem occurs with the brake system, this message
will appear on the DIC. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn
off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed, or appears again when
you begin driving, the brake system needs service.
SERVICE 4W
If a problem occurs with the all-wheel drive system? this
message will appear on the DIG.
If this message
appears, stop as
soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
3-54
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed, or
appears again when you begin driving, the four
wheel drive system needs service.
ONTROL
If a problem occurs with the suspension system, this
message will appear on the DIC.
If this message
appears, stop and turn
off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the
DIC display.
If the message is still displayed, or appears again
when you begin driving, the suspension system needs
service.
TURN SIGNAL ON
If a turn signal is left on for 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km), this
message will appear on the display and you will hear a
chime. Move the turn signal/multifunction lever
to the
off position. Pressing the select button will acknowledge
this message and clear
it from the DIC display.
If the liftgate is open while the ignition is in
RUN, this
message will appear on the DIC and you will hear
a chime. Turn
off the vehicle and check the liftgate.
Restart the vehicle and check for the message on the
DlC display. Pressing the select button will acknowledge
this message and clear it from the
DIC display.

When the system activates, you may hear a noise or
feel a vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. When
the STABILITY SYS ACTIVE message is on, you
should continue
to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed
to help you in bad weather
or other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit.
SERVICE STABILITY
If you ever see the SERVICE STABILITY message, it
means there may be a problem with your
StabiIitrak@system. If you see this message
try to reset
the system (stop; turn
off the engine; then start the
engine again). If the SERVICE STABILITY message still
comes on, it means there is a problem. You should
see your dealer for service. The vehicle is safe to drive,
however, you do not have the benefit of Stabilitrak@,
so reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
STABILITY SYS DISABLED
The STABILITY SYS DISABLED message will turn on
when you press the Stabilitrak@button, or when the
stability control has been automatically disabled. To limit
wheel spin and realize the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
Stabilitrak@on. However, you should turn Stabilitrak@off
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow and you want to “rock”
your vehicle
to attempt to free it,
or if you are driving in extreme off-road conditions
and require more wheel spin. See If
You Are Stuck: In
Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow on page 4-41. To turn the
Stabilitrak@system back on press the Stabilitrak@button
again. There are four conditions that can cause this
message
to appear. One condition is overheating, which
could occur
if Stabilitrak@activates continuously for an
extended period of time. The message will
also be
displayed
if the brake system warning light is on. See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 3-34. The
message could be displayed
if the stability system takes
longer than usual to complete its diagnostic checks
due to driving conditions. Also,
if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected, and the vehicle
needs service, the message will appear.
The message will turn off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system has detected that any
of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. See StabiIitrakO System
on page 4-9 for
more information.
3-57

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. See Safety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page
1-25.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways,
it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going
to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver,
in
both city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of
you is going to brake or turn
suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the
floor
- makes proper defensive driving more
difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask
a passenger to help do things like this, or pull
off the road in a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving techniques could save
your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy.
It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
0 Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.

There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people don’t know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who
has been drinking
- driver or passenger - is in a
crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had
not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to
do their work at the places where the tires meet
the road.
Drinking and
t n drivinc_ ; very -1ngerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgement can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious-or
even fatal-collision if you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab;
or if you’re with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s
easy
to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
4-5

Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have
to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s perception time. Then you have
to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average.
It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration.
But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a
lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied. Avoid needless heavy
braking. Some people drive in
spurts
- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time
to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do,
the pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
4-6

Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system, this warning light
will
stay on. See Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light
on page 3-35.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system.
If there’s a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come
on
accompanied by a IO-second chime. The lights
and chime will come
on each time the ignition is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service. Let’s say
the road is wet and you’re driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7