2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Owners Manual

2-113
Cruise Light (If Equipped)
United States Canada
The CRUISE light comes on whenever you set your
cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.
4WD Light (If Equipped)
The 4WD indicator will
light up when you shift a
manual transfer case into
four
-wheel drive and the
front axle engages.
Some delay between shifting and the indicator's lighting
is normal.
See ªFour
-Wheel Driveº in the Index for
more information.
Tow/Haul Light
(Automatic Transmissions Only)
This message is displayed
when the tow/haul mode
has been activated.
For more information see, ªTow/Haul Modeº in
the Index.

2-114
Fuel Gage
United States Canada
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will first indicate empty before you are out of
fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon as possible.When the fuel tank is low the Low Fuel message will
appear. See ªMessage Centerº in the Index.
Here are some situations you may experience with
your fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with
the fuel gage.

At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.

The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.
If you have a diesel engine, see ªFuel Gageº in the
Diesel Engine Supplement.

2-115
Message Center
The message center is located on the left side of the
instrument panel cluster. It gives you important safety
and maintenance facts. When you turn the ignition on,
the entire center lights up for just a few seconds. As
needed, the message center will display one of the
following messages. The message center is capable of
alternating among different messages if needed.
Battery
If this message is displayed
when the engine is running,
you may have a problem
with your charging system.The battery display will also stay on while the key is in
RUN until the engine is started.
If the message stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or some
other charging system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving with this message displayed could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this message
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories, such
as the radio and the air conditioner.

2-116
Trans Fluid Hot
If you have an automatic transmission, you have a
transmission temperature warning display contained in
the message center.
If the transmission
fluid temperature becomes
high, the message will
be displayed.
When the transmission enters the protection mode you
may notice a change in the transmission shifting
patterns. When the transmission fluid temperature
returns to normal, the display will turn off and the
transmission shifting patterns will return to normal.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission TRANS FLUID HOT message
displayed, 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:

Towing a trailer

Hot outside air temperatures

Hauling a large or heavy load

Low transmission fluid level

High transmission fluid level

Restricted air flow to the radiator and the auxiliary
transmission oil cooler (if equipped).
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures on
a frequent basis, see ªScheduled Maintenanceº in the
Index for the proper transmission maintenance intervals.

2-117
Trans Hot...Idle Engine
If you have an automatic transmission, you have a
transmission over
-temperature display contained in the
message center.
If this warning message is
displayed, pull the vehicle
off the roadway when it is
safe to do so.
Set the parking brake and place the transmission in
PARK (P). Idle the engine until the message center no
longer displays a message. If idling the engine does not
turn the warning message off after 10 to 15 minutes,
contact your nearest dealer or the GM Roadside
Assistance Center. See ªRoadside Assistanceº in
the Index.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission TRANS HOT...IDLE ENGINE
message displayed, 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:

Towing a trailer

Hot outside air temperatures

Hauling a heavy load

Low transmission fluid level

High transmission fluid level

Restricted air flow to the radiator and the auxiliary
transmission oil cooler (if equipped).
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures on
a frequent basis, see ªScheduled Maintenanceº in the
Index for the proper transmission maintenance intervals.

2-118
Low Coolant
This message is displayed
when the cooling system is
low on coolant.
The engine may overheat. See ªEngine Coolantº in the
Index and have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Check Coolant Temp
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets hot.
Check the coolant temperature gage and the coolant
level. See ªEngine Coolantº and ªEngine Coolant
Temperature Gageº in the Index. See ªEngine
Overheatingº in the Index for further information.
Engine Overheated
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot.
This message will be displayed after the air conditioning
system has automatically turned off for the engine
coolant protection mode. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index for further information.

2-119
Reduced Engine Power
(V8 Gasoline Engines Only)
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot
and the engine further
enters the engine coolant
protection mode.
If your vehicle is equipped with the 8.1L engine, this
light may come on because of an electronic throttle
control system fault. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the
Index for further information.
Check Eng Oil Pressure
This message is displayed
when the engine oil pressure
is low.
See ªOil Pressure Gageº in the Index for
more information.
Check Eng Oil Level (Gasoline Engine)
This message is displayed
when the engine oil
level is low.
Once oil is added, it may need time to drain and settle in
the engine before this message will turn off. It is best to
let the engine cool down (if it is hot) or warm up (if it is
cold) and cycle the ignition to be sure this message turns
off. Refer to the dipstick for the correct level.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index on how to check the oil
level and for what type of oil to add.

2-120
Change Engine Oil
This message is displayed
when the engine oil needs
to be changed. The message
is only displayed for
15 seconds at the start of
each ignition cycle.
When you change the engine oil, be sure to reset the
Engine Oil Life Monitor. See ªEngine Oil, When to
Changeº in the Index.
Security
This message is
displayed when the content
theft
-deterrent system
has been activated and
also monitors the
Passlock

System.
If the security message is displayed continuously while
driving and stays on, there may be a problem with the
Passlock System. Your vehicle will not be protected by
Passlock, and you should contact your GM dealer.