2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO service

5-9
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote
Negative (
-) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (
-) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) TerminalTo disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
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.
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
ªRoadside Assistanceº in the Index. If you want to
tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational
purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see
ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº in the Index.

5-12 If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant message,
can indicate a serious problem. See ªLow Coolant
Messageº in the Index.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant message, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a
little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer. See ªDriving on Gradesº in the Index.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it's on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, push down the
accelerator until the engine speed is about twice as fast
as normal idle speed for at least three minutes while
you're parked. If you still have the warning, turn off the
engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it cools
down. Also, see ªOverheated Engine Protection
Operating Modeº listed previously in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

5-14
The coolant level should
be at or above the FILL
COLD mark. If it isn't,
you may have a leak at the
pressure cap or in the
radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again.
The engine cooling fan speed should increase when
idle speed is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down. If it doesn't, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.

6-
6-1
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
6
-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6
-6 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-13 Noise Control System
6
-14 Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine)
6
-19 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-21 Passenger Compartment Air Filter
(If Equipped)
6
-22 Automatic Transmission Fluid
(Except Allison Transmission)
6
-26 Automatic Transmission Fluid
(Allison
Only)
6
-29 Manual Transmission Fluid
6
-31 Hydraulic Clutch
6
-32 Rear Axle
6
-32 Four-Wheel Drive6
-35 Engine Coolant
6
-38 Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
6
-39 Power Steering Fluid
6
-40 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-41 Brakes
6
-45 Battery
6
-46 Bulb Replacement
6
-55 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
6
-56 Tires
6
-67 Appearance Care
6
-67 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-71 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-75 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-76 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-77 Electrical System
6
-85 Replacement Bulbs
6
-86 Capacities and Specifications

6-2
Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you'll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You'll get genuine GM parts and
GM
-trained and supported service people.
We hope you'll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, see ªService
and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see ªServicing Your Air
Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See ªMaintenance Recordº in the Index.

6-3
CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.

Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.

Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see ªDiesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel Systemº in the Diesel Engine
Supplement. For vehicles with gasoline engines, please
read this.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of
87 or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If it is bad
enough, it can damage your engine. A little pinging
noise when you accelerate or drive uphill is considered
normal. This does not indicate a problem exists or that a
higher
-octane fuel is necessary.

6-5 Additives
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.
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 plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn't be covered under
your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you'll be driving.

6-19 What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good hand
cleaner. Wash or properly throw away clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or
into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
(Gasoline Engines)
The engine air cleaner/filter assembly has an indicator
that lets you know when the engine air cleaner/filter is
dirty and needs to be serviced. The indicator is located
on the engine air cleaner/filter cover. See ªEngine
Compartment Overviewº in the Index for
more information.
See ªOwner Checks and Servicesº in the Index to
determine when to check the indicator.
The service window (A)
with the percentage scale
shows the amount of engine
air cleaner/filter life used.
When both service window
A and service window B
turn orange, replace the
engine air cleaner/filter.
After changing the air filter, press the top button on the
indicator to reset it.