2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE mirror

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-52
Restraint System Check
............................1-67
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-23
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-25
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-27
Mirrors
....................................................2-46
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-53
HomeLinkžTransmitter
.............................2-55
Storage Areas
.........................................2-59
Sunroof
..................................................2-84
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-85
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-46
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-64Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-48
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-49
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-50
Front Axle
...............................................5-51
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-60
Tires
......................................................5-61
Appearance Care
.....................................5-88
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-96
Electrical System
......................................5-96
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-106
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-108
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Chevrolet Avalanche Owner ManualM

You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-42if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a child restraint, if you need
to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right
front seat position. See
Power Seats on page 1-2orManual Passenger Seat on page 1-2.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
and you are using a rear-facing child restraint in this
seat, make sure the frontal air bag is off. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-62.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger's frontal air bag, the off
indicator on the inside rearview mirror will light and
stay lit when you 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.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.
1-50

Passenger Sensing System
If your rearview mirror has one of the indicators pictured
in the following illustrations, your vehicle has a
passenger sensing system. The indicator will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to START or RUN.
The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible on the rearview mirror during the system
check. When the system check is complete, either
the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off will be visible. See
Passenger Air
Bag Status Indicator on page 3-34. If your rearview
mirror doesn't have either of the indicators pictured, then
your vehicle doesn't have the passenger sensing
system.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger's frontal air bag under certain
conditions. The driver's air bag and the side air bags
are not part of the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger's seat and safety belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger's frontal air bag should be enabled (may
in¯ate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, recommends that child
restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a
booster seat. Never put a child in rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger seat unless your Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ± United States
Passenger Air Bag
Status Indicator
± Canada
1-62

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-5
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Delayed Locking.............................................2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-11
Lockout Protection........................................2-12
Midgate.......................................................2-12
Tailgate.......................................................2-21
Windows........................................................2-23
Power Windows............................................2-24
Sun Visors...................................................2-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-25
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-25
Passlock
ž....................................................2-26
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-27
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-27
Ignition Positions..........................................2-27
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-28
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-29Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-30
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-31
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-34
Parking Brake..............................................2-39
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-40
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-42
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-43
Engine Exhaust............................................2-44
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-44
Mirrors...........................................................2-46
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-46
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
ž, Compass and Temperature
Display....................................................2-46
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Compass and Temperature Display..............2-48
Outside Camper-Type Mirrors.........................2-51
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-51
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-52
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-52
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror with Curb
View Assist..............................................2-53
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Power Windows
The controls for the power windows are located on the
armrest on each of the side doors. The switches
operate the windows when the ignition is in RUN,
ACCESSORY or when Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) is active. See ªRetained Accessory Powerº under
Ignition Positions on page 2-27.
The driver's door has a switch for each of the
passenger's windows as well.
Press the top of the switch to lower the window. Pull up
the top of the switch to raise the window.
Express-Down Windows
The driver's and front passenger's window switches
have an express-down feature that allows you to lower
the window without continuously pressing the switch.
Press the top of the window switch down brie¯y to
activate the feature. Lightly tap the switch to open the
window slightly. The express-down feature can be
interrupted at any time by pulling up on the top of the
switch.
Lockout Switch
Press the lockout switch to prevent passengers from
operating the power windows. A small light in the lockout
switch will come on to show that the switch has been
activated. Press the lockout switch again to return
to normal operation.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them out to help block glare at the
front and side windows.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors
Pull the sunvisor down and lift the mirror cover to turn
on the lamps.
2-24

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Twist the tab under the mirror to reduce glare from
headlamps behind you after dark. Twist the the tab back
for normal daytime operation.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with OnStar
ž, Compass and
Temperature Display
Your vehicle may have this feature. When on, an
electrochromic mirror automatically dims to the proper
level to minimize glare from lights behind you after dark.
The mirror also includes a duel display in the upper
right corner of the mirror face. The compass reading and
the outside temperature will both appear in the display
at the same time.
P(On/Off):This is the on/off button.
Temperature and Compass Display
Press the on/off button, located to the far left, brie¯y to
turn the comp/temp display on or off.
If the display reads CAL, you will need to calibrate the
compass. For more information on calibration, see
below.
To adjust between Fahrenheit and Celsius do the
following:
1. Press and hold the on/off button for approximately
four seconds until either a ¯ashing ÉF, or ÉC
appears.
2. Press the button again to change the display to the
desired unit of measurement. After approximately
four seconds of inactivity, the new unit will be locked
in and the compass/temperature display will
return.
Electrochromic Mirror Operation
The electrochromic (self dimming) mirror function is
turned on automatically each time the ignition is started.
To operate the electrochromic mirror do the following:
1. Make sure the green indicator light, located to
the left of the on/off button, is lit. If it's not, press
and hold the on/off button for approximately
six seconds until the green light comes on,
indicating that the mirror is in electrochromic (self
dimming) mode.
2-46

2. Turn off the electrochromic mirror function by
pressing and holding the on/off button for
approximately six seconds until the green indicator
light turns off.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set in zone eight upon leaving the factory.
It will be necessary to adjust the compass to
compensate for compass variance if you live outside of
zone eight. Under certain circumstances, as during a
long distance cross-country trip, it will be necessary to
adjust for compass variance. Compass variance is
the difference between earth's magnetic north and true
geographic north. If not adjusted to account for
compass variance, your compass could give false
readings.
To adjust for compass variance do the following:
1. Find your current location and variance zone
number on the following zone map.2. Press and hold the on/off button until a Z and a
zone number appears in the display. The compass
is now in zone mode.
3. Keep pressing the on/off button until the desired
zone number appears in the display. Release the
button. After approximately four seconds of
inactivity, the new zone number will be locked in
and the comp/temp display will return.
4. Calibrate the compass as described below.
2-47

Compass Calibration
The compass may need calibration if one of the
following occurs:
·After approximately ®ve seconds, the display does
not show a compass heading (N for North, for
example), there may be a strong magnetic ®eld
interfering with the compass. Such interference may
be caused by a magnetic antenna mount, magnetic
note pad holder or a similar magnetic item.
·The compass does not display the correct heading
and the compass zone variance is set correctly.
In order to calibrate, CAL must be displayed in the
mirror compass windows. If CAL is not displayed, push
the on/off button for approximately 12 seconds or
until CAL is displayed.
The compass can be calibrated by driving the vehicle in
circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the display
reads a direction.
Passenger Air Bag Indicator
Your vehicle may be equipped with a passenger air bag
indicator, on the mirror glass, just above the buttons.
If your vehicle has this feature, the mirror will display the
word ON, or an air bag symbol in Canada, when the
passenger air bag is enabled. For more information, see
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-62.
Cleaning the Mirror
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause
the liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with Compass and Temperature
Display
If your vehicle is equipped with an electrochromic mirror
it will automatically dim to the proper level to minimize
glare from lights behind you after dark.
The mirror also includes a display in the upper right
corner of the mirror face. The compass reading and the
outside temperature will both appear in the display at the
same time. The dual display can be turned on or off by
brie¯y pressing either the TEMP or the COMP button.
2-48