2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO service schedule

Front Axle
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. SeePart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.If the level is below the bottom of the ®ller plug hole,
you may need to add some lubricant.
When the differential is cold, add enough lubricant to
raise the level to 0 to 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) below the ®ller
plug hole.
When the differential is at operating temperature
(warm), add enough lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the ®ller plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. SeePart D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-19.
5-57

·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation), you
can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Also, check the tire pressure of the spare tire.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage ®rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire in¯ation pressure is low,
add air until you reach the recommended amount.
If you over®ll the tire, release air by pushing on the metal
stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the tire
pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Dual Tire Operation
When the vehicle is new, or whenever a wheel, wheel
bolt or wheel nut is replaced, check the wheel nut torque
after 100, 1,000 and 6,000 miles (160, 1 600 and
10 000 km) of driving. For proper torque and wheel nut
tightening information, see ªRemoving the Flat Tire
and Installing the Spare Tireº in the index.
The outer tire on a dual wheel setup generally wears
faster than the inner tire. Your tires will wear more
evenly and last longer if you rotate the tires periodically.
See ªTire Inspection and Rotationº earlier in this
section. Also see ªScheduled Maintenance Servicesº in
the Index for scheduled rotation intervals
5-70

{CAUTION:
If you operate your vehicle with a tire that is
badly underin¯ated, the tire can overheat. An
overheated tire can lose air suddenly or catch
®re. You or others could be injured. Be sure all
tires (including the spare) are properly in¯ated.
See ªTiresº and ªIn¯ation ± Tire Pressureº in the Index
for more information on proper tire in¯ation.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-73andWheel Replacement
on page 5-76for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench/hoist shaft to tighten the cable.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-80.
If your vehicle has dual rear wheels, also see
Dual Tire
Operation on page 5-70.The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If your vehicle has single rear wheels and the tread
design for your front tires is the same as your rear tires,
always use one of the correct rotation patterns shown
here when rotating your tires. If your vehicle is an
SS model, the spare tire is not designed to be used in
the tire rotation.
If your vehicle has front tires with different tread designs
(such as all season vs. on/off road) than the rear
tires, don't rotate your tires front to rear.
5-71

Maintenance Schedule......................................6-2
Introduction...................................................6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................6-2
Maintenance Requirements..............................6-2
How This Section is Organized.........................6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services...........6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule....................6-4
Scheduled Maintenance...................................6-5
Part B: Owner Checks and Services................6-12
At the First 100, 1,000 and 6,000 Miles
(160, 1 600 and 10 000km)........................6-12
At Each Fuel Fill..........................................6-12
At Least Once a Month.................................6-12
At Least Twice a Year...................................6-13
At Least Once a Year...................................6-14Part C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections.........6-17
Steering and Suspension Inspection................6-17
Exhaust System Inspection............................6-17
Fuel System Inspection..................................6-17
Engine Cooling System Inspection...................6-17
Throttle System Inspection
(V6 Only).................................................6-18
Transfer Case and Front Axle (All-Wheel
Drive) Inspection.......................................6-18
Transfer Case and Front Axle (Four-Wheel
Drive) Inspection.......................................6-18
Brake System Inspection................................6-18
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants. . . .6-19
Part E: Maintenance Record...........................6-22
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
6-1

How This Section is Organized
This maintenance schedule is divided into ®ve parts:
ªPart A: Scheduled Maintenance Servicesºexplains
what to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex, so unless you are technically
quali®ed and have the necessary equipment, you should
let your GM dealer's service department do these jobs.
Your GM dealer has GM-trained and supported service
people that will perform the work using genuine GM
parts.
{CAUTION:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you
can be seriously injured. Do your own
maintenance work only if you have the
required know-how and the proper tools and
equipment for the job. If you have any doubt,
have a quali®ed technician do the work.If you want to get the service information, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information on page 7-9.
ªPart B: Owner Checks and Servicesºtells you what
should be checked and when. It also explains what
you can easily do to help keep your vehicle in good
condition.
ªPart C: Periodic MaintenanceInspectionsºexplains
important inspections that your dealer's service
department can perform for you.
ªPart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricantsºlists
some recommended products necessary to help
keep your vehicle properly maintained. These products,
or their equivalents, should be used whether you do
the work yourself or have it done.
ªPart E: Maintenance Recordºis a place for you to
record and keep track of the maintenance performed on
your vehicle. Keep your maintenance receipts. They
may be needed to qualify your vehicle for warranty
repairs.
6-3

Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
This part contains engine oil and chassis lubrication
scheduled maintenance which explains the engine oil life
system and how it indicates when to change the
engine oil and ®lter. Lubricate chassis components with
each oil change. Also, listed are scheduled maintenance
services which are to be performed at the mileage
intervals speci®ed.
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good working condition. But we don't know
exactly how you'll drive it. You may drive very short
distances only a few times a week. Or you may drive
long distances all the time in very hot, dusty weather.
You may use your vehicle in making deliveries. Or
you may drive it to work, to do errands or in many other
ways.
Because of all the different ways people use their
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may need more
frequent checks and replacements. So please read
the following and note how you drive. If you have any
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good condition,
see your dealer.This part tells you the maintenance services you should
have done and when to schedule them.
When you go to your dealer for your service needs,
you'll know that GM-trained and supported service
people will perform the work using genuine GM parts.
The proper ¯uids and lubricants to use are listed in Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these. All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before you or anyone else drives the
vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
·carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will ®nd these limits on your vehicle's
Certi®cation/Tire label. See
Loading Your Vehicle on
page 4-58.
·are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
·are driven off-road in the recommended manner.
See
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle on page 4-22.
·use the recommended fuel. SeeGasoline Octane
on page 5-4
.
6-4

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) and 200,000 miles (332 000 km) should
be repeated at the same interval after 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) and 200,000 miles (332 000 km) for the life
of this vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-12andPart C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections on
page 6-17.
Footnotes
²The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle 's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded.
+A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page 6-18.
Engine Oil and Chassis Lubrication
Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and ®lter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life System (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs ®rst). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and ®lter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will
come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within
the next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if
you are driving under the best conditions, the oil life
system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary
for over a year. However, your engine oil and ®lter
must be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer has GM-trained
service people who will perform this work using
genuine GM parts and reset the system.
6-5

It is also important to check your oil regularly and keep
it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed. See
Engine Oil on
page 5-16for information on resetting the system.
An Emission Control Service.
Lubricate chassis components with each engine oil
and ®lter change. Vehicles used under severe
commercial operating conditions require lubrication
on a regular basis every 3,000 miles (5 000 km).
Lubricate the front suspension, ball joints, steering
linkage, transmission shift linkage and parking brake
cable guides. Ball joints should not be lubricated unless
their temperature is 10ÉF (-12ÉC) or higher or they
could be damaged.
See the mileage intervals following for additional
services that may be performed with an engine oil
change and chassis lubrication. After the services are
performed, record the date, odometer reading and
who performed the service on the maintenance record
pages in Part E of this schedule.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
qCheck rear/front axle ¯uid level and add ¯uid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.
qRotate tires. See
Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-71for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
qAllison TransmissionžOnly: Replace the external
control-main ®lter.
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
qInspect engine air cleaner ®lter or change indicator (if
equipped). If necessary, replace the ®lter. If vehicle is
driven in dusty/dirty conditions, inspect ®lter or
change indicator (if equipped) at every engine oil
change. See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-21for more information.An Emission Control Service.
(See footnote ².)
qCheck rear/front axle ¯uid level and add ¯uid as
needed. Check constant velocity joints and axle seals
for leaking.
qRotate tires. See
Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-71for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
6-6