2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO check engine

{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake ¯uid, it can spill on
the engine. The ¯uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
¯uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system. See ªChecking Brake Fluidº
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake ¯uid. See
Part C: Periodic
MaintenanceInspections on page 6-17.
Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake ¯uid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the brake ¯uid reservoir. The ¯uid level
should be above MIN. If it is not, have your brake
system checked to see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
5-45

On V6 engines the remote negative (-) terminal is
located on a tab attached to the engine accessory
drive bracket where it is marked ªGND.²
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-10for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
¯ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do
not need to add water to the ACDelco
žbattery
installed in your new vehicle. But if a battery
has ®ller caps, be sure the right amount of
¯uid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that ®rst. If you do not, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery ¯uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it
in your eyes or on your skin, ¯ush the place
with water and get medical help immediately.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
6. Check that the jumper cables don't have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or a remote positive terminal (+) if the
vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or a remote
negative (-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don't connect positive (+) to negative (-) or you'll
get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And don't connect the
negative (-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
On vehicles equipped with dual batteries, make all
battery connections to the remote positive (+)
and remote negative (-) terminals.
5-50

ApplicationCapacities
English Metric
Cooling System
After re®ll, the level must be rechecked. See ªCooling Systemº in the Index.
VORTECŸ 4300 V6 Automatic Transmission 12.6 quarts (11.9 L)
VORTECŸ 4300 V6 Manual Transmission 12.9 quarts (12.2 L)
VORTECŸ 4800 V8 Automatic Transmission 13.4 quarts (12.7 L)
VORTECŸ 4800 V8 Manual Transmission 13.7 quarts (13.0 L)
VORTECŸ 5300 V8 Automatic Transmission 13.4 quarts (12.7 L)
VORTECŸ 5300 V8** Automatic Transmission 14.9 quarts (14.1 L)
VORTECŸ 6000 V8 Automatic Transmission 14.8 quarts (14.0 L)
VORTECŸ 6000 V8* Automatic Transmission 14.4 quarts (13.6 L)
VORTECŸ 6000 V8 Manual Transmission 15.2 quarts (14.4 L)
VORTECŸ 6000 V8* Manual Transmission 14.8 quarts (14.0 L)
VORTECŸ 8100 V8 Manual Transmission 21.1 quarts (20.0 L)
VORTECŸ 8100 V8 Automatic Transmission 20.7 quarts (19.6 L)
* Vehicles equipped with the optional engine oil cooler.
** Vehicles equipped with the optional air conditioner.
Engine Oil With Filter
After re®ll, the level must be rechecked. Add enough engine oil so that the ¯uid is within the proper operating
range. See
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
VORTECŸ 4300 V6 (Vin W) 4.5 quarts (4.3 L)
VORTECŸ 4800 V8 ( Vin V) 6.0 quarts (5.7 L)
VORTECŸ 5300 V8 (Vin T) 6.0 quarts (5.7 L)
VORTECŸ 6000 V8 (Vin U) 6.0 quarts (5.7 L)
5-119

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

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
Important: Keep engine oil at the proper level and
change as recommended.
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan
supplements your new vehicle warranties. See your
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet or your dealer
for details.
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment. Improper vehicle maintenance can
even affect the quality of the air we breathe. Improper
¯uid levels or the wrong tire in¯ation can increase
the level of emissions from your vehicle. To help protect
our environment, and to keep your vehicle in good
condition, be sure to maintain your vehicle properly.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and
recommended ¯uids and lubricants as prescribed in this
manual are necessary to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. Any damage caused by failure
to follow scheduled maintenance may not be covered by
warranty.
6-2

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