2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO heating

Drive (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, driving on steep hills or for off-road
driving. You may want to shift the transmission to
THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
Notice:If your vehicle is equipped with the
AllisionžTransmission, do not idle in DRIVE (D) for
more than ®ve minutes. Extended idling in
DRIVE (D) may cause transmission overheating and
damage. Always select PARK (P) if idle time is
longer than ®ve minutes.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Allison
ž
Transmission, it will initially attain ®rst range when
DRIVE (D) is selected. As vehicle speed increases, the
transmission will upshift automatically through each
available range up to FIFTH (5). As the vehicle slows,
the transmission will downshift automatically.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
however it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.If you manually select SECOND (2) in a light duty
automatic transmission, the transmission will drive in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing the
speed of the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the selector lever is put in FIRST (1) while the
vehicle is moving forward, the transmission won't shift
into ®rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.Notice:If your wheels won't turn, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object. You
could damage your transmission. Also, if you
stop when going uphill, don't hold your vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat
and damage the transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
On cold days, approximately 32ÉF (0ÉC) or colder, your
transmission is designed to shift differently until the
engine reaches normal operating temperature. This is
intended to improve heater performance.
2-27

Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Your vehicle may be equipped with a front ashtray
located near the center of the instrument panel. Pull on
the door to open it.
Notice:Don't put papers or other ¯ammable items
into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other smoking
materials could ignite them, causing a damaging
®re.
To remove the front ashtray, pull the ashtray toward
you. To replace the ashtray, place the ashtray on
the slides at the side of its location in the instrument
panel. To use the cigarette lighter, push it in all the way,
and let go. When it's ready, it will pop back out by
itself.
Notice:Holding a cigarette lighter in while it is
heating will not allow the lighter to back away from
the heating element when it is hot. Damage from
overheating may occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown. Do not hold a
cigarette lighter in while it is heating.
Climate Controls
Climate Control System
Fan Knob
The fan knob on the left side of the control panel
adjusts the fan speed. To increase air¯ow, turn the knob
clockwise. To decrease air¯ow, turn it counterclockwise.
To turn the fan off, turn the knob to the off position.
3-20

Dual Climate Control System
With this system you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation for your vehicle.
9(Fan):Turn the left knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the fan speed.
Turn the knob to the off position to turn off the fan. If
the knob is in off outside air will still enter the vehicle,
and will be directed based on the position of the
mode knob. The temperature can also be adjusted
using the temperature levers.
Turn the right knob clockwise or counterclockwise to
direct the air¯ow inside of your vehicle.To change the current mode, select one of the following:
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument
panel vents.
)(Bi-Level):This mode directs half of the air to the
instrument panel vents; then directs most of the
remaining air to the ¯oor vents. A little air is directed
toward the windshield and the side window vents. Cooler
air is directed to the upper vents and warmer air to
the ¯oor vents.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
¯oor vents with a little air directed to the windshield and
the side window vents.
h(Recirculation):The recirculation mode is used to
recirculate the air inside of your vehicle. Use this mode to
help prevent outside odors and/or dust from entering your
vehicle or to help cool the air inside of your vehicle more
quickly. Press this button to turn the recirculation mode
on or off. The light on the recirculation button will
illuminate. Recirculation cannot be used in ¯oor, blend or
defrost modes. An indicator on the button will light up,
¯ash three times and turn off when recirculation is
selected in these modes.The air-conditioning compressor
will also come on when this mode is activated. While in
recirculation mode the windows may fog when the
weather is cold and damp. To clear the fog, select either
the blend or defrost mode and increase fan speed.
3-22

Operation Tips
·
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
·Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout your
vehicle.
·Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air de¯ectors, etc., may affect
the performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System
With this system, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle also
has a ¯ow-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
You can select different climate control settings for the
driver and passengers.
3-25

Air Conditioning
#
(Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn the air
conditioning (A/C) compressor on and off. The
snow¯ake symbol will appear on the display when the
A/C is on.
Pressing this button when the outside temperature is
below 35ÉF (2ÉC) will make the snow¯ake symbol ¯ash
three times and then it will turn off to let you know
the air conditioning mode is not available. If the
air conditioning is on and the outside temperature drops
below 35ÉF (2ÉC), the snow¯ake symbol will turn off
to let you know the air conditioning mode has been
canceled.
When air conditioning is selected or in AUTO mode, the
system will run the air conditioning automatically to
cool and dehumidify the air entering the vehicle. If you
select A/C off while in front defrost, defog or
recirculation, the A/C snow¯ake symbol will turn off, but
the A/C compressor will still run to help prevent
fogging.
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for
your vehicle to cool down. Then keep your windows
closed for the air conditioner to work its best.On cool, but sunny days while using manual operation
of the automatic system, use bi-level to deliver warm
air to the ¯oor and cooler air to the instrument
panel outlets. To warm or cool the air delivered, turn the
temperature knob to the desired setting.
In AUTO mode the system will cool and dehumidify the
air inside the vehicle. Also while in AUTO mode, the
system will maximize its performance by using
recirculation as necessary.
^(Air Conditioning Off):On some vehicles, when
you turn the air conditioning off, this symbol will appear
on the display. If your vehicle does not have this
symbol, the snow¯ake symbol will turn off to let you
know the air conditioning is off.
Heating
On cold days when using manual operation of the
automatic system, choose ¯oor mode to deliver air to
the ¯oor outlets. To warm or cool the air delivered, turn
the temperature knob to the desired setting.
If you want to use the automatic mode, press AUTO
and adjust the temperature by turning the temperature
knob.
The heater works best if you keep the windows closed
while using it.
3-30

Outlet Adjustment
Use the air outlets located in the center and on the side
of your instrument panel to direct the air¯ow.
Your vehicle has air outlets that allow you to adjust the
direction and amount of air¯ow inside the vehicle.
Move the louvers up or down. Use the thumbwheel next
to or underneath the outlet to close the louvers. For
the most efficient air¯ow and temperature control, keep
the outlet in the fully opened position.
Rear seat outlets can be used to adjust air¯ow toward
either seating area, the ¯oor or upward. Move the center
louvers up or down to direct the air¯ow.
Operation Tips
·
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
·Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout your
vehicle.
·Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air de¯ectors, etc., may affect
the performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
3-32

Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During a majority of the operation, the gage
will read 210ÉF (100ÉC) or less. If you are pulling a load
or going up hills, it is normal for the temperature to
¯uctuate and approach the 250ÉF (122ÉC) mark. If the
gage reaches the 260ÉF (125ÉC) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system is working beyond its capacity.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-33.
Transmission Temperature Gage
Your vehicle may be equipped with a transmission
temperature gage.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the temperature
of the transmission ¯uid. The normal operating range is
from 100ÉF (38ÉC) to about 265ÉF (130ÉC).
At approximately 265ÉF (130ÉC), the driver information
center will display a TRANSMISSION HOT message and
the transmission will enter a transmission protection
mode. When the transmission enters the protection
mode, you may notice a change in the transmission
shifting patterns. The transmission will return to normal
shifting patterns when the transmission ¯uid temperature
falls below 260ÉF (127ÉC). United States
CanadaUnited StatesCanada
3-47

REDUCED ENGINE POWER
This message is displayed when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the engine further enters
the engine coolant protection mode.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-33for further
information.
RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR (Crew Cab)
If the passenger's side rear door is not fully closed,
this message will appear on the display and you
will hear a chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check
the door for obstacles, and close the door again. Check
to see if the message still appears on the DIC. Press
the select button to acknowledge the message and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE AIRBAG
If there is a problem with the air bag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have a quali®ed
technician inspect the system for problems. Press
the select button to acknowledge the message and clear
it from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service.
SERVICE BRAKE BOOSTER
If your vehicle has vaccum assist power brakes, this
message will be displayed on the DIC when there is a
problem with the Supplemental Brake Assist system.
If the message is displayed immediately after starting
the vehicle or the message appears while driving,
your Supplemental Brake Assist system needs service.
See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-44.
3-68