
Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-31
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-64
Restraint System Check
............................1-81
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-53
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-62
Storage Areas
.........................................2-64
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-66
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-54
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-71
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-55Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under
the Hood
............................................... 5-8
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-54
Rear Axle
...............................................5-55
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-56
Noise Control System
...............................5-58
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-59
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-68
Tires
......................................................5-69
Appearance Care
...................................5-100
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-108
Electrical System
....................................5-109
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-118
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-121
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake
pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. You may start the engine and shift the transmission
to the desired position.
Excessively shifting the transfer case into or out of the
different modes may cause the transfer case to enter the
shift protection mode. This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only allow the transfer
case to respond to one shift per 10 seconds. The transfer
case may stay in this mode for up to three minutes.
All-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has the SS package, it may be equipped
with all-wheel drive. With this feature, engine power
is sent to all four wheels all the time.
This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no separate
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle. It
is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the warning light will ¯ash
when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle
is moving at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three
seconds.
2-44

To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located
above the parking brake pedal, with the parking
brake symbol, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-68.
2-45

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-14
Interior Lamps..............................................3-18
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-19
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-20
Climate Controls............................................3-20
Climate Control System.................................3-20
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-22
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-25
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-33
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-34
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-35
Tachometer.................................................3-35
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-36
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-36
Air Bag Off Light..........................................3-37Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator.................3-40
Battery Warning Light....................................3-42
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-42
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-43
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-44
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-45
Traction Off Light..........................................3-46
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-47
Transmission Temperature Gage.....................3-47
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-49
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-51
Cruise Control Light......................................3-52
Four-Wheel-Drive Light..................................3-52
Tow/Haul Mode Light....................................3-53
Overdrive Disable.........................................3-53
Fuel Gage...................................................3-53
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-54
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-54
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-55
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-65
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate
them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on brie¯y when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual's advice. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly ± and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They're a big help.
Your vehicle also has a driver information system that
works along with the warning lights and gages. See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-54.
3-33

Battery Warning Light
If this light is displayed
when the engine is
running, you may have a
problem with your charging
system.
The battery display will also stay on while the key is in
RUN until the engine is started.
If the light stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or some
other charging system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving with this light displayed could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories, such
as the radio and the air conditioner.
Voltmeter Gage
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
in RUN, this gage
shows your battery's state
of charge in DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
3-42

Readings in the low warning zone may occur when a
large number of electrical accessories are operating in
the vehicle and the engine is left at an idle for an
extended period. This condition is normal since the
charging system is not able to provide full power
at engine idle. As engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds
allow the charging system to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading
in either warning zone. If you must drive, turn off
all unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.Up-Shift Light
This light is used on some
models with manual
transmissions.
The shift indicator light will help you get the best fuel
economy.
3-43