2003 CHEVROLET SSR Page 3

Reduced Engine Power Light
This light is displayed
when a noticeable
reduction in the vehicle’s
performance may occur.
The vehicle may be driven at a reduced speed when
the reduced engine power light is on but acceleration
and speed may be reduced. The performance may
be reduced until the next time you drive your vehicle.
If this light stays on, see your dealer as soon as possible
for diagnosis and repair.
This light may also come on if there is a problem with the
Throttle Actuator Control (TAC) system. If this happens,
take the vehicle in for service as soon as possible.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
whenever the high-beam
headlamps are on.
Check Gages Warning Light
The Check Gages light will
come on briey when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil
pressure gages to see if they are in the warning zones.
SeeEngine Coolant Temperature Gage on page 3-30
andOil Pressure Gage on page 3-34.
When the fuel level is low in your vehicle, the check
gages light will come on and a chime will sound. You will
also see a FUEL LEVEL LOW message on the DIC.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-45
for more information.
3-36

Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have remaining.
A chime will sound and the check gages warning light
will come on when your fuel level is low. FUEL LEVEL
LOW will appear on the DIC display. SeeCheck
Gages Warning Light on page 3-36, “Fuel Range” under
DIC Controls and Displays on page 3-41, andDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-45for more
information.Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition. United StatesCanada
3-37

Transmission Temperature Gage
This gage (C) is located on
the right side of the gage
package.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the temperature
of the transmission uid. The normal operating range is
from 100°F (38°C) to about 265°F (130°C).
At approximately 265°F (130°C), 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
260°F (127°C).
Pull the vehicle off the roadway when it is safe to do so.
Set the parking brake, place the transmission in
PARK (P) and allow the engine to idle until the
transmission temperature falls below 260°F (127°C).If the transmission continues to operate above 260°F
(127°C), see your dealer for service or contact GM
Roadside Assistance. SeeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 7-5.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above normal
operating range, you can damage the transmission.
This could lead to costly repairs that would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not drive your
vehicle while the transmission temperature gage
reading is above normal. See your dealer for service.
The following situations can cause the transmission to
operate at higher temperatures:
Towing a trailer
Hot outside air temperatures
Hauling a large or heavy load
Low transmission uid level
High transmission uid level
Engine overheating
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures
on a frequent basis, seeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-5for the proper transmission maintenance
intervals.
3-40

Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) gives you the
status of many of your vehicle’s systems. It is also
used to display driver personalization features and
warning/status messages. The DIC display is located
on the instrument panel cluster. The DIC buttons
are located on the steering wheel.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay the DIC will display the current driver and the
information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Be sure to take any message that
appears on the display seriously and remember that
clearing the message will only make the message
disappear, not correct the problem.
DIC Controls and Displays
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four buttons located on the steering wheel.
The button functions are listed in the following pages.A.
3(Trip Information): Press this button to
display the odometer, trip odometer, and the timer.
B.
r(Fuel Information): Press this button to
display the current fuel and engine oil information.
C.
q(Personalization): Press this button to access
the vehicle personalization menu and customize the
personalization settings on your vehicle.
D.
r(Select): Press this button to reset certain DIC
functions, acknowledge DIC warning messages
and clear them from the DIC, and set your
personalization settings.
3-41

Fuel Information
r
(Fuel Information):Press this button to scroll
through the range, average fuel economy, instant fuel
economy and engine oil life.
Fuel Range
Press the fuel information button until RANGE appears
to display the remaining distance you can drive
without refueling. It’s based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining in the tank. The display will show
FUEL LEVEL LOW if the fuel level is low and a chime
will sound. The check gages warning light on the
instrument panel cluster will also be illuminated.
SeeCheck Gages Warning Light on page 3-36for more
information.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range
is an average of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
Fuel range cannot be reset.
Average Fuel Economy
Press the fuel information button until AVG. ECON
appears in the display. Average fuel economy is how
many miles per gallon your vehicle is getting based on
current and past driving conditions.
Press and hold the select button while AVG. ECON is
displayed to reset the average fuel economy. Average
fuel economy will then be calculated starting from
that point. If the average fuel economy is not reset,
it will be continually updated each time you drive.
Instant Fuel Economy
Press the fuel information button until INST. ECON
appears in the display. Instant fuel economy is
how many miles per gallon your vehicle is at the
particular moment in time. The instant fuel economy
cannot be reset.
3-43

Engine Oil Life
Press the fuel information button until ENGINE OIL LIFE
appears in the display. The GM Oil Life System™
shows an estimate of the oil’s remaining useful life.
It will show 100% when the system is reset after
an oil change. It will alert you to change your oil on a
schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
Always reset the engine oil life after an oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system, press and hold the
select button while ENGINE OIL LIFE is displayed.
The engine oil life reading in the DIC does not replace
the need to maintain your vehicle as recommended
in the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeEngine
Oil on page 5-14,Change Engine Oil Light on
page 3-35, andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-5.
Personalization
q
(Personalization):Press this button to access
the vehicle personalization menu and customize
the personalization settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC
Vehicle Personalization on page 3-52for more
information.
Select
r
(Select):Press this button to reset certain DIC
functions, acknowledge DIC warning messages
and clear them from the DIC, and set your
personalization settings.
3-44

DIC Warnings and Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC to notify the driver
that the status of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the driver to correct the
condition. Multiple messages may appear one after
another. Some messages may not require immediate
action but you should press the select button to
acknowledge that you received the message and clear it
from the display. Some messages cannot be cleared
from the display because they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they can be removed
from the DIC display. The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed and some information
about them.
Battery Not Charging
If the battery is not charging during operation, this
message will appear on the DIC. The charging system
light may also be displayed on the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light on page 3-27
for more information. Driving your vehicle when the
battery is not charging properly can drain the battery.
Have the electrical system checked as soon as possible.
Press the select button to acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display.
Battery Voltage Too High
This message will be displayed when the battery
voltage is higher than normal and you try to raise or
lower the convertible top. The charging system light may
also be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
SeeCharging System Light on page 3-27for more
information. Press the select button to acknowledge
the message and clear it from the DIC display.
Battery Voltage Too Low
This message will be displayed when the battery
voltage is lower than normal and you try to raise or
lower the convertible top. The charging system light may
also be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
SeeCharging System Light on page 3-27for more
information. Press the select button to acknowledge
the message and clear it from the DIC display.
Cargo Cover Ajar
This message will be displayed when trying to open or
close the convertible top while the cargo cover is
open. Make sure the cargo cover is fully closed
before trying to open or close the convertible top.
This message will clear itself from the DIC once the
cargo cover is closed.
3-45

Change Trans (Transmission) Fluid
If your transmission uid in your vehicle needs to be
changed, this message will appear on the DIC.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Fluid on page 5-21
andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-5for more
information.
Check Oil Level
If the oil level in the vehicle is low this message will
appear on the DIC. Check the oil level and add oil as
necessary. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-14for more
information. Press the select button to acknowledge this
message and clear it from the DIC display.
Depress Brake
This message will be displayed on the DIC when you
try to raise or lower the convertible top without rst
pressing the brake pedal. The brake pedal must
be pressed in order to operate the convertible top.
SeeConvertible Top on page 2-37for more information.
Pressing the brake pedal will clear the message, or
you can press the select button to acknowledge
and clear the message from the DIC display.
Driver Door Ajar
This message will be displayed on the DIC when the
driver’s door was not closed completely. A chime
will sound. Stop the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Fully closing the
driver’s door will clear this message from the display, or
you can press the select button to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the DIC display.
Engine Coolant Hot Idle Engine
Notice:If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If the cooling system temperature becomes too hot, this
message will appear in the DIC and you will hear a
chime. Stop the vehicle and let the engine idle in
PARK (P) to allow the coolant to reach a safe
temperature. You may need to add more coolant to your
vehicle before driving again. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-24andEngine Coolant Temperature Gage
on page 3-30for more information. This message will
clear from the DIC display when the coolant temperature
drops to a safe operating temperature.
3-46