2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE transmission oil

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle's GVWR is over 8,600 or if
the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of these
conditions:
·In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If your vehicle's GVWR is not over 8,600 and you do
not use your vehicle under any of these conditions,
change the ¯uid and ®lter every 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little ¯uid can damage
your transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the ¯uid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a ®re.
Too little ¯uid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission ¯uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission ¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the ¯uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180ÉF to 200ÉF
(82ÉC to 93ÉC).
5-26

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 5-18for information on resetting the system.
An Emission Control Service.
Lubricate chassis components with each engine oil
and ®lter change.
Lubricate the front suspension, ball joints, steering
linkage, transmission shift linkage, transfer case 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 5-69for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
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 5-23for 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 5-69for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
22,500 Miles (37 500 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 5-69for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
6-6

50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
qChange automatic transmission ¯uid and ®lter if the
vehicle's GVWR is over 8600 lbs or if the vehicle is
mainly driven under one or more of these conditions:
þ In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches 90ÉF (32ÉC)
or higher.
þ In hilly or mountainous terrain.
þ When doing frequent trailer towing.
þ Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the ¯uid and ®lter at 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
qChange transfer case ¯uid.
52,500 Miles (87 500 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 5-69for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
60,000 Miles (100 000 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 5-69for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote +.)
qReplace fuel ®lter.An Emission Control Service.
(See footnote ².)
qReplace engine air cleaner ®lter on vehicles without
a restriction indicator. If equipped with a change
indicator, inspect the indicator. If necessary, replace
the ®lter. If vehicle is driven in dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect the change indicator (if equipped) at every
engine oil change. See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 5-23for more information.An Emission
Control Service. (See footnote ².)
qInspect Evaporative Control System. Check all fuel
and vapor lines and hoses for proper hook-up,
routing and condition. Check that the purge valve
works properly, if equipped. Replace as needed.
An Emission Control Service. (See footnote ².)
6-8

Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identi®ed below by name, part
number or speci®cation may be obtained from your
dealer.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine OilEngine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certi®ed for
Gasoline Engines starburst symbol
of the proper viscosity. To determine
the preferred viscosity for your
vehicle's engine, see
Engine Oil on
page 5-18.
Engine Coolant50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and use only
DEX-COOL
žCoolant. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-29.
Hydraulic Brake
SystemDelco Supreme 11 Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT-3 brake ¯uid.
Windshield
Washer SolventGM Optikleen
žWasher Solvent or
equivalent.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Power Steering
SystemGM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part
No. U.S. 1052884, in Canada
993294, or equivalent).
Automatic
TransmissionDEXRON
ž-III Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock
CylindersMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474, or equivalent).
Chassis
LubricationChassis Lubricant (GM Part No.
U.S. 12377985, in Canada
88901242, or equivalent) or lubricant
meeting requirements of NLGI #2,
Category LB or GC-LB.
Front Axle
(Four-Wheel
Drive)SAE 80W-90 Axle Lubricant (GM
Part No. U.S. 1052271, in Canada
10950849 or equivalent).
Front Axle
(All-Wheel
Drive)SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Axle
Lubricant (GM Part No. U.S.
12378261, in Canada 10953455) or
equivalent meeting GM Speci®cation
9986115.
6-18

Engine (cont.)
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-45
Coolant......................................................5-29
Cooling System Inspection............................6-17
Exhaust.....................................................2-43
Fan Noise..................................................5-42
Oil .............................................................5-18
Overheating................................................5-33
Starting......................................................2-23
Entering or Exiting the Third Row Seats.............. 1-9
Entertainment System....................................3-129
Cleaning the Video Screen..........................3-129
DVD Distortion..........................................3-126
Entry Lighting.................................................3-17
Environmental Concerns..................................4-27
Erasing HomeLink
žButtons..............................2-60
Exit Lighting...................................................3-17
Express-Down Windows...................................2-17
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-46
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-14
F
Filter.............................................................5-23
Engine Air Cleaner......................................5-23
Finding a PTY Station
(RDS and XMŸ).......................3-80, 3-91, 3-104Finding a Station..................3-74, 3-78, 3-89, 3-102
Finish Care..................................................5-103
Finish Damage.............................................5-104
Fixed Mast Antenna.......................................3-129
Flash-To-Pass.................................................. 3-8
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................5-77
Flat Tire........................................................5-76
Fluid.............................................................5-26
Automatic Transmission................................5-26
Power Steering...........................................5-43
Windshield Washer......................................5-44
FM Stereo....................................................3-127
Fog Lamps....................................................3-16
Folding the Seatback.......................................1-16
Folding the Seatbacks.....................1-10, 1-12, 1-21
Following Distance..........................................4-74
Footnotes........................................................ 6-5
Four-Wheel Drive....................................2-29, 5-57
Four-Wheel-Drive Light....................................3-51
Front Axle Locking Feature...............................2-30
Front Axle......................................................5-58
Front Reading Lamps......................................3-18
Front Storage Area.........................................2-61
Frontal Air Bags.............................................1-79
Fuel Information Button....................................3-57
FUEL LEVEL LOW.........................................3-67
7

Fuel............................................................... 5-4
Additives...................................................... 5-6
California Fuel.............................................. 5-6
E-85 (85% Ethanol)....................................... 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container....................5-11
Filling Your Tank........................................... 5-9
Fuels in Foreign Countries.............................. 5-8
Gage.........................................................3-52
Gasoline Octane........................................... 5-5
Gasoline Speci®cations.................................. 5-5
Low Warning Light.......................................3-53
System Inspection.......................................6-16
Fuses..........................................................5-109
Fuses and Circuit Breakers.........................5-109
Windshield Wiper.......................................5-108
G
Gage............................................................3-45
Engine Coolant Temperature.........................3-45
Fuel..........................................................3-52
Oil Pressure...............................................3-50
Speedometer..............................................3-38
Tachometer.................................................3-38
Transmission Temperature.............................3-46
Voltmeter Gage...........................................3-42Garage Door Opener.......................................2-57
Gasoline......................................................... 5-5
Octane........................................................ 5-5
Speci®cations............................................... 5-5
Gate Operator and Canadian Programming........2-60
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving................4-28
Glove Box.....................................................2-61
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities.................................................... 7-6
H
Hazard Warning Flashers................................... 3-6
Head Restraints............................................... 1-8
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.................... 3-8
Headlamps....................................................5-60
Bulb Replacement.......................................5-59
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps........................................5-61
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-59
Roof Marker Lamps.....................................5-62
Side Identi®cation Marker Lamps...................5-62
Headphones.................................................3-119
Heated Seats................................................... 1-5
Heating.........................................................3-29
Highway Hypnosis...........................................4-48
8

N
New Vehicle Break-In......................................2-21
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts...........5-121
O
Odometer......................................................3-38
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-20
OIL LIFE RESET............................................3-67
OIL PRESSURE LOW.....................................3-67
Oil ................................................................5-18
Engine.......................................................5-18
Pressure Gage............................................3-50
Older Children, Restraints................................1-47
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-4
OnStar
žPersonal Calling.................................2-56
OnStaržServices............................................2-55
OnStaržSteering Wheel Controls......................2-56
OnStaržSystem.............................................2-55
OnStaržVirtual Advisor....................................2-56
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off
Paved Roads..............................................4-23
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-6
Outlet Adjustment...................................3-24, 3-30
Outside Power Camper-Type Mirror...................2-53Outside.........................................................2-53
Automatic Dimming Mirror.............................2-53
Camper-Type Mirrors....................................2-52
Convex Mirror.............................................2-54
Curb View Assist Mirrors..............................2-54
Heated Mirrors............................................2-54
Manual Mirrors............................................2-51
Power Foldaway Mirrors...............................2-53
Power Mirrors.............................................2-52
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
(V8 Engines Only).......................................5-33
Overseas ± Customer Assistance........................ 7-5
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
Owner's Information........................................7-12
P
Panel Doors...................................................2-15
Park (P)........................................................2-42
Shifting Out of............................................2-42
Parking Brake and Automatic Transmission Park
(P) Mechanism Check..................................6-15
Parking on Hills..............................................4-76
Parking.........................................................2-38
Brake........................................................2-38
Over Things That Burn.................................2-42
12