2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE warning

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.
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.
Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
¯ash when you set the parking brake. The light will
¯ash if the parking brake doesn't release fully. If you try
to drive with the parking brake engaged, a chime will
sound when the vehicle speed is greater than 3 mph
(5 km/h).
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds there
could be a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.
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This light should come on brie¯y when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn't come on then, have it
®xed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-59.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service. United States
Canada
3-43

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That's normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it
®xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you're driving,
your vehicle needs service. You will also hear a chime
sound when the light is on steady. If the regular brake
system warning light isn't on, you still have brakes, but
you don't have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on you don't have anti-lock
brakes and there's a problem with your regular brakes. In
addition to both lights, you will also hear a chime sound
on the ®rst occurrence of a problem and each time the
vehicle is shut off and then restarted. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page 3-42.
Traction Off Light
If you have the Traction
Assist System, this light
should come on brie¯y
when you turn the ignition
to RUN.
If the light doesn't come on then, the system may
require service; have it ®xed so it will be there to warn
you if the system is turned off.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you're driving,
there may be a problem with your Traction Assist
System and your vehicle may need service. When this
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
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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 message 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).
See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-53for
further information.
If the transmission ¯uid reaches temperatures of
approximately 275ÉF (135ÉC) or greater, the Driver
Information Center will display a TRANS HOT IDLE
ENG warning message. 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
260ÉF (127ÉC). If the transmission continues to operate
above 265ÉF (130ÉC), contact your nearest dealer or
the GM Roadside Assistance Center. See
Roadside
Assistance Program on page 7-6. United States
Canada
3-46

Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) when the engine is
running. Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa
(kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or some other problem causing
low oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as possible. See
Oil Pressure LowunderDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-64andEngine Oil on page 5-18. United States
Canada
3-50

Here are some situations you may experience with your
fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
·At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
·It takes a little more or less fuel to ®ll up than the
fuel 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 goes back to empty when you turn off the
ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on brie¯y when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. See
Fuel on
page 5-4.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located on the instrument panel
cluster above the steering wheel. The DIC can display
information such as the trip odometer, fuel economy and
personalization features.
A (Trip Information):This button will display the
odometer, personal trip odometer, business trip
odometer, hourmeter, annual log and the timer.
B (Fuel Information):This button will display the
current range, average fuel economy, instant fuel
economy and engine oil life.
3-53

C (Personalization):This button will change personal
options available on your vehicle.
D (Select):This button resets certain functions and
turns off or acknowledges messages on the DIC.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons you will not have all of the features listed
above, and you will turn off, or acknowledge DIC
messages by using the trip odometer reset stem located
on the instrument panel cluster.
DIC Operation and Displays
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. Pressing any of the DIC buttons will
acknowledge any current warning or service messages.The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four buttons on the DIC. These buttons
are trip information, fuel information, personalization and
select. The button functions are detailed in the
following.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons not all of the features listed will be
available on your vehicle.
Trip Information Button
Use the trip information button to scroll through the
ODOMETER, PERSONAL TRIP ON/OFF, BUSINESS
TRIP ON/OFF, HOURMETER, ANNUAL LOG and
TIMER. If the personal trip and/or the business trip are
set to ON, you will also be able to scroll through
more messages. See
Personal TripandBusiness Tripnext for more information.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons you can select the trip information
by pressing the trip odometer reset stem on the
instrument panel cluster.
3-54

The DIC does not replace the need to maintain your
vehicle as recommended in the Maintenance Schedule
in this manual. Also, the oil change reminder does
not measure how much oil you have in your engine.
So, be sure to check your oil level often. See
Engine Oil
on page 5-18.
Personalization Button
You can program certain features to a preferred setting
for up to two people. Press the personalization button
to scroll through the following personalization features.
All of the personalization options may not be available
on your vehicle. only the options available will be
displayed on your DIC.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons you will not have any of these
personalization options except for DISPLAY
LANGUAGE. See DISPLAY LANGUAGE later in this
section for more information.
·AUTOMATIC LOCKING
·AUTOMATIC UNLOCKING
·REMOTE LOCK FEEDBACK
·ALARM WARNING TYPE
·REMOTE UNLOCK FEEDBACK
·HEADLAMPS ON AT EXIT
·PERIMETER LIGHTING
·SEAT POSITION RECALL
·EASY EXIT DRIVER SEAT
·CURB VIEW ASSIST
·DISPLAY LANGUAGE
·DISPLAY UNITS (ENG/MET)
The default options for the above features were set
when your vehicle left the factory. The default options
are noted in the text following, but may have been
changed from their default state since then. The driver's
preferences are recalled by pressing the unlock
button on the remote keyless entry transmitter or by
pressing the appropriate memory button 1 or 2 located
on the driver's door.
Alarm Warning Type
Press the personalization button until ALARM
WARNING TYPE appears in the display. To select your
personalization for alarm warning type, press the
select button while ALARM WARNING TYPE is
displayed on the DIC. Pressing the select button will
scroll through the following choices:
ALARM WARNING: BOTH (default):The headlamps
will ¯ash and the horn will chirp when the alarm is
active.
ALARM WARNING: OFF:There will be no alarm
warning on activation.
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