2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE brakes

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you're turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won't strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will ¯ash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also ¯ash, telling other drivers
you're about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
You may also want to activate the tow/haul mode if the
transmission shifts too often. See ªTow/Haul Modeº
for more information.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine off. If you do get
the overheat warning, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-33.
4-75

Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brake, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear and not in
NEUTRAL.
6. Release the regular brakes.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle
can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won't move,
even when you're on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow.
Always put the shift lever fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake ®rmly set.
If the transfer case on four-wheel-drive
vehicles is in NEUTRAL, your vehicle will be
free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK
(P). So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear Ð not in NEUTRAL.
4-76

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
·start your engine,
·shift into a gear, and
·release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission ¯uid (don't over®ll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system and brake
system. Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you ®nd them quickly. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle is equipped with the following wiring
harnesses for towing a trailer.
4-77

Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Harness
Package
Your vehicle is equipped with the seven-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness with a seven-pin universal
trailer connector is attached to a bracket on the hitch
platform.The seven-wire harness contains the following trailer
circuits:
·Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
·Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
·Brown: Taillamps
·White: Ground
·Light Green: Back-up Lamps
·Red: Battery Feed
·Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
If your trailer is equipped with electronic brakes, you
can get a jumper harness (electric trailer brake control)
with a trailer battery feed fuse from your dealer. This
harness and fuse should be installed by your dealer or a
quali®ed service center.
If you need to tow a light-duty trailer with a standard
four-way round pin connector, you can also get an
adapter.
4-79

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuel E-85 (85% Ethanol).................................5-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-8
Filling Your Tank............................................5-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-11
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-12
Hood Release..............................................5-12
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-14
Engine Oil...................................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-23
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-26
Engine Coolant.............................................5-29
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-32
Engine Overheating.......................................5-33Cooling System............................................5-36
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-42
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-43
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-44
Brakes........................................................5-45
Battery........................................................5-48
Jump Starting...............................................5-49
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-55
Rear Axle.......................................................5-56
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-57
Front Axle......................................................5-58
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-59
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-59
Headlamps..................................................5-60
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps.........................................5-61
Side Identi®cation Marker Lamps.....................5-62
Roof Marker Lamps......................................5-62
Taillamps.....................................................5-64
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-66
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-66
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Cooling System on
page 5-36.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. See
Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-26.
F. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
G. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-36.
H. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.I. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-43.
J. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-49.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See
Brakes on
page 5-45.
L. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-109.
M. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-48.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-44.
5-15

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Cooling System on
page 5-36.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. See
Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-26.
F. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
G. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-36.
H. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-49.I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-49.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-43.
K. Brake Master Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on
page 5-45.
L. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-109.
M. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-48.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-44.
5-17

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is ®lled with DOT-3
brake ¯uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-14for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake ¯uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The ®rst is that the
brake ¯uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the ¯uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that ¯uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system ®xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.
So, it is not a good idea to ªtop offº your brake ¯uid.
Adding brake ¯uid will not correct a leak. If you add ¯uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much ¯uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake ¯uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake ¯uid, it can spill on
the engine. The ¯uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
¯uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system. See ªChecking Brake Fluidº
in this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake ¯uid. See
Part C: Periodic
MaintenanceInspections on page 6-16.
5-45