2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

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

Tires..............................................................5-67
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-68
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-69
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-70
Buying New Tires.........................................5-71
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-74
Wheel Replacement......................................5-74
Tire Chains..................................................5-76
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-76
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-77
Spare Tire...................................................5-98
Appearance Care............................................5-99
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-99
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-102
Weatherstrips.............................................5-102
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle.............5-102
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-104Finish Damage...........................................5-104
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-105
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-105
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-105
Vehicle Identi®cation.....................................5-107
Vehicle Identi®cation Number (VIN)................5-107
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-107
Electrical System..........................................5-108
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-108
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-108
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-108
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-109
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Capacities and Speci®cations........................5-118
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-121
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-121
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-11.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-87.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See
Part E: Maintenance Record on page 6-20.
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
·Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
CAUTION: (Continued)
5-3

CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the air¯ow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Gasoline
The 8th digit of your vehicle identi®cation number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identi®es your
engine. You will ®nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. See
Vehicle Identi®cation Number
(VIN) on page 5-107.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z
only), you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or
ethanol fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E-85);
also see
Fuel E-85 (85% Ethanol) on page 5-7.Inall
other engines, including the 5.3L V8 (VIN Code T), use
only regular unleaded gasoline.
5-4

Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 87
or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
A little pinging noise when you accelerate or drive uphill is
considered normal. This does not indicate a problem
exists or that a higher-octane fuel is necessary. If you are
using 87 octane or higher-octane fuel and hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
Gasoline Speci®cations
It is recommended that gasoline meet speci®cations
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these speci®cations could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
ªAuto Makers' Choiceº
label on the pump.
Canada Only
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certi®ed to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
speci®cations. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle will
operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
speci®cations, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn
on (see
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-47) and
your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs,
return to your authorized GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is caused by the type of fuel
used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work properly.
You should not have to add anything to your fuel.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly if
they comply with the speci®cations described earlier.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
5-6

Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuel E-85 (85% Ethanol)
The 8th digit of your vehicle identi®cation number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identi®es your
engine. You will ®nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. See
Vehicle Identi®cation Number
(VIN) on page 5-107.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z
only), you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or
ethanol fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E-85);
also see
Fuel on page 5-4. In all other engines, including
the 5.3L V8 (VIN Code T), use only regular unleaded
gasoline.Only vehicles that have the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z)
may use 85% ethanol fuel (E-85).
Many service stations will not have an 85% ethanol fuel
(E-85) pump available. The U. S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels website
(http://afdcmap.nrel.gov/nrel/) that can help you ®nd
E-85 fuel. Those stations that do have E-85 should have
a label indicating ethanol content. Do not use the fuel
if the ethanol content is
greaterthan 85%. Your vehicle
may not operate properly if the ethanol content is
greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E-85 should meet ASTM Speci®cation
D 5798.
To insure quick starts in the wintertime, the E-85 fuel
must be formulated properly for your climate according
to ASTM speci®cation D 5798. If you have trouble
starting on E-85, it may be because your E-85 fuel is
not properly formulated for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding gasoline to your fuel
tank may improve starting. Your vehicle is designed to
accommodate a mixture of gasoline and E-85 fuel.
For good starting and heater efficiency below 32ÉF
(0ÉC), the fuel mix in the fuel tank should contain no
more than 70% ethanol.
5-7

E-85 has less energy per gallon than gasoline, so you'll
need to re®ll your fuel tank more often when using
E-85 than when you're using gasoline. Regular unleaded
gasoline is recommended when pulling a trailer. For
payload capacity with ethanol fuel, see
Loading
Your Vehicle on page 4-62.
Notice:Some additives are not compatible with
E-85 fuel and may harm your fuel system. Damage
caused by additives wouldn't be covered by
your new vehicle warranty. Don't use additives with
E-85 fuel.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to ®nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-8