2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI heater

If No Steam Is Coming From
Your Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant message,
can indicate
a serious problem. See “Low Coolant”
under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-53.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant message, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-51.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@ ).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, push down the accelerator
until the engine speed
is about twice as fast as normal
idle speed for at least three minutes while you’re parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off the engine andget
everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode listed
previously in this section.
You may decide not
to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-29

Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
A. Coolant Surge Tank
B. Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan The coolant level should
be at
or above the FULL
COLD mark. If it isn't,
you may have a leak at the
rn*:A.~~ z,=7j_ . %%A" %!!:..- pressure cap or in the
*^" radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system.
I
5-30

I
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there
is a leak. If you
run the engine,
it could lose all coolant.
That could cause an engine fire, and you could
be burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive
the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again.
The engine cooling fan speed should increase when idle
speed
is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down.
If it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode”
in the Index for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
- at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@ is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.
5-31

Adding ~.ly p.-.n water to your coa....g system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s
coolant warning system
is set for the proper
coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you
wouldn’t get the overheat warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable i i water and DEX COOL@ coolant.
Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
I
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
5-33

Compact Disc Changer Errors .......................... 3-80
Compact Disc Messages
.................................. 3-76
Compass Calibration
....................................... 2-30
Compass Variance
.......................................... 2-29
Content Theft-Deferrent
.................................... 2-1 3
Control of a Vehicle
.......................................... 4-5
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gage
............................ 3-36
Heater, Engine
............................................ 2-17
Surge Tank Pressure Cap
............................. 5-27
Cooling System
.............................................. 5-30
Cruise Control
.................................................. 3-8
Cruise Control Light
........................................ 3-41
Cupholder(s)
............................................... 2-39
Current and Past Model Order Forms
..... .... 7-11
Customer Assistance Information
Courtesy Transportation
.................................. 7-7
Customer Assistance for Text
Telephone (TTY) Users
............................... 7-4
Customer Assistance
Off ices ........................... 7-4
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities
................................................ 7-5
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors ...... 7-9
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian
Government
.............................................. 7-9
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States
Government
.............................................. 7-9
Roadside Assistance Program
......................... 7-5
Service Publications Ordering Information
........ 7-1 0
D
DAB Radio .................................................... 3-82
Defensive Driving
............................................. 4-2
Defogging and Defrosting
................................. 3-22
Doing Your Own Service Work
........................... 5-4
Dome Lamps
................................................. 3-16
Door
Daytime Running Lamps
.................................. 3-13
Locks
.......................................................... 2-6
Power Door Locks
......................................... 2-7
Rear Doors
.................................................. 2-8
Position, Safety Belt
..................................... 1-13
Driver Information Center (DIC)
......................... 3-43
Driver
DRIVER DOOR AJAR
..................................... 3-60
DIC Operation and Displays
.......................... 3-43
DIC Warnings and Messages
........................ 3-53
Driving At Night
..................................................... 4-29
City
........................................................... 4-33
Defensive
..................................................... 4-2
Drunken
....................................................... 4-2
Freeway
..................................................... 4-34
Hill and Mountain Roads
.............................. 4-36
In Rain and on Wet Roads
........................... 4-30
Winter
........................................................ 4-38
Driving On Grades
.......................................... 4-58
Driving on Snow or Ice
.................................... 4-39
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
............... 4-32
4

Driving Through Flowing Water ..................... 4-32
Driving with a Trailer
....................................... 4-56
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
.......... 3-18
E
Easy Exit Seat .................... .... 2-43
Electrical System
Add-on Equipment
...................................... 5-95
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
........................... 5-95
Power Windows and Other Power Options
...... 5-95
Windshield Wiper Fuses
............................... 5-95
Electrochromic Mirror Operation
........................ 2-28
Maintenance Programs
................................. 3-40
Air CleanedFilter
......................................... 5-1 9
Battery
....................................................... 5-42
Check and Service Engine Soon Light
............ 3-38
Coolant
...................................................... 5-24
Coolant Heater
............................................ 2-17
Coolant Temperature Gage
........................ 3-36
Cooling System Inspection
......................... 6-14
Engine Compartment Overview
...................... 5-1 2
Exhaust
..................................................... 2-26
Fan Noise
.................................................. 5-36
Oil
............................................................. 5-13
Overheating
................................................ 5-27
Starting
...................................................... 2-1 6
Emissions
Inspection and
Engine ENGINE COOLANT HOT
................................. 3-54
Engine Coolant Level Check
............................. 6-10
Engine Hour Meter Display
............................... 3-26
Engine
Oil and Chassis Lubrication Scheduled
Engine
Oil Additives
........................................ 5-17
Engine Oil Level Check
................................... 6-10
Entry Lighting
......................... ............. 3-15
Maintenance
................................................. 6-5
ENGINE OVERHEATED
.................................. 3-54
Erasing HomeLink@ Buttons
...... ......... 2-38
Exit Lighting
............................... ............. 3-15
Express-Down Windows
................................... 2-11
Extender, Safety Belt
....................................... 1-29
Exterior Lamps
............................................... 3-11
F
FabridCarpet ................................................. 5-87
Engine Air Cleaner
...................................... 5-19
Filter
Finding
a PTY Station
(RDS, XMTM and DAB)
................................. 3-67
Finding a Station
............................................ 3-64
Finish Care
.................................................... 5-89
Finish Damage
............................................... 5-91
Fixed Mast Antenna
........................................ 3-84
Flash-To-Pass Feature
....................................... 3-6
Flat Tire
........................................................ 5-68
Flat Tire, Changing
......................................... 5-69

Taillamps ....................................................... 5-58
Temperature and Compass Display
.................... 2-28
Testing the Alarm
............................................ 2-14
Theft.Deterrent. Radio
..................................... 3-81
Theft-Deterrent Systems
................................... 2-1 3
Content Theft-Deterrent
................................ 2-1 3
Passlock@
................................................... 2-1 4
Tilt Wheel
........................................................ 3-4
Tire Inflation Check
......................................... 6-10
Tires
..................................................... 5.61. 5-90
Buying New Tires
........................................ 5-64
Chains
....................................................... 5-68
Changing a Flat Tire
.................................... 5-69
If a Tire Goes Flat ....................................... 5-68
Inflation
- Tire Pressure ............................... 5-62
Inspection and Rotation
................................ 5-62
Spare Tire
.................................................. 5-85
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
......................... 5-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
................. 5-67
Wheel Replacement
..................................... 5-67
When It
Is Time for New Tires ...................... 5-64
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater .................... 2-18
Tonneau Cover
............................................ 2-39
Top of the Instrument Panel
.......... ........ 5-87
Top Strap
...................................................... 1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................... 1-41
Torque Lock
................................................... 2-25
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
.................. 4-55 Tow/Haul
Mode
............................................... 2-21
Tow/Haul Mode Light
....................................... 3-41
Towing Recreational Vehicle
..................................... 4-45
Towing a Trailer
.......................................... 4-51
Your Vehicle
............................................... 4-45
TRACTION ACTIVE
.................................... 3-58
Trailer Recommendations
....................................... 4-50
Trailer Brakes
................................................. 4-56
Trailer Wiring Harness
..................................... 4-60
Transfer Case
................................................ 5-49
Transmission Fluid, Automatic
.......................... ......... 5-21
Temperature Gage
....................................... 3-36
TRANSMISSION HOT
..................................... 3-59
Transmission Operation, Automatic
.................... 2-18
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit Repair Manual
............................................ 7-10
Transportation Options
...................................... 7-7
Trip Information Button
....................... ..... 3-44
Trip Odometer
................................................ 3-26
Truck-Camper Loading Information
.................... 4-48
Turn and Lane Change Signals
.......................... 3-5
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever ........................... 3-5
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
.................. 4-57
Two-Tiered Loading
......................................... 4-47
TURN
SIGNAL ON
......................................... 3-56
14