2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI service

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service ............................................................ 5.3
Doing Your Own Service Work
......................... 5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle
........................................... 5-4
Fuel
................................................................ 5.5
Gasoline Octane
............................................ 5.5
Gasoline Specifications
.................................... 5.5
California Fuel
............................................... 5.6
Additives
....................................................... 5.6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
................. ....... 5.7
Filling Your Tank
......................................... 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
.................... 5-9
the Hood
............................................. 5.10
Hood Release
........................................ ,.5-10
Engine Compartment Overview
....................... 5.12
Checking
Things Under
Engine Oil
................................................... 5.13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
................................ 5.19
Engine Coolant
............................................. 5.24
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5.27
Cooling System
............................................ 5.30
Automatic
Transmission Fluid
........................ -5-21
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
.................. 5-27 Engine
Fan Noise
......................................... 5.36
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5.37
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................ 5-38
Brakes
........................................................ 5.39
Battery
........................................................ 5.42
Jump Starting
............................................... 5.43
All-Wheel Drive
......................... .............. 5-49
Rear Axle
....................................................... 5-50
Front Axle
...................................................... 5-51
Bulb Replacement
.......................................... 5-52
Halogen Bulbs
.............................................. 5-52
Headlamps
................................................. -5-52
Roof Marker Lamps
...................................... 5-54
Cargo Lamp
............................................. 5-56
Taillamps
..................................................... 5-58
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-59
Front
Turn Signal, Sidemarker
and Daytime
Running Lamps
......................................... 5-53
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Pickup
Box Identification and Fender Marker
Lamps
..................................................... 5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.............. 5-60
5-
1

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Tires .......................................................... 5-61
Inflation
.. Tire Pressure ................................ 5.62
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5.62
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-64
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5.67
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5.67
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-68
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5.68
Spare Tire
................................................... 5.85
Changing a
Flat Tire
.................. ............ 5.69
Appearance Care
............................................ 5.86
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
................. 5-86
Care of Safety Belts
...................................... 5-88
Weatherstrips
........................................... 5-88
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
.. .... 5-88
Sheet Metal Damage ..................................... 5-91
Underbody Maintenance
................................ 5-91
Chemical Paint Spotting
............................... -591
Vehicle Identification
...................................... 5-94
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................. 5-94
Service Parts Identification Label
..................... 5-94
Electrical System
............................................ 5-95
Add-on Electrical Equipment
.......................... 5-95
Windshield Wiper Fuses
................................ 5-95
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
............................ 5-95
Capacities and Specifications
........................ 5-104
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......... 5-105
Finish
Damage
............................................. 5-91
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
........... 5-92
Power Windows and Other Power Options
....... 5-95
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine
GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
ACDelie
5-3

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- IO.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-72.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See
Pat? E: Maintenance Record on page 6- 18.
.3u 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.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
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 airflow 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.
5-4

Fuel Gasoline Specifications
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
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. It
is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
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 specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada,
look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice” label
on the pump.
I I
Canada Only
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If this fuel is not available
in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see
Malfunction lndicator Lamp on page 3-38 )
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 specifications described earlier.
Notice: Your vehicle was not designed for fuel
that contains methanol. Don’t use fuel containing
methanol.
It can corrode metal parts in your
fuel system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under
your warranty.
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.
5-6

What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Do not use
any
oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
If you choose to perform
the engine oil change
service yourself, be sure
the oil you use has the
starburst symbol on the
front
of the oil container.
If you have your oil
changed for you, be sure
the oil put into your engine
is American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the viscosity chart.
I RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITI 6RADE ENGINE OILS I
HOT
WEATHER
/7 "F OC'
+loo- - +38
+BO--+27
i.60--+16
+40- - +4
t20 - - -7
0---18 I
COLD
WEATHER
LOOK
FOR MIS j
SYMBOL '
ACCEPTABLE r IF 5W-30 IS NOT -30 AVAILABLE
RECOMMENDED
DO NOT USE SAE
IOW-40, SAE 20W-50 OR ANY OTHER
MSCOSIWGRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
5-1 6

How to Reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
Message
The GM Oil Life SystemTM calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use.
Anytime your oil is changed, reset the system
so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you can change your oil prior to
a CHANGE ENGINE
OIL message being turned on,
reset the system.
To reset the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message,
do the
following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL message flashes for five
seconds, the system is reset. If the system will not reset,
try the procedure again.
If the system still does not
reset, see your dealer for service.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don’t let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers,
or into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it
by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have
a problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
5-1 8