2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI open hood

To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment, near the power steering fluid
reservoir. If you have a diesel engine, refer to
diesel supplement for location.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 0-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could
be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong
11 0-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug ana
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission
that features an electronic shift position indicator
located within the instrument panel cluster. This display
is powered anytime the shift lever
is capable of being
moved out
of PARK (P). See Fuses and Circuit Breakers
on page
5-95.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK
(P): This position locks your wheels. It’s the
best position to use when you start your engine because
your vehicle can’t move easily.
2-1 8

Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open a door
and the dome override button is
in the out position.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by turning
the thumbwheel, located next to the exterior lamps
control, all the way up. In this position, the dome lamps
will remain on whether the doors are opened or
closed.
*: You can use the dome override button, located
below the exterior lamps control, to set the dome lamps
to come on automatically when the doors are opened,
or to remain
off. To turn the lamps off, press the button
to the
in position. With the button in this position, the
dome lamps will remain
off when the doors are open. To
return the lamps to automatic operation, press the
button again and return the button to the out position.
With the button
in this position, the dome lamps
will come on when you open a door.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the dome, reading, glove box, and
underhood lamps
if they are left on for more than
10 minutes when the ignition is turned off. The cargo
lamp will shut
off after 20 minutes. This will keep
your battery from running down.
Accessory Power Outlets
With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
other devices designed to operate with vehicle electrical
systems.
Your vehicle is equipped with several accessory power
outlets. The front outlet is located next to the floor
console. Lift up on the door to access the outlet.
The second outlet is located
in the center console. Press
the button on the side
of the console door to access
the outlet. See
Center Console Storage Area on
page 2-39 for more information.
There is also one accessory power outlet located on the
rear of the center console. Lift up on the doors to
access the outlets.
3-1 6

Outlet Adjustment Operation Tips
Use the air outlets located in the center and on the side
of your instrument panel to direct the airflow.
Your vehicle has air outlets that allow you to adjust the
direction and amount of airflow inside the vehicle.
Move the louvers up or down. Use the thumbwheel next
to or underneath the outlet to close the louvers. For
the most efficient airflow and temperature control, keep
the outlet in the fully opened position.
If your vehicle is equipped with rear seat outlets they
can be used
to adjust airflow toward either seating area,
the floor, or upward. Move the center louver up or
down
to direct the airflow. Keep
the hood and front air inlets free
of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air
to circulate throughout your
vehicle.
Adding outside equipment
to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air deflectors, etc., may affect
the performance
of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment
to the outside of your vehicle.
3-23

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

Checking Things Under
1-eH
od
Things ti.-- burn c2.. get on hot engine parts
and start a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
1. Pull the handle inside
the vehicle located
under and to the left
of
the steering wheel.
5-1 0

If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
I
1 Steam from an overheated engine can b
you badly, even if you just open the hood.
Stay away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
everyone away from the vehicle until it cools
down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in
it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine
is cool.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode”
in the Index for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
Notice: If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. See “Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode” in the Index for information on
driving to a safe place in an emergency.
5-28

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

Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in PARK
(P) before setting the parking
brake.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive gear not in
NEUTRAL.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3.
4.
Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlets. Turn
off
the radio and all the lamps that aren’t needed.
This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
Open the hoods and locate the positive
(+) and
negative
(-) terminal locations of the other vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive
(+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative
(-) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.
The remote positive
(+) terminal is located behind
a red plastic cover near the engine accessory
drive bracket.
To uncover the remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic cover.
The remote negative
(-) terminal is located on the
engine drive bracket on all
V8 and diesel
engines, and on the thermostat housing on the
8.1L engine. On
V8 engines it is marked ”GND.”
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
5-44