2003 GMC SIERRA Index

{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an air
bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able to
inate and help protect the person sitting there.
Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag unless the
person sitting there is in a risk group. See″Air
Bag Off Switch″in the Index for more on this,
including important safety information.
Canada without Passenger Sensing System
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the status indicator will light either ON or OFF, or either
the on or off symbol to let you know the status of the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
air bag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger’s frontal air bag is enabled (may inflate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have a
rear-facing child restraint installed in the right
front passenger’s seat, it means that the
passenger sensing system has not turned off
the passenger’s frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger’s
air bag inates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inating air bag. Don’t use a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the air bag has been
turned off.If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the passenger
air bag status indicator, it means that the passenger
sensing system or the air bag off switch has turned off
the right front passenger’s air bag. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-66orAir Bag Off Switch on
page 1-61for more on this, including important safety
information.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an
air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able
to inate and help protect the person sitting
there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag
unless the person sitting there is in a risk
group. See″Air Bag Off Switch″in the Index
for more on this, including important safety
information.
If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
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{CAUTION:
If the air bag off indicator and the air bag
readiness light ever come on together, it
means that something may be wrong with the
air bag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger seat may not have the protection of
the air bag. See″Air Bag Readiness Light″in
the Index.
Battery Warning Light
If this light is displayed
when the engine is
running, you may have a
problem with your charging
system.
The battery display will also stay on while the key is in
RUN until the engine is started.If the light stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or some
other charging system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving with this light displayed could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories, such
as the radio and the air conditioner.
Voltmeter Gage
When your engine is not running, but the ignition is in
RUN, this gage shows your battery’s state of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
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Choose one of the seven options and press the
personalization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature.
Curb View Assist
Press the personalization button until CURB VIEW
ASSIST appears in the display. To select your
personalization for curb view assist, press the select
button while CURB VIEW ASSIST is displayed on
the DIC. Pressing the select button will scroll through
the following choices:
CURB VIEW: OFF (default):Neither outside mirror will
be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted into
REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: PASSENGER:The passenger’s outside
mirror will be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted
into REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: DRIVER:The driver’s outside mirror will
be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted into
REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: BOTH:The driver’s and passenger’s
outside mirror will be tilted down when the vehicle
is shifted into REVERSE (R).
Choose one of the four options and press the
personalization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature. For more
information on curb view assist, see Curb View Assist
Mirrors in the Index.
Easy Exit Seat
Press the personalization button until EASY EXIT SEAT
appears in the display. To select your personalization
for seat position exit, press the select button while EASY
EXIT SEAT is displayed on the DIC. Pressing the
select button will scroll through the following choices:
SEAT POSITION EXIT OFF (default):The driver’s seat
will move to the exit position when the exit button on
the driver’s door panel is pressed.
SEAT POSITION EXIT ON:The driver’s seat will move
to the exit position when the key is removed from the
ignition.
Choose one of the two options and press the
personalization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature. For more
information on the seat position exit seeMemory Seat
on page 2-41.
Display Units (ENG/MET)
Press the personalization button until DISPLAY UNITS
appears in the display. To select English or metric,
press the select button while DISPLAY UNITS is
displayed on the DIC. Pressing the select button will
scroll through the following choices:
•UNITS: ENGLISH
•UNITS: METRIC
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SERVICE AIRBAG
If there is a problem with the air bag system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. Have a qualified
technician inspect the system for problems. Pressing
the select button will acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If there is a problem with the brake system, this
message will be displayed on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service.
SERVICE BRAKE BOOSTER
If your vehicle has vaccum assist power brakes, this
message will be displayed on the DIC when there is a
problem with the Supplemental Brake Assist system.
If the message is displayed immediately after starting
the vehicle or the message appears while driving,
your Supplemental Brake Assist system needs service.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-34.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the SERVICE BRAKE BOOSTER
message is displayed.
If the brake system warning light is also on,
you should have the vehicle towed for service.
See“Brake System Warning Light”in the
Index.
If the brake system warning light isn’t on, you
still have brakes, but the supplemental brake
assist system may not operate properly. In the
event of a vacuum loss, you may not have
vacuum power assist for braking. The brake
pedal will be harder to push and it will take
longer to stop. If you continue to drive with
this message displayed it can lead to a crash.
Have the brake system serviced as soon as
possible.
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SERVICE 4 WHEEL STEER
If a problem occurs with the 4 wheel steer system, this
message will appear on the DIC. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the
vehicle. Restart the vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message is still displayed,
or appears again when you begin driving, the four wheel
steer system needs service.
TRACTION ACTIVE
When the traction control system had detected that any
of the vehicle’s wheels are slipping, the traction
control system will activate and this message will appear
on the DIC. For more information see“Traction Assist”
in the Index.
TRANSMISSION HOT
If the transmissionfluid temperature becomes high, the
message center will display this message.
When the transmission enters the protection mode, you
may notice a change in the transmission shifting
patterns. When the transmissionfluid temperature
returns to normal, the display will turn off and the
transmission shifting patterns will return to normal.Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission TRANS FLUID HOT message
displayed, you can damage the transmission. This
could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered
under your warranty.
The following situations can cause the transmission to
operate at higher temperatures:
•Towing a trailer
•Hot outside air temperatures
•Hauling a large or heavy load
•Low transmissionfluid level
•High transmissionfluid level
•Restricted airflow to the radiator and the auxiliary
transmission oil cooler.
A temporary solution to hotter transmission operating
temperatures may be to let the transmission cool down.
If the transmission is operated at higher temperatures
on a frequent basis, seeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-5for the proper transmission maintenance
intervals.
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Your dealer can help you make a good vehicle-camper
match. He’ll also help you determine your CWR.
After you’ve loaded your vehicle and camper, drive to a
weigh station and weigh the front and rear wheels
separately. This will tell you the loads on your axles.
The loads on the front and rear axles shouldn’tbemore
than either of the GAWRs. The total of the axle loads
should not be more than the GVWR.
Open your driver’s door and look at the Certication/Tire
label tond out your GAWR and GVWR.
If you’ve gone over your weight ratings, move or take
out some things until all the weight falls below the
ratings. Of course, you should always tie down any
loose items when you load your vehicle or camper.
When you install and load your slide-in camper, check
the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you want more information on curb weights, cargo
weights, Cargo Weight Rating and the correct center of
gravity zone for your vehicle, your dealer can help
you. Just ask for a copy of″Consumer Information,
Truck-Camper Loading.″Trailer Recommendations
You must subtract your hitch loads from the CWR for
your vehicle. Weigh your vehicle with the trailer
attached, so that you won’t go over the GVWR or
GAWR. If you are using a weight-distributing hitch,
weigh the vehicle without the spring bars in place.
You’ll get the best performance if you spread out the
weight of your load the right way, and if you choose the
correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information, see″Trailer Towing″in the Index.
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab
General Motors is aware that some vehicle owners may
consider having the pickup box removed and a
commercial or recreational body installed. Before you do
so,rst contact GM Customer Assistance for information
on such conversions specic to this vehicle. Owners
should be aware that, as manufactured, there are
differences between a chassis cab and a pickup with
the box removed which may affect vehicle safety.
The components necessary to adapt a pickup to permit
its safe use with a specialized body should be
installed by a body builder in accordance with the
information available from GM Customer Assistance.
SeeCustomer Assistance Offices on page 7-4.
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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 brakes, 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. Release the regular brakes.
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 transmissionuid (don’t overll),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help yound 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.
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