2003 GMC SIERRA light

If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-46.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. You will also hear a
chime sound when the light is on steady. If the regular
brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system warning light is also on you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes. In addition to both lights, you will
also hear a chime sound on thefirst occurrence of
a problem and each time the vehicle is shut off and then
restarted. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-34.
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SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-42for
further information.
If the transmissionfluid reaches temperatures of
approximately 275°F (135°C) or greater, the Driver
Information Center will display a TRANS HOT IDLE
ENG warning message. Pull the vehicle off the roadway
when it is safe to do so. Set the parking brake, place
the transmission in PARK (P) and allow the engine
to idle until the transmission temperature falls below
260°F (127°C). If the transmission continues to operate
above 265°F (130°C), contact your nearest dealer or
the GM Roadside Assistance Center. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program on page 7-5.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above the normal
operating range, 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 (if equipped).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.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The Check Engine light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
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Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
•Light Flashing—Amisfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
•Light On Steady—An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
•Reducing vehicle speed.
•Avoiding hard accelerations.
•Avoiding steep uphill grades.
•If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stopsflashing and remains on steady, see“If
the Light Is On Steady”following.
If the light continues toflash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see“If
the Light Is On Steady”following. If the light is still
flashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-7. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
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fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools tofix any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) when the engine is
running. Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa
(kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused
by a dangerously low oil level or some other problem
causing low oil pressure. Check your oil as soon
as possible. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-51andEngine Oil on page 5-13.
{CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catchesre. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise light comes on
whenever you set your
cruise control. See“Cruise
Control”underTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-5. United States
Canada
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Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light is displayed
when the tow/haul mode
has been activated.
For more information, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-53.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage willfirst indicate empty before you are out of
fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon as
possible.
Here are some situations you may experience with your
fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
•At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
•It takes a little more or less fuel tofill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity tofill the tank.
•The gage goes back to empty when you turn off the
ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFuel on
page 5-4.
United StatesCanada
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Personalization Button
You can program certain features to a preferred setting
for up to two people. Press the personalization button
to scroll through the following personalization features.
All of the personalization options may not be available
on your vehicle. only the options available will be
displayed on your DIC.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons you will not have any of these
personalization options except for DISPLAY
LANGUAGE. See DISPLAY LANGUAGE later in this
section for more information.
•AUTOMATIC LOCKING
•AUTOMATIC UNLOCKING
•REMOTE LOCK FEEDBACK
•ALARM WARNING TYPE
•REMOTE UNLOCK FEEDBACK
•HEADLAMPS ON AT EXIT
•PERIMETER LIGHTING
•SEAT POSITION RECALL
•EASY EXIT DRIVER SEAT
•CURB VIEW ASSIST
•DISPLAY LANGUAGE
•DISPLAY UNITS (ENG/MET)The default options for the above features were set
when your vehicle left the factory. The default options
are noted in the text following, but may have been
changed from their default state since then. The driver’s
preferences are recalled by pressing the unlock
button on the remote keyless entry transmitter or by
pressing the appropriate memory button 1 or 2 located
on the driver’s door.
Alarm Warning Type
Press the personalization button until ALARM
WARNING TYPE appears in the display. To select your
personalization for alarm warning type, press the
select button while ALARM WARNING TYPE is
displayed on the DIC. Pressing the select button will
scroll through the following choices:
ALARM WARNING: BOTH (default):The headlamps
willflash and the horn will chirp when the alarm is
active.
ALARM WARNING: OFF:There will be no alarm
warning on activation.
ALARM WARNING: HORN:The horn will chirp when
the alarm is active.
ALARM WARNING: LAMPS:The headlamps willflash
when the alarm is active.
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SEAT POSITION RECALL OFF (default):The memory
seat position you saved will only be recalled when the
memory button 1 or 2 is pressed on the driver’s
door panel.
SEAT POSITION RECALL AT KEY IN:The memory
seat position you saved will be recalled when you
put the key in the ignition.
SEAT POSITION RECALL ON REMOTE:The memory
seat position you saved will be recalled when you
unlock the vehicle with the remote keyless entry
transmitter.
Choose one of the three 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 seat position recall seeMemory Seat on
page 2-41.
Perimeter Lighting
Press the personalization button until PERIMETER
LIGHTING appears in the display. To select your
personalization for perimeter lighting, press the select
button while PERIMETER LIGHTING is displayed on the
DIC. Pressing the select button will scroll through the
following choices:
PERIMETER LIGHTING ON (default):The headlamps
and back-up lamps will come on for 40 seconds, if it
is dark enough outside, when you unlock the vehicle
with the remote keyless entry transmitter.PERIMETER LIGHTING OFF:The perimeter lights will
not come on when you unlock the vehicle with the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
Choose on 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.
Remote Lock Feedback
Press the personalization button until REMOTE LOCK
FEEDBACK appears in the display. To select your
personalization for the feedback you will receive when
locking the vehicle with the remote keyless entry
transmitter, press the select button while REMOTE
LOCK FEEDBACK is displayed on the DIC. Pressing
the select button will scroll through the following choices:
LOCK FEEDBACK: BOTH (default):The parking
lamps willflash each time you press the button with the
lock symbol on the remote keyless entry transmitter
and the horn will chirp the second time you press the
lock button.
LOCK FEEDBACK: OFF:There will be no feedback
when locking the vehicle.
LOCK FEEDBACK: HORN:The horn will chirp the
second time you press the button with the lock symbol
on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
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