The 2003 GMC Yukon DenaIiNukon XL Denali
Owner Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
............................................. 1-25
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-48
Air Bag Systems
...................................... 1-72
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-86
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
................................................. 2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-1 6
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
....... 2-18
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-31
Onstar@
S stem ...................................... 2-36
HomeLink
J Transmitter ............................. 2-38
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-42
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-46
Vehicle Personalization
............................. 2-47
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-28
Driver Information Center (DIC)
.................. 3-43
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-1 9
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-58
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-44
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-46
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-48
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-49
Tires
...................................................... 5-55
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-78
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-86
Electrical System
...................................... 5-87
Capacities and Specifications
..................... 5-96
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
...... 5-98
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index ................................................................ 1
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-54
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Replacing the 50/50 Split Bench Seat
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure
it is
locked.
I I
A sea, ..lat isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision
or sudden stop.
People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing
it.
A safety belt that is imprope.., routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To replace the 50/50 split bench, do the following:
1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front
wheels into the slots on the floor. The front latches
should lock into place. If the latches
do not lock,
try tilting the rear
of the seat upwards.
1-16
Replacing the Bench Seat
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure
it is
locked.
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when installing
it.
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed
in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To replace the bench seat, do the following:
1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front
wheels into the slots on the floor. The front latches
should lock into place. If the latches
do not lock,
try tilting the rear of the seat upwards.
2. Once the latches are engaged, let the seat drop
into place. Release the lever labeled
1 to return
the seatback to its upright position.
3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked
into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the
upright position unless the seat is secured to
the floor.
1-21
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so Why Safety Belts Work
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them, When you ride in or
on anything, you go as fast
people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk as it goes-
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat
on
wheels.
1-26
An,,ne who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when
it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly
in your vehicle. To read how,
see the part of this manual called “Older
Children” or
“Infants and Young Children”.
There is a air bag readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol. The
system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you
if there is an electrical
problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-31
for more information.
Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver’s frontal air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-74
1 If something is between an occupant and an
~ air bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
~ might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t put
anything between an occupant and
an air bag,
and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or
on or near any other air
bag covering. Don’t let seat covers block the
inflation path
of a side impact air bag.
If your vehicle has one, the right front passenger’s side
impact air bag
is in the side of the passenger’s
seatback closest to the door.
1-76
in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact air
bags, inflation is determined by the location and severity
of the impact.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under
a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Operating
Your
All- Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on
page
4-16 for tips on off-road driving.
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release
of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, the air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules.
Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with side
impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the
seatback closest
to the driver’s and/or right front
passenger’s door.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate
to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal air bags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag. Side impact air bags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts, and
then only in moderate
to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal air bags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for vehicles with a driver’s and right front
passenger’s side impact air bag.
1-78
What Will You See After an Air Bag
Inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, SG quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inflated. Some components of the air bag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal air bag and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal
air bag. For vehicles with side impact air bags, the side
of the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right
front passenger’s door will be hot. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot
to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from the vents in the deflated air bags. Air
bag inflation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or
being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle. hen an
E bag inflates, there __ dust in t..-
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe
to do
so. If you have breathing problems but
can’t get out of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get fresh air by opening
a
window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an air bag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
1-79