2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE heater

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
5-27

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant condition,
can indicate a serious problem.
If you get an engine overheat warning 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. SeeTowing a Trailer on page 4-68.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try
this for a minute or so:
1. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
2. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving – DRIVE (D).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 and get everyone out of the vehicleuntil 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.
5-32

When the engine is cold,
the coolant level should be
at or above the FULL
COLD mark. If it isn’t, you
may have a leak at the
pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system.
{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you
run the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could cause an engine re, and you could be
burned. Get any leak xed before you drive the
vehicle.
5-34

Notice:Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant is not covered by your warranty.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if the engine cooling fan speed increases when idle
speed is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down. If it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level isn’t at the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture ofclean, drinkable waterand DEX-COOL
®
coolant at the coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-26for more information.
5-35

{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Do not spill coolant on a hot engine.
5-37

Child Restraints (cont.)
Top Strap...................................................1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-41
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-38
Chime Level Adjustment.................................3-117
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-22
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle.................................5-111
Outside of Your Vehicle..............................5-114
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-117
Weatherstrips............................................5-114
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses......................5-115
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet...................................5-111
Cleaning Glass Surfaces................................5-113
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components...............5-113
Cleaning Leather...........................................5-113
Cleaning the Mirror.................................2-52, 2-55
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel.........5-113
Cleaning the Video Screen.............................3-112
Cleaning Vinyl..............................................5-113
Climate Control System
Automatic...................................................3-22
Climate Controls Personalization....................3-32
Dual..........................................................3-29
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-32
Compass Calibration...............................2-52, 2-54
Compass Operation.........................................2-53Compass Variance..................................2-51, 2-54
Content Theft-Deterrent....................................2-27
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-6
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gage............................3-45
Heater, Engine............................................2-33
Surge Tank Pressure Cap.............................5-29
Cooling System..............................................5-33
Cruise Control................................................3-11
Cruise Control Light........................................3-51
Current and Past Model Order Forms................7-14
Customer Assistance Information
Courtesy Transportation.................................. 7-8
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone (TTY)
Users....................................................... 7-4
Customer Assistance Offices........................... 7-4
Customer Satisfaction Procedure..................... 7-2
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities................................................ 7-6
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors....7-13
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian
Government............................................7-12
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States
Government............................................7-12
Roadside Assistance Program......................... 7-6
Service Publications Ordering Information........7-13
4

E
Easy Exit Seat...............................................2-92
Electrical System...........................................5-119
Fuses and Circuit Breakers.........................5-120
Power Windows and Other Power Options....5-120
Windshield Wiper Fuses.............................5-120
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs...................................................3-49
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter.........................................5-21
Battery.......................................................5-47
Check and Service Engine Soon Light............3-47
Coolant......................................................5-26
Coolant Heater............................................2-33
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-45
Drive Belt Routing.......................................6-16
Engine Compartment Overview......................5-12
Exhaust.....................................................2-47
Fan Noise..................................................5-40
Oil .............................................................5-16
Overheating................................................5-29
Starting......................................................2-32
ENGINE COOLANT HOT.................................3-66
Engine Oil Additives........................................5-19
ENGINE OVERHEATED..................................3-66
Entry Lighting and Exit Lighting.........................3-20Environmental Concerns..................................4-21
Erasing HomeLink
®Buttons..............................2-64
Event Data Recorders (EDR)............................7-10
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-29
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-14
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................5-21
Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station
(RDS and XM™).................................3-77, 3-89
Finding a Station....................................3-75, 3-87
Finish Care..................................................5-115
Finish Damage.............................................5-117
Fixed Mast Antenna.......................................3-116
Flash-to-Pass................................................... 3-9
Flat Tire........................................................5-89
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................5-90
Fluid
Automatic Transmission................................5-23
Power Steering...........................................5-41
Windshield Washer......................................5-42
FM Stereo....................................................3-115
Fog Lamps....................................................3-18
Following Distance..........................................4-76
6

T
Tachometer....................................................3-35
Tailgate.........................................................2-23
Tailgate Removal............................................2-24
Taillamps.......................................................5-65
Temperature and Compass Display....................2-50
Temperature Display........................................2-53
Testing the Alarm............................................2-28
Theft-Deterrent, Radio....................................3-114
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-27
Content Theft-Deterrent................................2-27
Passlock
®...................................................2-29
Throttle, Adjustable..........................................2-33
TIGHTEN FUEL CAP......................................3-67
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-7
Tire Sidewall Labeling......................................5-68
Tire Size.......................................................5-72
Tire Terminology and Denitions........................5-74
Tires...................................................5-68, 5-116
Buying New Tires........................................5-83
Chains.......................................................5-88
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-90
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-89
Ination - Tire Pressure................................5-76
Inspection and Rotation................................5-81
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-77
Spare Tire................................................5-110
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-85
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-86Tires (cont.)
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-86
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-82
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-34
Tonneau Cover...............................................2-83
Top Drain Grates – Removal and Cleaning.........2-79
Top Strap......................................................1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-41
Top-Box Storage.............................................2-82
Torque Lock...................................................2-45
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires..................4-74
Tow/Haul Mode...............................................2-37
Tow/Haul Mode Light.......................................3-51
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-52
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-68
Your Vehicle...............................................4-52
Traction
Assist System (TAS)...................................... 4-9
Off Light.....................................................3-44
Stabilitrak
®System......................................4-11
TRACTION ACTIVE........................................3-70
Traction Control Operation................................4-13
TRACTION SYS LIMITED................................3-70
Trailer
Recommendations.......................................4-67
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-75
Trailer Wiring Harness.....................................4-79
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE.............................3-68
Transfer Case................................................5-56
16