2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO service

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-67
Restraint System Check
............................1-84
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-22
Mirrors
....................................................2-55
OnStar
®System
......................................2-65
Storage Areas
.........................................2-67
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-70
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-53
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-72Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-52
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-58
Rear Axle
...............................................5-59
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-60
Noise Control System
...............................5-61
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-63
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-73
Tires
......................................................5-74
Appearance Care
...................................5-114
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-122
Electrical System
....................................5-123
Capacities and Specications
...................5-132
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index.................................................................1
2004 Chevrolet Silverado Owner ManualM

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on when you have
turned off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger’s air bag could inate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until you have the vehicle serviced, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identied as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the right front passenger’s
position (for example, do not secure a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat). See″Air Bag Off Switch″in
the Index.1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal air
bag. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-73and
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-78. If your
child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing the restraint in
this seat. SeeManual Seats on page 1-3orPower
Seats on page 1-4. If you need to use a rear-facing
child restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag
is off once the child restraint has been installed.
When the passenger sensing system or the air bag
off switch has turned off the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag, the off indicator in the passenger
air bag status indicator should light and stay lit when
you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-40.
2. Find the LATCH anchorages where the bottom of
the seatback meets the back of the cushion.
3. Put the child restraint on the seat.
4. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the
child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the
vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you
how.
5. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and
tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage.
The child restraint instructions will show you
how. Also seeTop Strap on page 1-42.
1-51

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on when you have
turned off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger’s air bag could inate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until you have the vehicle serviced, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identied as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the right front passenger’s
position (for example, do not secure a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat). See″Air Bag Off Switch″in
the Index.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-47. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-42if your child restraint has one.If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal air
bag. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-73and
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-78. If your
child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing the restraint in
this seat. SeeManual Seats on page 1-3orPower
Seats on page 1-4. If you need to use a rear-facing
child restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag
is off once the child restraint has been installed.
When the passenger sensing system or the air bag
off switch has turned off the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag, the off indicator in the passenger
air bag status indicator should light and stay lit when
you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-40.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-63

What Will You See After an
Air Bag Inates?
After an air bag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inated. Some components of the air bag module – the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
bag – will be hot for a short time. 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 deated air bags. Air
bag ination does not prevent the driver from seeing or
being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an air bag inates, there is dust in the
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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can not get out of the vehicle after an air bag
inates, 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.
In many crashes severe enough to inate the air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inate only once. After
they inate, you will need some new parts for
your air bag system. If you do not get them, the air
bag system will not be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include air bag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
1-72

Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal
sensors which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate and a more severe frontal
impact. Your vehicle is also equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which records
information about the frontal air bag system. The
module records information about the readiness of
the system and when the system commands air
bag ination. It records the status of the driver’s
safety belt usage in a crash in which the air
bag deploys or a crash in which the air bag nearly
deploys. The module also records speed, engine
rpm, brake and throttle data.
Let only qualied technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an air
bag system will not work properly. See your dealer
for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s air bag, the bag
may not work properly. You may have to replace the
air bag module in the steering wheel or both the
air bag module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
Air Bag Off Switch
Regular Cab and Extended Cab Models
If your vehicle is a regular cab model or an extended
cab model, it has a switch on the instrument panel
that you can use to turn off the right front passenger’s
air bag.
United States with Passenger Sensing System
1-73

To turn off the right front passenger’s air bag, insert
your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the off position.
The AIR BAG OFF light will come on to let you know
that the right front passenger’s air bag is off. The
right front passenger’s air bag will remain off until you
turn it back on again, and the AIR BAG OFF light
will stay on to remind you that the air bag is off.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger’s air bag
could inate even though the switch is off.
If your vehicle is a regular cab pickup or an
extended cab pickup and this ever happens,
don’t let anyone whom the national
government has identied as a member of a
passenger air bag risk group sit in the right
front passenger’s position (for example, don’t
secure a rear-facing child restraint in your
vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced.United States with
Passenger Sensing
System
United States without
Passenger Sensing
System
Canada with Passenger
Sensing SystemCanada without
Passenger Sensing
System
1-77

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
air bag system. If this ever happens, have the
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the frontal air bag. See “Air Bag Readiness
Light” in the Index for more on this, including
important safety information.
Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
You may want to consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the passenger
sensing system. SeeAdding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-83for more
information about modications that can affect how the
system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s seat
or between the passenger’s seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-82

Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system. To
purchase a service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-11.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it inates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the air
bag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualied to do so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the air bags from
working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or
height, they may keep the air bag system from
working properly. Also, the air bag system may not
work properly if you relocate any of the air bag
sensors. If you have any questions about this, you
should contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two
of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See″Customer Satisfaction Procedure″in
the Index.
1-83