2005 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE Owners Manual

Auxiliary Battery
The auxiliary battery provision, if equipped, can be used
to supply electrical power to additional equipment that
you may choose to add.
If your vehicle has this
provision, this relay will be
located on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle, next
to the auxiliary battery.
When using this provision, connection should only be
made to the upper stud (A) of the relay. Do not
make connections to the lower stud (B) of the relay.The auxiliary battery circuit is protected by a megafuse
located behind the auxiliary battery.
Be sure to follow the proper installation instructions that
are included with any electrical equipment that you
install.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain the battery. Always turn
off electrical equipment when not in use and do
not use equipment that exceeds the maximum
amperage rating for the auxiliary battery provision.
4-77

✍NOTES
4-78

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuel E-85 (85% Ethanol).................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-25
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-28
Engine Overheating.......................................5-28
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . .5-30Cooling System............................................5-30
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-35
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-38
Battery........................................................5-41
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
Rear Axle.......................................................5-47
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-48
Front Axle......................................................5-49
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Parking
Lamps.....................................................5-53
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps.........................................5-54
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................5-56
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-57
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-58
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Tires..............................................................5-59
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-60
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-63
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-66
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-67
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-69
Buying New Tires.........................................5-69
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-72
Wheel Replacement......................................5-72
Tire Chains..................................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-74
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-75
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-76
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-80
Secondary Latch System...............................5-87
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-91
Spare Tire...................................................5-93
Appearance Care............................................5-94
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-95
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-96
Leather.......................................................5-97
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces..................................................5-97
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-97Weatherstrips...............................................5-98
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-98
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-98
Finish Care..................................................5-98
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-99
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-100
Tires.........................................................5-100
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-101
Finish Damage...........................................5-101
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-101
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-101
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-102
Vehicle Identication.....................................5-103
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)................5-103
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-103
Electrical System..........................................5-103
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-104
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-104
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-104
Instrument Panel Fuse Block........................5-104
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block..............5-106
Underhood Fuse Block................................5-107
Capacities and Specications........................5-112
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle), many uids, and
some component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-3

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you
will want to use the proper service manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-11.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-64.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-16.{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts, and
other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
5-4

Fuel
Gasoline
The 8th digit of your vehicle identication number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication
Number (VIN) on page 5-103.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z
only), you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or
ethanol fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E-85);
also seeFuel E-85 (85% Ethanol) on page 5-6.Inall
other engines, use only regular unleaded gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 87
or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
A little pinging noise when you accelerate or drive uphill is
considered normal. This does not indicate a problem
exists or that a higher-octane fuel is necessary. If you are
using 87 octane or higher-octane fuel and hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specications
which were developed by automobile manufacturers
around the world and contained in the World-Wide Fuel
Charter which is available from the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers at www.autoalliance.org/fuel_charter.htm.
Gasoline meeting these specications could provide
improved driveability and emission control system
performance compared to other gasoline.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emission
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-40. If this occurs, return to your authorized GM
dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
5-5

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you should not have to add
anything to your fuel. However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of additive required to
meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
General Motors recommends that you buy gasolines
that are advertised to help keep fuel injectors and intake
valves clean. If your vehicle experiences problems
due to dirty injectors or valves, try a different brand of
gasoline. Also, your GM dealer has additives that
will help correct and prevent most deposit-related
problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly if
they comply with the specications described earlier.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant where you buy
gasoline whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
does not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may be
affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuel E-85 (85% Ethanol)
The 8th digit of your vehicle identication number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication
Number (VIN) on page 5-103.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z only),
you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or ethanol
fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E-85); also seeFuel
on page 5-5. In all other engines, including the 5.3L V8
(VIN Code T), use only regular unleaded gasoline.
Only vehicles that have the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z)
may use 85% ethanol fuel (E-85). General Motors
encourages the use of E-85 in vehicles that are designed
5-6