2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO hood open

Engine Coolant Heater
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You will get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required. Your vehicle may also have
an internal thermostat in the plug end of the cord.
This will prevent operation of the engine coolant heater
when the temperature is at or above 0°F (−18 C°) as
noted on the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is located on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment, near the power steering uid
reservoir. If you have a diesel engine, refer to
diesel supplement for location.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature,
the kind of oil you have, and some other things.
Instead of trying to list everything here, we ask that you
contact your dealer in the area where you will be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.
2-25

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed, or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-12

Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
1. Pull the handle with
this symbol on it. It is
located inside the
vehicle to the lower left
of the steering wheel.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and pull up on
the secondary hood release located near the
center of the grille.
3. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the ller caps
are on properly. Then pull down the hood and
close it rmly.
5-13

Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood on the VORTEC™ 4300 V6 engine, here is what you will see:
5-14

When you open the hood on the VORTEC™ 5300 V8 engine (VORTEC™ 4800 and 6000 V8 engines similar), here is
what you will see:
5-16

When you open the hood on the VORTEC™ 8100 V8 engine, here is what you will see:
5-18

Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
Notice:If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and tightly
secured.
The coolant surge tank pressure cap must be fully
installed on the coolant surge tank. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 5-14for more
information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will nd a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-42.
In addition, you will nd an ENGINE OVERHEATED
and a REDUCED ENGINE POWER message in
the Driver Information Center (DIC) on the instrument
panel. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-54.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood.
Stay away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until it cools
down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch re.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
SeeOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode (V8 Engines Only) on page 5-40for
information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
Notice:If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
5-38

covered by your warranty. SeeOverheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode (V8 Engines Only)
on page 5-40for information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.
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 4-69.
If you get the engine coolant hot warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.
3. If you are in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving — DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3).If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, park, and fast
idle your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle is
equipped with an engine-driven cooling fan, push down
the accelerator until the engine speed is about twice
as fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes
while you are parked.
If there is still no sign of steam and your vehicle is
equipped with an electric engine cooling fan, idle the
engine for three minutes while you are parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off the engine and get
everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down. Also,
see “Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode”
later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-39