2006 CHEVROLET DURAMAX Owners Manual

If the Light Comes On
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If it does not, have it repaired. This light will also
come on if an emission control system malfunction has
been detected on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service
may be required.
You also may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line. The system can detect
this. Adding fuel should correct this condition. It will take
a few driving trips to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This may take several days of routine driving. If
you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
GM dealer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
3-5
ProCarManuals.com

Oil Pressure GageThe oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) when the engine is running.
Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in kPa (kilopascals).
Oil pressure may vary under different driving conditions
and oil types. The DURAMAX
®engine may generate
oil pressure in excess of 80 psi (548 kPa) under certain
conditions, especially in cold temperatures. This is a
normal operating range.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil. United States
(Pickup Models)Canada
(Pickup Models)
United States
(Van Models)Canada
(Van Models)
3-6
ProCarManuals.com

Wait to Start Light
Your diesel engine has a
glow plug system to aid in
starting your vehicle.
For pickup models, this light shows that the system is
functioning properly and tells you when the engine is
ready to be started. For van models, an instrument panel
WAIT TO START indicator light shows that the system
is functioning properly and tells you when the engine is
ready to be started.
Your vehicle has a fast warm-up glow plug system. The
wait to start light will illuminate for a considerably shorter
time than most diesel engines due to the rapid heating of
the glow plug system.
For more information, seeStarting the Diesel Engine
on page 2-2.
Reduced Engine Power Light
(Van Models Only)
If the reduced engine
power light comes on
while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that
your vehicle has a problem.
You should take your
vehicle in for service soon.
3-7
ProCarManuals.com

Fuel GageWhen the ignition is on, the fuel gage shows you
approximately how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will first indicate E (empty) before you are out
of fuel, but you should get more fuel as soon as possible.
Listed are four situations you may experience with your
fuel gage:
•At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads F (full).
•It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity to fill the tank.
•The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
•The gage doesn’t go back to E (empty) when you
turn off the ignition.
None of these indicate a problem with the fuel gage.
For information on how to fill your fuel tank, see
Filling the Tank on page 5-15.
Your vehicle also has a fuel cooler. To clean,
powerwash the bottom of the vehicle. Pickup Models,
United States
version shown
Pickup Models,
Canada
version shown
Van Models
3-8
ProCarManuals.com

Water in Fuel Warning Light
(Van Models Only)
The light will come on to
warn you if there is water
in the diesel fuel system.
For more information on how this light works, seeDiesel
Fuel Requirements and Fuel System on page 5-2.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Pickup Models Only)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) is located on the
instrument panel cluster above the steering wheel. The
DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short delay
the DIC will display the current driver and the information
that was last displayed before the engine was last
turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Pressing the select button on the DIC
steering wheel buttons, or the trip odometer reset stem
for vehicles without DIC steering wheel buttons, will
acknowledge some current warning or service messages.Some messages that your DURAMAX
®diesel may
show are:
ELEVATED IDLE OFF
This message will appear when the elevated
idle/exhaust restrictor feature has been turned off. For
more information on the elevated idle/exhaust restrictor
feature, seeStarting the Diesel Engine on page 2-2.
ELEVATED IDLE ON
This message will appear when the elevated
idle/exhaust restrictor feature has been turned on. For
more information on the elevated idle/exhaust restrictor
feature, seeStarting the Diesel Engine on page 2-2.
REDUCED ENGINE POWER
A computer monitors the operation of the electric
accelerator. If the REDUCED ENGINE POWER
message comes on while you are driving, the computer
is indicating that your vehicle has a problem. You
should take your vehicle in for service soon.
WATER IN FUEL
This message will come on to warn you if there is water in
the diesel fuel system. For more information on how this
message works, seeDiesel Fuel Requirements and Fuel
System on page 5-2.
3-9
ProCarManuals.com

FUEL FILTER LIFE ###%
This feature is available on vehicles with steering wheel
controls. When the fuel button is pressed and FUEL
FILTER LIFE appears on the display, this information
will give the percentage of fuel filter life remaining.
FUEL FILTER LIFE RESET
This message will appear when a reset is performed
either by using the steering wheel controls or the
following manual procedure.
For vehicles with steering wheel controls, press and
hold the select button for five seconds while the
FUEL FILTER LIFE message is displayed. This
message will appear on the DIC for ten seconds.For vehicles without steering wheel controls, do the
following:
1. Without pressing the pedals, turn the ignition key to
the on position without starting the engine.
2. Wait five seconds.
3. Completely press the brake and the accelerator
pedals simultaneously and hold for ten seconds.
The system is now reset.
4. Turn the ignition key off.
The next time the engine is started, the message will
no longer be displayed. Always reset the FUEL FILTER
LIFE system after a fuel filter change.
CHANGE FUEL FILTER
This message will appear on the DIC for ten seconds
when a fuel filter change is required. SeeFuel Filter
Replacement on page 5-12for more information.
3-10
ProCarManuals.com

Towing............................................................4-2
Towing a Trailer.............................................4-2
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1
ProCarManuals.com

Towing
Towing a Trailer
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than sea
level. If you turn your engine off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may
show signs similar to engine overheating.To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably
on level ground) with automatic transmission equipped
vehicles in PARK (P) or manual transmission equipped
vehicles in NEUTRAL with the park brake applied for at
least five minutes before turning the engine off. If you do
get the overheat warning, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-39.
4-2
ProCarManuals.com