Other Service Items........................................5-70
Fuel Filter....................................................5-70
Primary Fuel Filter and Water Separator..........5-71
Secondary Fuel Filter and Water
Separator/Heater (Caterpillar
®Diesel)...........5-71
Automatic Ether Injection System
(Caterpillar
®Diesel)....................................5-72
Front Wheel Bearings with Oil-Filled Hubs........5-73
Air Conditioning System.................................5-74
Tires..............................................................5-74
Inflation - Tire Pressure.................................5-75
Wheel Loading.............................................5-75
Dual Tire Operation.......................................5-76
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-76
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-77
Tightening the Wheel Nuts.............................5-77
Wheel Replacement......................................5-81
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-82
Appearance Care............................................5-83
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-83
Fabric/Carpet...............................................5-85
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces..................................................5-86
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-86
Weatherstrips...............................................5-86
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-87Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.....................5-87
Finish Care..................................................5-87
Windshield and Wiper Blades.........................5-88
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels................5-89
Tires...........................................................5-89
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-89
Finish Damage.............................................5-89
Underbody Maintenance................................5-90
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-90
Vehicle Identi cation......................................5-91
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).................5-91
Service Statement.........................................5-92
Service Parts Identification Label.....................5-92
Electrical System............................................5-92
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-92
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-93
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-93
Fusible Links................................................5-93
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-93
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-93
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-94
Underhood Fuse Block..................................5-96
Capacities and Speci cations..........................5-99
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.........5-104
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2
Engine Coolant
(Gas and DURAMAX
®Engines)
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for five years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-40.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
•Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
•Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
•Protect against rust and corrosion.
•Help keep the proper engine temperature.
•Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
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.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not 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.
5-38
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.
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
covered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant light, can
indicate a serious problem. SeeLow Coolant Warning
Light on page 3-37for more information.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant light, 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.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the
road, shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.
3. If climbing a hill, downshift to raise engine and fan
speeds.
5-41
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling, do
not do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
The coolant level should
be at the FULL COLD
mark or higher. If it is not,
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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again.
The engine cooling fan speed should increase when idle
speed is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down. If it does not, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
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.
5-43
{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.
1. You can remove the
coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the
cooling system,
including the coolant
surge tank pressure
cap and upper radiator
hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise
about one full turn. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. A hiss means there is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and
remove it.
5-45
Primary Fuel Filter and
Water Separator
If you have a diesel
engine, you may have this
spin-on filter. It is located
on the driver’s side
frame rail.
It has a clear plastic drain bowl at the bottom. Check
the drain bowl occasionally for any water or particles.
To drain the bowl, do the following:
1. Shut off the engine.
2. Partially open the drain valve at the bottom of
the filter.
SeeEngine Oil (Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine) on
page 5-24orEngine Oil (DURAMAX®Diesel) on
page 5-24orEngine Oil (Gasoline Engine) on page 5-28
for proper disposal procedures.
Secondary Fuel Filter and
Water Separator/Heater
(Caterpillar
®Diesel)
If you have a Caterpillar®
diesel engine, you may
also have this spin-on filter
and fuel separator/heater.
It will be mounted in
the engine compartment
on the driver’s side of
the vehicle.
It has a metal drain bowl at the bottom. Occasionally,
check the bowl for any water or particles.
To check or drain the bowl, do the following:
•Shut off the engine.
•Push up on the spring loaded drain valve until clear
fuel is flowing from the valve.
The particles or water will drain out first. SeeEngine Oil
(Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine) on page 5-24orEngine
Oil (DURAMAX®Diesel) on page 5-24orEngine
Oil (Gasoline Engine) on page 5-28for proper disposal
procedures.
5-71
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in
the light switch. An electrical overload will cause the
lights to go on and off, or in some cases to remain off. If
this happens, have your headlamp wiring checked
right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker inside the motor and a circuit breaker or fuse in
the fuse block. If the motor overheats, the wipers will
stop until the motor cools. If the overload is caused by
an electrical problem, be sure to get it fixed.
Fusible Links
A fusible link is a short piece of wire several gauge
sizes smaller than the circuit it protects. It will melt in an
overload situation, opening the circuit.
Your starter and other circuits have these fusible links.
The size is printed on the insulation. If the insulation
is burned beyond recognition, consult your GM dealer
for the proper size. Replace a fusible link with one of the
same size and insulation type. Fusible link insulation
is a special purpose high-temperature material.The hydraulic brake booster motor feed circuit and
starter circuit are protected by a fusible link. Vehicles
with a diesel engine have a fusible link for the intake
heater feed circuit.
Power Windows and Other
Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens. This
protects the circuit until the current load returns to
normal or the problem is fixed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit breakers,
maxi-fuses and fusible links. This greatly reduces the
chance of a fire caused by an electrical problem. There
may be a fuse taped to the wiring harness near the
hydraulic brake booster.
5-93
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
There are two instrument panel fuse blocks located behind the instrument panel on the passenger’s side of the
vehicle. Be sure to replace fuses with fuses of the same rating. Do not use fuses of higher amperage than those
indicated on the fuse block.
Circuit Breaker Usage
1 Stoplamps
2 Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
3 Parking Lamps
4 Powertrain Control ModuleCircuit Breaker Usage
5 Auxiliary Wiring
6 Heater/Air Conditioning
7 Hazard Warning Flashers
8 Power Post
5-94