Notice:Holding your key in START for longer
than 15 seconds at a time will cause your
battery to be drained much sooner. And the
excessive heat can damage your starter motor.
Notice:If the wait to start light stays on
after starting your vehicle, your vehicle may
not run properly. Have your vehicle serviced
right away.
3. If the engine does not start after 15 seconds
of cranking, turn the ignition key to OFF. Wait
one minute for the starter to cool, then try
the same steps again.
If you are trying to start your engine after you
have run out of fuel, seeRunning Out of Fuel
on page 262.
When your engine is cold, let it run for a few
minutes before you move your vehicle. This lets
oil pressure build up. Your engine will sound louder
when it is cold.
Notice:If you are not in an idling vehicle and
the engine overheats, you would not be there to
see the overheated engine indication. This
could damage your vehicle. Do not let your
engine run when you are not in your vehicle.Cold Weather Starting
If your vehicle has the 6.6L DURAMAX®Diesel
Engine and the Isuzu 6H Diesel Engine, the
following notice applies:
Notice:Your diesel engine has an electric air
intake heater system which reduces white
smoke and helps start the engine in cold
weather. Do not spray starting uid into the air
intake where it can contact the heater elements.
If you do not have the GM Automatic Ether
Injection System, do not use starting uid or
you could damage your engine. If you have the
GM system, use only GM approved starting
uid that has been tested to establish
compatibility with the air inlet heater system.
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The following tips will help you get good starting in
cold weather.
•Use the recommended engine oil when the
outside temperature drops below freezing.
SeeEngine Oil (Caterpillar
®Diesel Engine) on
page 268orEngine Oil (Gasoline Engine)
on page 268orEngine Oil (DURAMAX
®/Isuzu
Diesel Engine) on page 272. When the
outside temperature drops below 0°F (−18°C),
use of the optional engine coolant block
heater is recommended.
•If you experience longer cranking times, notice
an unusual amount of exhaust smoke or are
at higher altitudes (over 7,000 ft. or 2 135 m),
you may use your optional engine coolant
block heater. SeeEngine Coolant Heater on
page 111.
•SeeWhat Fuel to Use on page 253for
information on what fuel to use in cold
weather.
Cold Weather Starting
(Caterpillar®Diesel)
Because the diesel engine uses compression
ignition, it is harder to start in cold weather than a
gasoline engine. The air intake heater and use
of the proper engine oil, optional engine coolant
heaters and optional ether injection systems
help cold weather starting. See the Caterpillar
®
Diesel Engine Operation & Maintenance Manual
for more information.
Restarting the Diesel Engine While
Moving (Automatic Transmission)
If you have to restart the engine while the vehicle
is moving, you will first have to shift to
NEUTRAL (N). This safety feature prevents
starting the engine when the transmission is in a
drive gear for more information.
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Stopping the Diesel Engine
1. Set the parking brake and shift to
NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P).
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
If your vehicle has a two-speed axle, see
Two-Speed Rear Axle Electric Shift Control on
page 113.
If you have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, see your
Caterpillar®Diesel Engine Operation &
Maintenance Manual for additional information.
Diesel Engine Warm-Up
Several factors affect how quickly your diesel
engine warms up. These can include outside
temperature, engine load, idle time and your
vehicle’s option content. Your vehicle may be
equipped with some features that can help
the engine reach operating temperature sooner.
Some of these features are discussed below.Also, remember that an automatic transmission
adds heat to the cooling system through the heat
exchanger in the radiator. Because of this,
vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions
are often able to retain engine coolant heat better
than manual transmission vehicles.
See your Caterpillar
®Operation & Maintenance
manual for additional diesel engine warm-up
information.
If Your Diesel Engine Will Not Start
If you have run out of fuel, seeRunning Out of
Fuel on page 262.
If you are not out of fuel, and your engine will not
start, do this:
Turn your ignition key to RUN. Immediately after
the wait to start light goes off, turn the ignition key
to START.
If the light does not go off, wait a few seconds, then
try starting your engine again. And, see your dealer
as soon as you can for a starting system check.
If the light comes on and then goes off and you
know your batteries are charged, but your engine
still will not start, your vehicle needs service.
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If the light does not come on when the engine is
cold, your vehicle needs service.
If your batteries do not have enough charge to
start your engine, seeBattery on page 304.
Be sure you have the right oil for your engine, and
that you have changed the oil at the proper
times. If you use the wrong oil, your engine may
be harder to start.
Be sure you are using the proper fuel for existing
weather conditions. SeeWhat Fuel to Use on
page 253.
If the engine starts, runs a short time, then stops,
your vehicle needs service.
{CAUTION:
Do not use gasoline or starting aids, such
as ether, in the air intake. They could
damage your engine. There could also be
a re, which could cause serious personal
injury.
Engine Alarm and Automatic
Shutdown
Your check gages warning light will come on if the
system senses high engine temperature or low
engine oil pressure. If high engine temperature or
low engine oil pressure is detected, you will
also hear a tone alarm at two beats per second.
The alarm and the light will remain on until
the condition is fixed. If the engine temperature or
oil pressure condition worsens, the tone alarm
will go to five beats per second.
If the system senses low engine coolant, the
five beat per second alarm and the low coolant
warning light will come on.
The five beats per second tone alarm means that
your engine will shut down in about 25 to
30 seconds. There is also an engine shutdown
light to indicate that the engine will shut down. See
Engine Shutdown Warning Light on page 177.
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Pull off the road and shut off the engine. Do
not start it until the reason for the problem is
known, and the problem is fixed. If the engine
shuts down when you are still in traffic, you can
restart the engine and get another 25 to
30 seconds of operation. Do this only if you have
to, since there is a problem that can harm the
engine if it is not fixed. Engine automatic
shutdown, for gasoline engines, requires activation
by your dealer.
Notice:If you try to operate the vehicle after
the engine automatically shuts down, you
may damage the vehicle. Have your vehicle
repaired as soon as possible.Ambulance, Fire, and Rescue Packages
Your check gages warning light will come on if
the system senses high engine temperature or low
engine oil pressure. If high engine temperature
or low engine oil pressure is detected, you will also
hear a tone alarm at two beats per second. The
alarm and the light will remain on until the
condition is fixed. If the engine temperature or oil
pressure condition worsens, the tone alarm
will go to five beats per second.
If the system senses low engine coolant, the
five beat per second alarm and the low coolant
warning light will come on.
The engine will not shutdown, but you should
have the vehicle checked as soon as you can.
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High Idle System
High Idle System with Switch
If your vehicle has this
feature, the manual high
idle switch is located
in the instrument panel
switchbank.
This system can be used to increase your engine
idle speed whenever the following conditions
are met:
•The brake pedal is not pressed.
•The vehicle speed is below about 5 mph
(8 km/h) for vehicles with diesel engines. The
vehicle must not be moving and the
accelerator must not be pressed for vehicles
with gasoline engines.
•If the vehicle has manual transmission the
clutch pedal is not pressed or, if the vehicle
has the automatic transmission it is in
NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P).
The manual high idle feature is activated by
pressing the switch on the instrument panel. When
the switch is pressed again, or any of the
previous conditions are not met, manual high idle
will be deactivated.
The manual high idle has been preset at the
factory. Your dealer may change the setting to fit
your needs.
For vehicles with Caterpillar
®diesel engines, the
high idle switch can be used to set any desired
high idle speed.
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To set a new temporary engine idle speed do the
following:
1. Make sure all of the previously described
conditions are met.
2. Press the accelerator pedal to the desired
engine speed.
3. Momentarily press the manual high idle
switch.
The temporary high idle speed will be set. This
new high idle rpm level will be remembered by the
system until either the ignition is turned to OFF
or a new high idle speed is set.
Automatic High Idle System
The automatic high idle feature will engage
whenever you start your vehicle and the engine is
below the preset operating temperature. This
will help decrease engine warm-up time.On vehicles that have the Caterpillar
®diesel
engine you may have an exhaust restrictor that
will operate in High Idle mode. The exhaust brake
switch must be on for this feature to operate.
SeeDiesel Engine Exhaust Brake on page 112for
more information.
Idle speed will then return to normal under any of
the following conditions:
•The engine reaches the preset operating
temperature or has been operating for at least
10 minutes.
•The brake pedal is pressed.
•The manual transmission clutch pedal is
pressed or, if the vehicle has automatic
transmission, it is shifted from NEUTRAL (N)
or PARK (P).
•The vehicle speed exceeds about 5 mph
(8 km/h).
•The throttle is pressed.
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Exhaust Restrictor
(Engine Warm-Up)
Exhaust Restrictor
If your vehicle has a Isuzu 6H or Caterpillar®
Diesel Engine, it may have a feature called
an Exhaust Restrictor (NPE), which uses an air
actuated valve in the exhaust system to restrict
exhaust gas flow which enhances the engine and
heater warm-up.
Automatic Quick Warm-Up
If your vehicle has a DURAMAX®6600 engine, it
has a feature called an Automatic Quick
Warm-Up, which uses the turbocharger to restrict
the exhaust gas flow which enhances the
engine and heater warm-up.
In both systems, exhaust restrictor or automatic
quick warm-up, the cold temperature high
idle feature elevates the engines idle speed, up to
1500 rpm, and restricts the exhaust gas flow,
when outside temperatures are below 32°F (0°C),
and the engine coolant temperature is below
certain levels. This feature enhances heater
performance by raising the engine coolant
temperature faster.For all engines this feature is already turned on.
The automatic quick warm-up on the DURAMAX
®
engine can be turned off and on by doing the
following procedure:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN, with the vehicle off.
2. Press the accelerator pedal to the floor
and hold it while quickly pressing and
fully releasing the brake pedal three times in
less than eight seconds.
3. Release the accelerator pedal and start the
engine. The green exhaust brake/restrictor
light below the radio controls will be lit
for 10 seconds.
If this feature is turned off, by doing the
procedure described previously, and then the
engine is started, the exhaust brake/restrictor
light will flash for 10 seconds and then it
will turn off.
When the engine is started, it will slowly increase to
the high idle speed after a delay of a few seconds;
up to about two minutes. For this method to work
properly there must be no throttle or brake pedal
faults, and the throttle pedal must not fall below
75 percent of wide open throttle while pressing the
brake pedal.
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