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For additional information on when to change
engine oil for gasoline engines or DURAMAX®
diesel engines, seeEngine Oil (Caterpillar®Diesel
Engine) on page 268orEngine Oil (Gasoline
Engine) on page 268orEngine Oil (DURAMAX
®/
Isuzu Diesel Engine) on page 272andScheduled
Maintenance on page 363. To reset the change
engine oil light, seeEngine Oil Life System
(Gasoline Engine) on page 276orEngine Oil Life
System (DURAMAX
®Diesel) on page 278or
Engine Oil Life System (Caterpillar®Diesel Engine)
on page 279.
Engine Overspeed Warning Light
If your vehicle has this
light, it will come on if
your engine is operating
at too many revolutions
per minute (rpm).
It will also come on for a moment as a check
when you start your engine.
If it comes on when you’re driving, reduce your
engine speed immediately.
Engine Shutdown Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
engine shutdown
feature, this light will
come on when engine
shutdown is active.
For more information, seeEngine Alarm and
Automatic ShutdownunderStarting the Diesel
Engine on page 100.
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Transmission Temperature Gage
If you have an automatic
transmission and this
gage, it is located above
the switchbank in the
center of the instrument
panel.
When your ignition is on, the gage shows the
temperature of the transmission oil. A reading in
the warning zone, the red area beginning at 300°F
(150°C), means you must stop driving and
check into the cause. One possible cause is a low
oil level in the transmission.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle with the
transmission temperature gage above normal
operating range, you can damage the
transmission. This could lead to costly repairs
that would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle while the
transmission temperature gage reading is
above normal. See your dealer for service.
Exhaust Brake Indicator Light
If your vehicle is
equipped with an
exhaust brake, you will
have this light, located
above the climate
controls in the center of
the instrument panel.
The exhaust brake indicator light will come on and
stay on whenever the diesel engine exhaust brake
or exhaust restrictor is active. For more information,
seeDiesel Engine Exhaust Brake on page 112and
Exhaust Restrictor (Engine Warm-Up) on page 108.
Differential Lock Indicator Light
If your vehicle has this
feature, this light is
located in the center of
the instrument panel.
The light is on when the
rear differential lock
system is in use.
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Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
This light is located
above the climate
controls in the center of
the instrument panel.
This light will come on when your vehicle is low on
windshield washer fluid.
For more information, seeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 296.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on
as you’re starting the
engine, just as a check.
If this light comes on and stays on while you are
driving. It means that either your engine coolant
temperature gage or your engine oil pressure gage
may be showing a reading in the warning zone.
When the check gages light comes on, you
will also hear a warning tone. The tone and the
light will stay activated until the problem is
corrected.
This light may also come on if your vehicle is
equipped with the optional automatic engine
shutdown system and engine shutdown has
begun. SeeEngine Alarm and Automatic
ShutdownunderStarting the Diesel Engine on
page 100.
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Water in Fuel Warning Light
This light is located
above the climate
controls in the center of
the instrument panel.
If your vehicle has the 6.6L DURAMAX
®or Isuzu
6H diesel engine, this light will come on to
warn you that there is water in the fuel system.
For more information on how this light works, see
Water in Fuel on page 256.
Air Filter Restriction Indicator
If your vehicle has this
feature, the gage is
located above the
switchbank in the center
of the instrument
panel. It monitors the
engine air filter.
As the filter gets dirty, the yellow indicator will
begin to rise. When it reaches 25 inches of
vacuum on the scale, the filter should be replaced.
After replacing the filter, reset the gage by
pressing in the yellow reset button at the bottom
of the gage.
If you have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, also see
your Caterpillar®Operation & Maintenance Manual.
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Air Pressure Gage
If your vehicle has air
brakes, the air pressure
gage is located above
the switchbank in
the center of the
instrument panel.
This gage shows the air pressure for both your
front and rear brake systems.
If the needle on the gage indicates that the air
pressure is below 60 to 75 psi (415 to 517 kPa),
the low air warning light will come on. An alarm will
also sound if this happens.The top pointer shows the pressure available for the
front system, while the bottom pointer shows
pressure for the rear. There should be no more than
4 psi (28 kPa) difference showing between the
systems.
Don’t drive until both pointers are showing at least
120 psi (827 kPa), so you’ll have enough air if
you need to apply your brakes.
Hourmeter Gage
To access the engine hourmeter gage, press the
trip odometer button three times.
The instrument panel cluster displays the
accumulated engine run time hours using the
reconfigurable odometer display. The engine run
time hours displays only when the ignition is in the
LOCK or ACCESSORY position and the trip
reset button is pressed for about four seconds.
The value of the accumulated hours does
not change when the battery is disconnected.
The hourmeter resets to 0.0 when 10,000 hours
are accumulated. The instrument panel cluster
begins to reaccumulate the engine run time hours
from 0.0 hours.
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 169.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.Average reaction time is about three-fourths of
a second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age,
physical condition, alertness, coordination and
eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs
and frustration. But even in three-fourths of
a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h)
travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so keeping enough
space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry or icy; tire tread; the condition
of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle; the
weight of the load; and the amount of brake
force applied.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.Hydraulic Brake Systems
If your engine stops running, or if your primary
brake system stops working, your vehicle has a
reserve power assist system to help you slow down.
Just slowly and steadily apply the brake pedal until
you can safely get off the road. The pedal will seem
harder to push down. Do not pump the pedal; the
system will not work well or at all that way.
You may find that the steering wheel seems hard
to turn when you are turning and braking at
the same time. Also, the primary brake warning
light may come on and the warning tone may
sound. This is normal because the main hydraulic
brake system and power steering both use the
power steering pump. If this ever happens, let up
on the brake pedal a little. When you let up on
the brake pedal in that situation, it lets the steering
get a little more help from the pump.
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Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise while this
test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 172.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at
each wheel.
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