
)(Bi-Level Air Conditioning):This setting divides
airflow between the floor vents and instrument panel
vents. The air conditioning compressor will cycle
continuously in this setting as long as the outside
temperature is warm enough to activate the compressor.
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument
panel vents.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
floor vents. Use this mode to send air to the rear of the
vehicle. Keep the area under the front seats free of
objects that could obstruct airflow to the rear of
the vehicle.
Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of high humidity
(moisture) condensing on the cool window glass. This
can be minimized if the climate control is used properly.
There are two modes to clear fog or frost from your
windshield and side windows.
Use the defog mode to clear the windows of fog or
moisture and warm the passengers. Use the defrost
mode to remove fog or frost from the windshield more
quickly. For best results, clear all snow and ice from the
windshield before defrosting.Turn the mode knob on the right of the climate control
panel to select the defog or defrost mode.
-(Defog):With this setting, the outside air comes out
of both the floor and defroster outlets. Adjust the
temperature knob for warmer or cooler air. The air
conditioning compressor may operate in this setting to
dehumidify the air.
0(Defrost):This setting operates the defroster.
Most of the air comes out near the windshield,
with some going to the floor outlets and front side
windows. The air conditioning compressor may operate
in this setting to dehumidify the air.
The defog setting is useful for cold weather with a large
number of passengers or very humid conditions to
help keep the windshield clear. Use defrost to remove
fog or ice from the windshield quickly in extremely
cold conditions. The temperature knob should be in
the red area and the fan control toward high. Do
not drive the vehicle until all the windows are clear.
3-22

Rear Window Defogger
For vehicles with a rear window defogger, a warming
grid is used to remove fog or frost from the rear window.
Be sure to clear as much snow from the rear window
as possible.
Press this button located
near the fan control to turn
the rear window defogger
on or off.
An indicator light in the button comes on when the rear
window defogger is working.
The rear window defogger will only work when the
ignition is in RUN.
The rear window defogger turns off several minutes
after the button is pressed. The defogger can also be
turned off by pressing the button again or by turning off
the engine.
Notice:Do not use anything sharp on the inside of
the rear window. If you do, you could cut or
damage the warming grid, and the repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not attach a
temporary vehicle license, tape, a decal or anything
similar to the defogger grid.
Outlet Adjustment
Your vehicle has air outlets on the instrument panel that
allow you to adjust the direction and amount of airflow
inside the vehicle.
Move the lever on the outlet up or down to direct the
airflow. Increase or reduce the amount of airflow
by opening and closing the louvers. The outlets can be
moved side-to-side to direct the airflow.
Operation Tips
•
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
•Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
•Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air deflectors, may affect the
performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
3-23

Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might 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 (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 3-34.
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.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop,
even though you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let antilock work for you. You might feel
the brakes pulsate, or you might hear air exhausting
if your vehicle has air brakes, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-5

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery (or batteries) charged. You will
need a well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with the
headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
If you have a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free your
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-20.
If your vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to
free a stuck vehicle. Refer to your vehicle’s traction
system in the Index. If the stuck condition is too severe
for the traction system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the rocking method.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or others
could be injured. The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment re or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible
and avoid going above 35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
4-19

4. Turn the ignition key to START for 10 to 15 seconds
at a time until your engine starts. If the engine tries
to run, but does not run smoothly, increase the rpm
a little using the accelerator pedal. This will help
force air through the system.
Your service engine soon light may come on if the
vehicle has run out of fuel. This light may stay on for a
few drive cycles after the condition is corrected, but
will eventually clear itself.
Fuel Filter Replacement
If you want to change the diesel engine fuel filter
yourself, here is how to do it:
{CAUTION:
Diesel fuel is ammable. It could start a re if
something ignites it, and you could be burned.
Do not let it get on hot engine parts, and keep
matches or other ignition sources away.
First, drain any water from the filter by following the
water draining procedure earlier in this section.
Your vehicle’s engine should be off until the end of this
procedure.If your vehicle has the 6.6L engine, the fuel filter is
located in the engine compartment on the driver’s side
of the vehicle. If your vehicle has either the 7.2L or
7.8L engine, the fuel filters are located in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side of the vehicle, and on
the driver’s side frame rail in front of the fuel tank.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Unplug the water
sensor wire connected
to the fuel filter and
unscrew the filter
element.
3. Remove the filter element. If there is any dirt on the
filter sealing surface, clean it off. Remove and reuse
the water sensor float switch located on the bottom of
the fuel filter.
4. Install the new filter element.
5-18

When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filters
If your vehicle has this feature, the gage is located in
the engine compartment either on or near the air
cleaner. It monitors the engine air filter and will let you
know when the filter should be replaced. If you are driving
in dusty/dirty conditions, inspect the filter each oil change.
As the filter gets dirty, the yellow indicator will begin to
rise. When it reaches the red/orange change area,
the filter should be replaced. Reset the indicator after
each filter replacement.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter (DURAMAX®Diesel 6.6L,
V8 Gas and CAT Diesel Engines)
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/ lter
off can cause you or others to be burned.
The air cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps
to stop ames if the engine back res. If it is
not there and the engine back res, you could
be burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/ lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/ lter is off, a back re can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can easily
get into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner/ lter in place when you are
driving.
The engine air cleaner/filter is located in the center of
the engine compartment.
To inspect the engine air cleaner/filter, remove the filter
from the vehicle and lightly shake the filter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the filter remains caked with dirt, a
new filter is required.
5-40

Hood Inlet Seal
If your vehicle is being used in heavy snow conditions
or for snow plowing, there is a possibility of snow and
ice build up in the inlet to the air cleaner, blocking airflow
to the engine and negatively impacting engine
performance.
To prevent the blocking of air, remove the hood inlet
seal, by doing the following:
1. Loosen the clamp that holds the seal to the air
cleaner.
2. Slide the seal off.3. Store the seal in the inlet, located on the underside
of the hood.
4. Store the clamp on the coolant surge tank. Pull the
overflow tube out of the white plastic retainer, slip
the clamp over and reinstall the hose.
The seal will need to be replaced on to the air cleaner
for normal driving, especially in the warmer months.
5-42

4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start
the engine and let it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches slightly above the FULL
COLD mark.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the
pressure cap is hand-tight and fully seated.
Engine Fan Noise
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When
the clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide
more air to cool the engine. In most everyday driving
conditions, the clutch is not fully engaged. This improves
fuel economy and reduces fan noise. Under heavy
vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or high outside
temperatures, the fan speed increases when the clutch
engages. So you may hear an increase in fan noise. This
is normal and should not be mistaken as the transmission
slipping or making extra shifts. It is merely the cooling
system functioning properly. The fan will slow down when
additional cooling is not required and the clutch
disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the
engine. It will go away as the fan clutch disengages.
Power Steering Fluid
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 6-5to determine
when to check your power steering fluid.
5-54