2008 CHEVROLET KODIAK Owners Manual

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.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer/retailer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or additives
in your vehicle’s cooling system, you could
damage your vehicle. Use only the proper mixture
of the engine coolant listed in this manual for
the cooling system. SeePart C: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-31for more
information.
5-45

Checking Coolant
The coolant surge tank is located in the engine
compartment on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. Never turn the surge tank pressure
cap — even a little — when the engine and
radiator are hot.
The vehicle must be parked on a level surface. When
your engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL COLD mark or higher.
If the low coolant warning
light comes on in the
instrument panel cluster
and stays on, it means you
are low on engine
coolant.
SeeLow Coolant Warning Light on page 3-35for further
information.
5-46

Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL®
coolant mixture at the surge tank, but only when the
engine is cool.
{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.
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
The coolant surge tank pressure cap is located in
the engine compartment, on the driver’s side of the
vehicle.
Notice:Your vehicle’s surge tank pressure cap is
designed for use with medium-duty cooling systems
only. If the surge tank pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and possible engine damage
may occur. Be sure the cap is properly and tightly
secured.
5-47

Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage, as
well as a low coolant warning light, on your vehicle’s
instrument panel. SeeEngine Coolant Temperature
Gage on page 3-35andLow Coolant Warning Light on
page 3-35for more information.
Your vehicle also has a check gages warning light on
the instrument panel. SeeCheck Gages Warning
Light on page 3-42for more information.
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.
5-48

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 3-35for 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.If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, you can push down the
accelerator until the engine speed is about twice as
fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes while
you are parked. If you still have the warning, turn off the
engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-49

Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the hood, here is what
you will see:
A. Engine Fan
B. Coolant Surge Tank
If your vehicle has a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, see the
Caterpillar®Diesel Engine Operation and Maintenance
Manual provided with your vehicle.
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.
5-50

{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
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 the engine
without coolant is not covered by the 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.
5-51

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you have not found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level is not at the FULL COLD mark
or higher, add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL
®coolant at the coolant surge tank,
but be sure the cooling system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap, is cool before you do it.
SeeEngine Coolant (Caterpillar
®Diesel Engines) on
page 5-44orEngine Coolant (Gas and
DURAMAX
®/Isuzu 7.8L L6 Engines) on page 5-44for
more information.
If no coolant is visible in the surge tank, add coolant as
follows:
{CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the coolant
surge tank pressure cap — even a little — they
can come out at high speed. Never turn the
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
cap when the cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and coolant surge tank
pressure cap to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. The vehicle’s
coolant warning system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too hot but you
would not get the overheat warning. The
engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
5-52