2008 CHEVROLET KODIAK warning

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 5-55.
Power Take-Off Light
For vehicles with Power
Take-Off (PTO), this light
is located in the center
of the instrument panel.
This light will come on when the PTO switch is in the
ON position. SeePower Take-Off (PTO) on page 2-32
for more information.
Check Gages Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when the engine is
started.
If this light comes on and stays on while you are driving.
It means that either the engine coolant temperature
gage or the 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 has
automatic engine shutdown system and engine
shutdown has begun. SeeEngine Alarm and Automatic
Shutdown on page 2-18.
3-42

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 a
Caterpillar®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, seeWater
in Fuel on page 5-12.
Change Fuel Filter Warning Light
For vehicles with this light,
it is located in the center of
the instrument panel.
If your vehicle has the DURAMAX
®6.6L engine, this
light will come on when the fuel filter needs to be
changed. If your vehicle has the Isuzu 6H 7.8L L6 diesel
engine, this light will come on when water is detected
in the fuel system and when the fuel filter needs to
be changed. SeeFuel Filter Replacement on page 5-18
andWater in Fuel on page 5-12for more information.
3-44

Diesel Particulate Filter
Warning Light
Your vehicle may have
two Diesel Particulate
Filter (DPF) Warning lights.
These lights will come on briefly when the ignition is
turned to ON. One of these lights will come on
green during DPF regeneration. If the other light comes
on yellow, perform a manual regeneration or drive
the vehicle for automatic regeneration. If the light
changes from yellow to red, the DPF requires an
immediate regeneration. If the DPF is not regenerated,
the service engine soon light will come on and engine
power will be reduced.
SeeDiesel Particulate Filter (Diesel Engine) on
page 2-46andReduced Engine Power Light on
page 3-41for more information.
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 the red/orange change area,
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.
3-45

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 bottom yellow pointer shows the pressure available
for the front secondary system, while the top white
pointer shows pressure for the rear primary system.
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/OFF or
ACC/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.
3-46

Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-32.
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.
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 might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The brakes will wear out muchfaster 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 could 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 can take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be
harder to push.
Hydraulic Brake Systems
If the engine stops running, or if the 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 that way.
You might 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 might come on and the
warning tone might 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.
4-4

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

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, the wheels are
not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Traction Control System (TCS),
remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration skid. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. If you do
not have this system, or if the system is off, then
an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow
down when you have any doubt.
4-12

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through owing water could
cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police warnings
and be very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
•Allow extra following distance.
•Pass with caution.
•Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
•Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
•Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-82.
4-14