2009 HUMMER H3 check engine

Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches
can occur on otherwise clear roads
in shaded areas. The surface of
a curve or an overpass can remain
icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped,
on slippery surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Service on page 7-6. To get help
and keep everyone in the vehicle
safe:
Turn on theHazard Warning
Flashers on page 3-5.
Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{CAUTION
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may cause
exhaust gases to get inside.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
Clear away snow from
around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is
blocking the exhaust pipe.
Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window about two
inches (5 cm) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 2-31.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking the
exhaust.
4-32 Driving Your Vehicle

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause
the trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
ash whenever signaling a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also ash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.When towing a trailer, the arrows
on the instrument panel ash
for turns even if the bulbs on the
trailer are burned out. For this
reason you may think other drivers
are seeing the signal when they
are not. It is important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gearbeforestarting down a long
or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads and/or
hilly conditions. For vehicles with
a manual transmission, it is
better not to use the highest gear.When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider
the following: Engine coolant will
boil at a lower temperature than at
normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To
avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the automatic
transmission in P (Park) for a
few minutes before turning the
engine off. For vehicles with manual
transmissions, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on
level ground, with the transmission
out of gear and the parking
brake applied, for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on,
seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-27.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-49

Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual’s Maintenance Schedule
or Index for more information.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission uid, engine oil,
axle lubricant, belts, cooling system
and brake system. It is a good
idea to inspect these before and
during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Light-Duty Trailer Wiring Package
If the vehicle does not have a
trailer towing package, the chassis
harness will contain the following
blunt cut circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
White: Ground
Brown: Tail Lamps
To add a trailer towing wiring
package, have it installed by your
dealer/retailer or a qualied
service center. Also, seeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment on page 5-91
for more information.Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring
Package
If the vehicle has a trailer towing
package, the rear bumper harness
will have a seven-pin universal
heavy-duty trailer connector
attached to a bracket on the hitch
platform.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-51

Service and
Appearance Care
Service
Service...............................5-3
Accessories and
Modications.....................5-3
California Proposition
65 Warning.......................5-4
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements.....5-4
Doing Your Own
Service Work....................5-4
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle........5-5
Fuel
Fuel....................................5-5
Gasoline Octane.................5-5
Gasoline Specications.......5-5
California Fuel....................5-5
Additives.............................5-6
Fuels in Foreign
Countries..........................5-7
Filling the Tank...................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container..........................5-8
Checking Things Under
the Hood
Checking Things Under
the Hood..........................5-9
Hood Release.....................5-9
Engine Compartment
Overview.........................5-10
Engine Oil.........................5-13
Engine Oil Life System.....5-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. . .5-17
Automatic Transmission
Fluid................................5-18
Manual Transmission
Fluid................................5-20
Hydraulic Clutch................5-21
Cooling System.................5-22
Engine Coolant.................5-23
Engine Overheating...........5-27
Engine Fan Noise.............5-28
Power Steering Fluid.........5-29
Windshield Washer Fluid. . .5-30
Brakes..............................5-30
Battery..............................5-33
Jump Starting...................5-34
Rear Axle
Rear Axle.........................5-38
Four-Wheel Drive
Four-Wheel Drive..............5-38
Front Axle
Front Axle.........................5-39
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming..............5-39
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement.............5-41
Halogen Bulbs..................5-41
Headlamps........................5-41
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps and Back-up
Lamps (H3)
.....................5-42
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps and Back-up
Lamps (H3T)
...................5-42
License Plate Lamp..........5-43
Replacement Bulbs...........5-43
Service and Appearance Care 5-1

If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service manual.
It tells you much more about how to
service the vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-15.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-58.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed. See
Maintenance Record on page 6-16.
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the
vehicle can affect the airow
around it. This can cause wind
noise and can affect fuel economy
and windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer/retailer
before adding equipment to
the outside of the vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is
an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle.
To help keep the engine clean
and maintain optimum vehicle
performance, we recommend the
use of gasoline advertised as
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, you might notice an audible
knocking noise when you drive,
commonly referred to as spark
knock. If this occurs, use a gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the
engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-6for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California
emissions standards, the vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on
fuels meeting federal specications,
but emission control system
performance might be affected.
Service and Appearance Care 5-5

The malfunction indicator lamp
could turn on and the vehicle
might fail a smog-check test.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-30. If this occurs, return
to your authorized dealer/retailer
for diagnosis. If it is determined
that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs might
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you
should not have to add anything to
the fuel. However, some gasolines
contain only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean, orif the vehicle experiences problems
due to dirty injectors or valves,
look for gasoline that is advertised
as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
For customers who do not use
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS, added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help clean deposits
from fuel injectors and intake valves.
GM Fuel System Treatment PLUS
is the only gasoline additive
recommended by General Motors.
Also, your dealer/retailer has
additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit-related
problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol,
and reformulated gasolines
might be available in your area.
We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with
the specications described earlier.However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used
in vehicles that were not designed
for those fuels.
Notice:This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under
the vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the
attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT.
We recommend against the use of
such gasolines. Fuels containing
MMT can reduce the life of
spark plugs and the performance
5-6 Service and Appearance Care

of the emission control system could
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp might turn on. If this
occurs, return to your dealer/retailer
for service.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States or
Canada, the proper fuel might be
hard to nd. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused
by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Filling the Tank
{CAUTION
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel re can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island.
Turn off the engine when you are
refueling. Do not smoke if you are
near fuel or refueling the vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, ames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.The fuel cap is located on the driver
side of the vehicle.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise. While
refueling, let the fuel cap hang by
the tether, if it has one.
Service and Appearance Care 5-7

CAUTION (Continued)
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
Do not ll a container while
it is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact
with the inside of the ll
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the lling is
complete.
Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.
Checking Things
Under the Hood
{CAUTION
An electric fan under the hood
can start up and injure you even
when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
{CAUTION
Things that burn can get on hot
engine parts and start a re.
These include liquids like fuel, oil,
coolant, brake uid, windshield
washer and other uids, and
plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to
drop or spill things that will burn
onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbol
on it. It is located inside the
vehicle on the lower left side of
the instrument panel.
2. Release the secondary latch on
the hood. It is located below the
front center of the hood.
3. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure
all the ller caps are on properly.
Then pull the hood down and close
it rmly.
Service and Appearance Care 5-9