
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.
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Vehicle Care 303
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 304
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 305
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 307
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 327
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 332
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . 335 Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . 337
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 342
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 345
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 346
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 353
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . 355
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 356
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 357
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 370
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 373

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Engine Compartment Overview

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1. Remote Negative (–) Location. SeeJump
Starting - North America 0370.
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North America 0370.
3. Battery - North America 0321.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0312.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0308.
6. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0313.
7. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid 0317.
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0308.
9. Auxiliary Battery. Battery - North
America 0321.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 320.
11. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0332.
12. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. SeeCooling System 0313.
13. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0318.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see the
Duramax diesel supplement.Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see “Engine Oil”
in the Duramax diesel supplement.
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, careful attention must be paid to
engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect your
investment:
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0310.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” in this
section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0307 for
the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays, check the oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To get an accurate reading, park the
vehicle on level ground. Check the engine
oil level after the engine has been off for
at least two hours. Checking the engine
oil level on steep grades or too soon after
engine shutoff can result in incorrect
readings. Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to starting.
Remove the dipstick and check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, the engine
must be off for at least 15 minutes if the
engine is warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out the
dipstick, wipe it with a clean paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.

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When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at
the tip of the dipstick and the engine has
been off for at least 15 minutes, add 1 L (1
qt) of the recommended oil and then
recheck the level. See“Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for an
explanation of what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities
and Specifications 0396.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above
or below the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful to the
engine. If the oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range), the engine could be
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Caution (Continued)
damaged. Drain the excess oil or limit
driving of the vehicle, and seek a service
professional to remove the excess oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0307 for
the location of the engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level somewhere
in the proper operating range. Push the
dipstick all the way back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil depends on
both the proper oil specification and
viscosity grade. See Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants 0392.
Specification
Use full synthetic engine oils that meet the
dexos1 specification. Engine oils that have
been approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked with the
dexos1 approved logo.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended engine
oil or equivalent can result in engine
damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Viscosity Grade
Use SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade engine oil.
Cold Temperature Operation: In an area of
extreme cold, where the temperature falls
below −29 °C (−20 °F), use SAE 0W-30 oil. An
oil of this viscosity grade will provide easier
cold starting for the engine at extremely
low temperatures.
When selecting an oil of the appropriate
viscosity grade, it is recommended to select
an oil of the correct specification. See
“Specification” earlier in this section.

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area. Select Reset, then press the
thumbwheel or press the reset stem for
several seconds.
4. Press the thumbwheel or the reset stem to confirm the reset.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/filter is on the
passenger side of the engine compartment.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0307.
When to Inspect the Engine Air Cleaner/
Filter
If the vehicle is not equipped with the
engine air filter life system, see
Maintenance Schedule 0388 for intervals on
inspecting and replacing the engine air
cleaner filter.
How to Inspect/Replace the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Do not start the engine or have the engine
running with the engine air cleaner/filter
housing open. Before removing the engine
air cleaner/filter, make sure that the engine
air cleaner/filter housing and nearby
components are free of dirt and debris. Do
not clean the engine air cleaner/filter or
components with water or compressed air. To inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/
filter:
1. Locate the air cleaner/filter assembly.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 307.
2. Remove the eight screws on top of the cover of the housing, then lift the cover.
3. Remove the engine air cleaner/filter from the housing. Take care to dislodge as
little dirt as possible.
4. Clean the engine air cleaner/filter sealing surfaces and the housing.
{Warning
If part replacement is necessary, the part
must be replaced with one of the same
part number or with an equivalent part.
Use of a replacement part without the
same fit, form, and function may result
in personal injury or damage to the
vehicle.
5. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/ filter.
6. Reverse Steps 2–4 to reinstall the filter cover housing.
7. If equipped, reset the engine air filter life system after replacing the engine air
filter. see Engine Air Filter Life System
0 311.
{Warning
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or others
to be burned. Use caution when working
on the engine. Do not start the engine or
drive the vehicle with the air cleaner/
filter off, as flames may be present if the
engine backfires.

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.Protects against rust and corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a mix of
DEX-COOL coolant that meets GM
Standard GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause damage
to the engine cooling system and the
vehicle, which would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by putting
it in the trash, or by pouring it on the
ground, or into sewers, streams, or bodies of
water. Have the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used coolant
disposal. This will help protect the
environment and your health.
Checking Coolant
The coolant surge tank is in the engine
compartment on the driver side of the
vehicle. See Engine Compartment Overview
0 307. The vehicle must be on a level surface when
checking the coolant level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the
coolant surge tank is boiling, wait until it
cools down. The coolant level should be at
or above the indicated mark. If it is not,
there may be a leak in the cooling system.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at or above the indicated mark, see the
following sections on how to add coolant to
the coolant surge tank following.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see
“Cooling System”
in the Duramax diesel
supplement for the proper coolant fill
procedure.
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts can
burn you. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough.
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.

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normal idle speed for at least five minutes
while the vehicle is parked. If the warning is
still there, turn off the engine and get
everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for five minutes while parked. If the warning
is still displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition exists and
the ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED message
displays, an overheat protection mode which
alternates firing groups of cylinders helps to
prevent engine damage. In this mode, a loss
in power and engine performance will be
noticed. This operating mode allows the
vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an
emergency. Driving extended distances and/
or towing a trailer in the overheat
protection mode should be avoided.
If the engine or transmission detects an
impending hot fluid condition, then the
transmission may force upshifts to limit
temperatures. Downshifts may also be
prevented in this instance. Normal operationmay continue unless the display indicates
there is a hot condition and engine should
be idled.
Caution
After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, the engine oil
will be severely degraded. Any repairs
performed before the engine is cool may
cause engine damage. Allow the engine
to cool before attempting any repair.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change
the oil, and reset the oil life system. See
Engine Oil
0308.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has the Duramax diesel
engine, see the Duramax diesel supplement.
The 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 fan is spinning slower and 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 as the clutch more fully engages, so an increase in fan noise may be heard.
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 partially disengages.
This fan noise may be heard when starting
the engine. It will go away as the fan clutch
partially disengages.
Power Steering Fluid
The power steering fluid reservoir is in the
engine compartment on the driver side of
the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment
Overview 0307 for reservoir location.
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power
steering fluid unless there is a leak
suspected in the system or an unusual noise

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is heard. A fluid loss in this system could
indicate a problem. Have the system
inspected and repaired.
Wait for the power steering system to cool,
with the engine off, before checking the
fluid.
How to Check Power Steering Fluid
To check the power steering fluid:1. Set the ignition off and let the engine compartment cool down.
2. Wipe the cap and the top of the reservoir clean.
3. Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.
4. Replace the cap and completely tighten it.
5. Remove the cap again and look at the fluid level on the dipstick.
The level should be between the ADD and
FULL marks. If necessary, add only enough
fluid to bring the level up to the hashed
area between the ADD and FULL marks, do
not overfill. To prevent contamination of brake fluid,
never check or fill the power steering
reservoir with the brake master cylinder
cover off.
What to Use
Caution
Use of the incorrect fluid may damage
the vehicle and the damages may not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Always
use the correct fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
0392.
To determine what kind of fluid to use, see
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 0392.
Always use the proper fluid. Failure to use
the proper fluid can cause leaks and damage
hoses and seals.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs to be
added, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. Use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall below
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The vehicle has a low washer fluid message
on the DIC that comes on when the washer
fluid is low. The message is displayed for
15 seconds at the start of each ignition cycle.
When the WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID
message displays, washer fluid will need to
be added to the windshield washer fluid
reservoir.
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview 0307 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
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