Chevrolet 2003 Avalanche User manual

The 2003 ChevroletAvalancheOwnerManual a
SeatsandRestraintSystems ........................... 1 -i
FrontSeats ............................................... 1-2
RearSeats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
............................................. 1-10
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-32
AirBagSystems
...................................... 1-52
FeaturesandControls
..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
DoorsandLocks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
................................................. 2-23
Theft-DeterrentSystems
............................ 2-25
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-45
Onstar@System
...................................... 2-53
HomeLinkOTransmitter
............................. 2-55
StorageAreas
......................................... 2-59
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-84
VehiclePersonalization
............................. 2-85
InstrumentPanel
............................................. 3-1
InstrumentPanelOverview
.......................... 3-4
ClimateControls
...................................... 3-20
WarningLights,Gagesand Indicators
......... 3-30
Driver InformationCenter (DIC)
.................. 3-46
RestraintSystemCheck
............................ 1-66
Starting andOperatingYour Vehicle
........... 2-27
AudioSystem(s)
....................................... 3-64
Driving your
vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Towing ................................................... 4-48
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Your Driving, the Road,andYour Vehicle ..... 4-2
Service and AppearanceCare
.......................... 5-1
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
CheckingThingsUnder the Hood ............... 5-10
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-49
Four-wheel Drive
..................................... 5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-57
Tires
...................................................... 5-58
AppearanceCare
..................................... 5-85
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-93
Electrical System
...................................... 5-94
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-104
Maintenance Schedule
..................................... 6-1
MaintenanceSchedule
................................ 6-2
CustomerAssistanceInformation
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
........................... 7-10
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-52
NormalMaintenanceReplacement Parts
.... 5-106
Index
................................................................
-1

GENERALMOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem are registered
trademarks andthe name AVALANCHEis a trademark
of General MotorsCorporation.
This manual includesthe latest informationat the time it
was printed. We reservethe right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitutethe name “General Motors
of
Canada Limitedfor Chevrolet Motor Divisionwhenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle,
so it will be
there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. C2318A First Edition
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a Frenchcopy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
ManV people readtheir owner’s manual from b‘eginnin
to endwhen they first receive their new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. Inthis manual,
you’ll find
that picturesand words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back
of the manual. It’s an alphabeticallist of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
‘Copyright GeneralMotorsCorporation
06/24/02
AllRightsReserved
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
Thesemean
ti s somet ____ lg Lit could hurt
I you or otherpeople.
I I
Inthe caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also finda circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will findthese notices:
Notice: These mean there is somethingthat could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about somethingthat can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do tohelp avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll
also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has componentsand labels that use
symbols insteadof text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shownalong with the text describing the operation
or informationrelatingto
a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics:
SeatsandRestraintSystemsinSection 1
Featuresand Controls in Section 2
InstrumentPanel Overview in Section 3
Climate Controls in Section 3
Warning Lights, GagesandIndicators in Section 3
AudioSystem(s) in Section 3
EngineCompartmentOverview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
(""",
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVO
ID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
COULD
FLAME
'\I/'
EXPLODE
BAlTERY
LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECT OCCUPANT
MASTER
\
DONOTTWISTSAFETY
BELT WHENAlTACHlNG
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
MOVE SEAT
FULLY
\$&
REARWARD+ /z
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
rHEN SECURE
CHILD SEAT
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
INTHIS SEATING
POSITION
DO NOT INSTALL A
'ORWARD-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
INTHIS SEATING
POSITION
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DOOR UNLOCK LOCK
a FOG $0
LAMPS
L
~ ~
ENGINE
COOLANT
rh
TEMP
CHARGING
BAlTERY
SYSTEM
COOLANT
d
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE Wh
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
ENGINE
COOLANT
FAN
OWNERS
MANUAL
SERVICE
SERVICE
MANUAL
V

Section Seats
and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ...................................................... 1-2
ManualPassengerSeat
.................................. 1-2
PowerLumbar
.................................. ...... 1-3
Heated Seats
................................................. 1-4
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1-5
HeadRestraints
............................................. 1-7
Rear Seats
....................................................... 1-8
Rear Seat Operation
....................................... 1-8
SafetyBelts
................................................... 1-10
QuestionsandAnswersAbout Safety Belts ......1-14
Driver Position
.............................................. 1-16
SafetyBeltUse During Pregnancy
.................. 1-23
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1-24
Center Passenger Position
............................. 1-24
RearSeatPassengers
.................................. 1-26
and Small Adults
....................................... 1-29
Safety Belt Extender .. ............................ 1-31
Child Restraints ............................................. 1-32
Older Children
.............................................. 1-32
Infants and Young Children
............................ 1-34
Child Restraint Systems
................................. 1-38
.................................................
PowerSeats -1 -2
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................ 1-10
How to WearSafety Belts Properly
................. 1-16
RearSafetyBeltComfortGuidesfor Children
Where to Put the Restraint
............................. 1-41
Top Strap
.................................................... 1-42
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................. 1-43
Children (LATCH System)
........................... 1-43
LowerAnchoragesandTop Tethers for
Securing a Child Restraint in aRearSeat
Securing a Child Restraint in theCenter
Securing a Child Restraint
in the Right
...................................................
Position 1-45
Front Seat Position
.................................... 1-47
Front Seat Position
.................................... 1-48
AirBag Systems
............................................ 1-52
Where Are the Air Bags?
............................... 1-54
WhenShouldanAirBag Inflate?
.................... 1-57
WhatMakesanAirBag Inflate?
..................... 1-58
HowDoesanAirBagRestrain?
..................... 1-58
Passenger Sensing System
............................ 1-61
Servicing YourAirBag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-65
Restraint System
Check .................................. 1-66
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
................... 1-66
Crash
...................................................... 1-66
What Will YouSeeAfteranAir Bag Inflates?
... 1-59
AddingEquipment to YourAir Bag-Equipped
....................................................
Vehicle 1-65
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Passenger Seat
If your vehicle has a manual front passenger split bench
seat,
you can adjust it with this lever located at the
front of the seat.
Lift the lever at the front of the seat to unlock it. Using
your
body, slide theseat to where you want it. Then,
release the lever and try
to move the seat with
your body
to make sure that the seat is lockedinto
place.
Power Seats
Horizontal Control: If your vehicle has a power seat,
you can adjust it with the horizontal control located
on the outboard edge of the seat(s).
Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or
loweringthe forward edge
of the control. Raise
or lower the rear
of the seat by raisingor lowering
the rear edge of the control.
1-2

Move the seat forward or rearwardby moving the
whole control toward the front or toward the rear
of the vehicle.
* Movingthe whole control up or down raises or
lowersthe entire seat cushion.
Vertical Control: If your vehicle haspower reclining
seats, you can use thevertical controlto adjust the
angle
of the seatback. Move the recliningfront seatback
rearward or forward by moving the controltoward the
rearor towardthe front of the vehicle. See
Reclining
Seatbacks on page 1-5 for further information.
Power Lumbar
t.
_" I . I.
_l", .. . ... -
... "
:.~ . .
, ..
., ._^. , "" 1 Ifyouhavepowerlumbar
, ,-
.,". I adjustment,-youcan
increase or decrease
lumbar support
in the lower
seatback. The control
is
locatedon the outboard
side of the seat cushion.
To increase support in thelowerback area, press
and hold the front of the control. Let
go of the
controlwhen the lower seatback reaches the
desired level
of support.
and hold the rear of the control. Let go of the
control when the lower seatback reaches the
desired level of support.
* To decrease support in the lower back area, press
I -3

You can also reshape the back wing area of the lower
seatback.
To increase support in the wing area of the lower
seatback, press and hold the top
of the control.
Let go
of the control when the lower seatback
reaches the desired level of support.
To decrease support in the wing area of the lower
seatback, press and hold the bottom
of the control.
Let go
of the control when the lower seatback
reaches the desired level of support.
Heated Seats
a-
-
Your vehicle may have
heatedfront seats. The
buttons used
to controlthis
feature are locatedon
the front doors. The engine
must be running for the
heatedseat feature
to work.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal buttonwith
the heatedseat symbol. Pressthe button
to cycle
through the temperaturesettings
of high, medium and
low and
to turn the heatedseat off. Indicator lights
will glow
to designatethe level of heat selected, three
for high, two for medium, and one for low.
1 -4

The low setting warms theseatback and cushion until
the seat temperatureis near body temperature.The
medium and high settingsheat the seatback and seat
cushion to a slightly higher temperature.
You will be able
to feel heat in about two minutes.
To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with
the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the
seatback button will glowto designatethat only the
seatback is being heated. Additional presses of
the seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for
the seatback only. Press the horizontalbutton again
to heat the whole seat.
The heatedfront seats will shut
off automaticallywhen
the ignitionis turned off.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the front seatback, lift the lever. The lever is
located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Releasethe lever to lock the seatback where you want
it. Lift the lever without pushing on the seatback and
the seatback will go to an upright position.
If your vehicle has power seats with a power recliner,
see
Power Seats on page 1-2 for further information on
how to operate the reclining seatback feature.
1 -5

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
Sitting in a reclinedpositionwhen your vehicle
is in motioncan be dangerous. Evenif you
buckleup, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclinedlikethis.
The shoulderbelt can’t do its job. Ina crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do itsjob either. Ina crash
the belt couldgo upover your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This couldcause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Thensit
well back in the seat and wearyour safety belt
properly.
1 -6

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top
of your head. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle are
adjustable.They work the same as the front seat head
restraints.

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The rear seat is a 60/40 split rear seat that can be
folded to give you more cargo space and access to the
folding midgate. See
Midgate on page 2-12 for more
information on operation of the folding midgate.
To fold either side of the seat do the following:
1. Push the rear head restraintsall the way down.
2. Pull the seat loop
locatedwhere the
seatback and
seat cushion meet.
The seat will release
and allow you to
tilt it toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Grasp the seatback and pull it toward the front of
the vehicle. Push it down until it is flat. You may
haveto move the front seats forward slightly to
do this.
4. Repeatthe procedure for the other side.
To return the seats to the normal position, pull the
seatback up and fold the seat cushion down.
1-8

If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure
it is
locked.
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed
in a crash.The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
1-9

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly.
It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
m
Dc.. t let a--=one ride wher - .le or -..e can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can
hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled
up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
It is extremely da..,erous to - -Ae in a cargo
area, inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in theseareas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed.
Do not
allow people to ride inany area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in
a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes
on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
on page 3-32.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
1-10

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashescan be
so
serious that even buckledup, a personwouldn’t survive.
But most crashesare in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without beltsthey could have been badly hurt
or killed.
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Take the simplestvehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-1 1

or the instrument panel ...
The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it couldbe the windshield ...
1-13