Chevrolet Silverado 2003 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-10
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-31
Air Bag Systems ...................................... 1-64
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-81
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-20
Mirrors .................................................... 2-53
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-62
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-64
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-66
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-54
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-71
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-55
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under
the Hood ............................................... 5-8
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-54
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-55
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-56
Noise Control System ............................... 5-58
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-59
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-68
Tires ...................................................... 5-69
Appearance Care ................................... 5-100
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-108
Electrical System .................................... 5-109
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-118
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-121
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-8
Index ................................................................ 1
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
SILVERADO are registered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever
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. C2315 B First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/24/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you will find
that pictures and 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 is an alphabetical list of what is in
the manual, and the page number where you will find it.
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.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the 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 find a 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 find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that 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 to help 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 components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to 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:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
v

Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Regular Cab Pickup Extended Cab Pickup Crew Cab
®
Chassis Cab
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Power Seats ..................................................1-4
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Seatback Latches ...........................................1-7
Rear Seats .......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) ................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) ......................1-9
Safety Belts ...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15
Driver Position ..............................................1-16
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-24
Center Passenger Position .............................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-26
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-29
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-31
Child Restraints .............................................1-31
Older Children ..............................................1-31
Infants and Young Children ............................1-34
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-38
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-41
Top Strap ....................................................1-42
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-44
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position ............................................1-50
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear
Seat Position ............................................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position ............................................1-55
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position
(Crew Cab Models) ....................................1-55
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab
Models) ....................................................1-58
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Air Bag Systems ............................................1-64
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-66
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-68
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-69
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-69
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? ...1-70
Air Bag Off Switch ........................................1-71
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-76
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-80
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-80
Restraint System Check ..................................1-81
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-81
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-82
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving. If your vehicle has a manual bucket or a split bench
seat, you can adjust it with this lever located at the front
of the seat.
Lift the lever to unlock the seat. Using your body, slide
the seat to where you want it and release the lever.
Try to move the seat with your body to make sure the
seat is locked into place.
1-3

Power Seats
If your vehicle has a power seat, you can adjust it with
these controls located on the outboard sides of the seats.
•Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by raising
or lowering the forward edge of the horizontal control.
•Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the
whole horizontal control forward or rearward.
•Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by raising
or lowering the rear edge of the horizontal control.
•Moving the whole horizontal control up or down
raises or lowers the entire seat cushion.
If your vehicle has power reclining seats, you can use
the vertical control to adjust the angle of the seatback.
Move the reclining front seatback rearward or forward
by moving the control toward the rear or the front of the
vehicle. See
Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5 .
Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has this
feature, the four-way
control is located on the
outboard side of the seat.
To increase or decrease support, press and hold the
front or rear of the control. Let go of the control when the
lower seatback reaches the desired level of support.
You can also reshape the side wing area of the
lower seatback for more lateral support. To increase or
decrease support, press and hold the top or bottom
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
1-4

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the button used to
control the driver’s
heated seat is located on
the driver’s door panel.
The button used to control
the passenger’s heated
seat is located on the
passenger’s door panel.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button.
Press the button to cycle through the temperature
settings of high, medium, and low. The indicator light
will glow to indicate the level of heat selected.
To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with
the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the
button will glow to designate that only the seatback
is being heated.
The engine must be running for them to operate.
The heated front seats will be canceled after the ignition
is turned off. If you still want to use the heated front
seat feature after you restart your vehicle, you will need
to press the heated seat button again.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the front seatback, lift the manual lever
located on the outboard side of the seat. Release the
lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Lift
the lever again 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 1-4 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.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your 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.
To raise the head restraint pull up on the head restraint.
On some models the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be
adjustable. They work the same as the front seat head
restraints, except they do not tilt forward and rearward.
Seatback Latches
{CAUTION:
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.
The seatbacks fold forward to let you access the rear of
the cab.
To fold a front seatback forward, lift the lever at the
base of the seat to release the seatback.
The lever is located on the outboard side of the seat
cushion.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push the
seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, push and pull on
the seatback to make sure it is locked.
1-7

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab)
Folding the Rear Seat
The extended cab’s rear seat can be folded up to
provide more cargo space. To fold the seat do the
following: 1. Pull forward on the
release strap located
under the rear seat
cushion.
2. Fold the seat cushion upward until it latches with
the seatback.
3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure the seat is
secure.
The extended cab’s rear seat can also be folded open
for more seating space. To use the seat do the following:
1. Push rearward on the seat cushion while pulling
up on the release strap under the seat cushion.
Pull the seat cushion downward until it latches.
2. After pulling the seat cushion down, pull up on it to
make sure it is locked.
1-8

Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab)
The second row rear seat has a 60/40 split seat. Either
side of the rear seat may be folded down to give
you more cargo space.
Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat
and that the head restraints are completely lowered.
To fold the rear seat, do the following:
1. Pull up on the strap
loop at the rear of the
seat cushion. Then,
pull the seat cushion up
and fold it forward.
2. After folding the seat cushion fully forward, pull the
seatback forward and fold the seatback down until it
is flat. If the seatback cannot fold flat because it
interferes with the cushion, try moving the front seat
forward and/or bringing the front seat more
upright. The lever at the base of the seat must be
turned rearward to release the seatback.
To return the seat to the passenger position do the
following:
1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all
the way.
2. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position.
3. Pull forward on the seatback and up on the seat
cushion to make sure the seat is securely in
place.
Check to see that the buckles on the driver’s side
seatback are accessible to the outboard and center
occupant and are not under the seat cushions.
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.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she 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.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any 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 3-36
.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work .
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.
1-10

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-11

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-12

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

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you
can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that
has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
1-14