GMC Chevrolet SSR 2003 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-20
Airbag Systems ........................................ 1-40
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-52
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-10
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-12
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-14
Mirrors .................................................... 2-24
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-26
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-31
Convertible Top ....................................... 2-37
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-44
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-41
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-58
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-30
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-42
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-42
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-43
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-48
Tires ...................................................... 5-51
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-72
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-80
Electrical System ...................................... 5-81
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-90
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-91
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 SSR Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
SSR 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.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if
needed when you are on the road. If the vehicle is sold,
leave this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is
an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and
the page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. C2339 A First Edition
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell 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 do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or
“Do Not let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell 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.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols 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 symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Heated Seats .................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Seatback Latches ...........................................1-6
Safety Belts .....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-6
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-12
Driver Position ..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-18
Passenger Position .......................................1-19
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-19
Child Restraints .............................................1-20
Older Children ..............................................1-20
Infants and Young Children ............................1-22
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-25
Top Strap ....................................................1-29
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-31
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position ............................................1-36
Airbag Systems ..............................................1-40
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-42
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-45
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-46
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-46
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-47
Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-48
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-52
Restraint System Check ..................................1-52
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-52
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-53
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Power Seats
Driver’s Seat
The power seat controls are located on the outboard
side of the driver’s seat.
Horizontal Control
•Move the front of the seat control up or down to
adjust the front portion of the cushion.
•Move the rear of the seat control up or down to
adjust the rear portion of the cushion.
•Lift up or push down on the center of the seat
control to move the entire seat up or down.
•Slide the seat control forward or rearward to move
the seat forward or rearward.
Vertical Control
The vertical control is used to operate the power
lumbar.
Adjust the seat cushion using the horizontal control.
To adjust the seatback, see Reclining Seatbacks
on page 1-4. Once the seat is in the desired position,
adjust the lumbar.
Press the vertical control forward to increase support
and rearward to decrease support.
If your vehicle has the memory seat feature, you can
program seat positions for up to two drivers. See
Memory Seat on page 2-44 for more information.
Power seat with memory seat controls shown
1-2

Passenger’s Seat
The power seat controls are located on the outboard
side of the passenger’s seat.
Horizontal Control
To adjust the seat, slide the control forward or rearward
to move the seat forward or rearward.
Vertical Control
The vertical control is used to operate the power
lumbar.
Adjust the seat cushion using the horizontal control.
To adjust the seatback, see Reclining Seatbacks
on page 1-4. Once the seat is in the desired position,
adjust the lumbar.
Press the vertical control forward to increase support
and rearward to decrease support.
1-3

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the switches are
located on the outboard
side of the driver’s
and passenger’s seats.
This feature will heat the lower cushion and lower back
of the driver’s and passenger’s seats.
Press LO to turn the heater on low. Press HI to turn the
heater on high. Put the switch in the center position
to turn the heater off.
The engine must be running for the heated seats to work.
Also, the passenger’s safety belt must be buckled for the
heated seat feature to work on the passenger’s seat.
If you turn the ignition off when the heated seats are on,
the heated seats will turn off. They will come on again
when you restart the vehicle.
Reclining Seatbacks
The seatbacks in your vehicle provide head restraint,
helping to prevent neck injury in a rear impact, but they
do not provide rollover protection.
To recline the seatback, lift the lever on the outboard
side of the seat cushion.
Release the lever to lock the seatback where you
want it. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the
seatback, and the seat will go to an upright position.
1-4

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 cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot 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.
1-5

Seatback Latches To fold the seatback
forward, push the lever on
the side of the seatback
rearward and pull the
seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push it all
the way back until the latch catches. If the seatback
was reclined before being folded forward, it will return to
the reclined position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not 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.
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:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can
not wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are 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 passenger’s belt is
fastened properly too.
1-6

{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 3-24.
In most states and 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.
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!
1-7

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.
Put someone on it.
1-8

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-9

or the instrument panel... 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.
1-10

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 airbags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A: Airbags 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 airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use
of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that
has airbags, 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.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident — even one that isn’t your fault — you
and your passenger can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-11

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-20
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-22. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-19.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-12

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less
likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the
belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of
the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-13

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder
belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should fit against your body.
1-14