GMC SIERRA DENALI 2003 User manual

The 2003 GMCSierra Denali OwnerManual a
SeatsandRestraintSystems ........................... 1-1
FrontSeats ............................................... 1-2
RearSeats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-30
AirBagSystems
...................................... 1-57
RestraintSystemCheck
............................ 1-73
FeaturesandControls
..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
DoorsandLocks
....................................... 2-6
Windows
................................................. 2-1 0
Theft-DeterrentSystems ............................ 2-1 3
Startingand Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-15
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-28
Onstar@System
...................................... 2-33
HomeLink@Transmitter
............................. 2-35
StorageAreas
......................................... 2-39
InstrumentPanel
............................................. 3-1
Vehicle Personalization
............................. 2-42
InstrumentPanelOverview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-1 8
WarningLights,Gagesand Indicators
......... 3-24
Driver InformationCenter (DIC)
.................. 3-43
AudioSystem(s)
....................................... 3-61
DrivingYourVehicle
....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-45
Service and Appearance Care
.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
CheckingThingsUnder
the Hood
............................................. 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-49
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-50
Front Axle
............................................... 5-51
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-60
Tires
...................................................... 5-61
AppearanceCare
..................................... 5-86
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-94
Electrical System
...................................... 5-95
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-104
NormalMaintenanceReplacement Parts .... 5-105
MaintenanceSchedule
..................................... 6-1
MaintenanceSchedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index
................................................................. 1

Canadian Owners
GENERAL MOTORS,GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem and the name SIERRA DENALI
are registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includesthe latest information at 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 Limited” for GMC 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.
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
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receivetheir new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explainthings.
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.
Litho in USA. @CopyrightGeneralMotorsCorporation 06/24/02
Part No. S2315 A First Edition AllRightsReserved
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTIONto tell you about
things that could hurt you
if you were to ignore the
warning.
These mean tl.Lme
is somethingthat 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 reducethe
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 becostly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you readother 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 andlabelsthat use
symbols instead
of text. Symbols,used on your vehicle,
are shown alongwith the textdescribingthe operation
or information relatingto 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 in the Index:
Seatsand RestraintSystems in Section 1
Featuresand Controlsin Section 2
Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
Climate Controls in Section 3
Warning Lights, Gagesand Indicatorsin Section 3
Audio System(s) inSection 3
EngineCompartmentOverview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE /r\
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR
COULD
FLAME
'\Ir8
EXPLODE
BAlTERY
LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECTOCCUPANT
48: @
DO NOT TWISTSAFm
BELT WHENAlTACHING
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
MOVE SEAT
FULLY
\v!
REARWARD* /g
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
THEN SECURE
CHILD
SEAT
DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILDRESTRAINT
@o
POSITION 8
IN THISSEATING
DO NOT INSTALL
A
CHILDRESTRAINT p?
FORWARD-FACING
IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
8
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
SGHTING
-
MASTER SWITCH B- / , \
SIGNALS @e
TURN
PARKING
PC
LAMPS
RUNNING
*:{io
DAYTIME
LAMPS
LAMPS
#O
ENGINE
COOLANT
cc.
TEMP
CHARGING
BAlTERY
SYSTEM
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
W&
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
FE E]
ACCESS
COOLANT
m-1
ENGINE
FAN
OWNERS
MANUAL
SERVICE
MANUAL
V

NOTES
vi

Section Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ..................................................... .l -2
PowerSeats ............................. .............. 1-2
Power Lumbar ............................................... 1-3
Heated Seats
................................................. 1-3
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1-4
HeadRestraints
............................................. 1-6
Rear Seats
....................................................... 1 -7
Rear Seat Operation
....................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
..................................................... 1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts
...... 1-12
How to WearSafety Belts Properly
................. 1-13
Driver Position
.............................................. 1.1 3
Safety BeltUse During Pregnancy
.................. 1-21
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1-22
SafetyBelts:They Are forEveryone
................. 1-8
Center Passenger Position
............. ..... 1-22
RearSeatPassengers
...................... ..... 1-24
RearSafetyBeltComfortGuidesfor
Children andSmall Adults
.......................... 1-27
SafetyBeltExtender
......................... ..... 1-29
ChildRestraints
............................. ..... 1-30
Older Children
.............................................. 1-30
Infants andYoung Children ............................ 1-32
Child Restraint Systems
................................ -1-36
Where to Put the Restraint
............................. 1-38
Top Strap
................................................... .l -40
Top Strap Anchor Location ............................. 1.41
Children (LATCH System)
....................... 1-43
for the LATCH System
............................... 1-46
Outside Seat Position
................................ 1-46
RearSeat Position
.................................... 1-48
Front Seat Position
.................................... 1-50
AirBag Systems ....................... .............. 1-57
Where Are the Air Bags?
............................ 1-59
WhenShouldanAir Bag Inflate? .................... 1-61
WhatMakes an AirBag Inflate?
..................... 1-61
LowerAnchoragesandTop Tethers for
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
Securing a Child Restraint in aRear
Securing a Child Restraint in aCenter
Securing a Child Restraint
in the Right
HowDoes an Air Bag Restrain?
..................... 1-62
What Will YouSeeAfteranAir Bag Inflates?
... 1-62
AirBag
Off Switch ........................................ 1-64
Passenger Sensing System
............................ 1-68
Servicing YourAirBag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-72
AddingEquipment to YourAir Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
.................................................... 1-72
Restraint System Check
.................................. 1-73
CheckingYour Restraint Systems ...................1-73
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After aCrash
.............................. ...... .l -73
1-1

Front Seats
Power Seats
Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or
loweringthe forward edge of the control. Raiseor lower
the rear of the seat by raisingor loweringthe rear
edge of the control.
Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole
control toward the front or towardthe rear
of the
vehicle.
Moving the whole control up or down raises or lowers
the entire seat cushion.
Vertical Control: See
RecliningSeatbackson
page
1-4.
Horizontal Control: You can adjust your vehicle’s front
seats with the horizontalcontrol located on the
outboard edge of each front seat.
1-2

Power Lumbar
, If your vehicle has this
’ feature, the four-way
control is located on the
To increase or decrease support, press and hold the
front or rearof the control. Let goof 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. Letgo of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
Heated Seats
1
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.
Pressthe 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.
1-3

Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicles front seatbacks have a recline feature.
Vertical Control: You can use the vertical control to
adjust the angle of the seatback. Move the recliningfront
seatback rearwardor forward by moving the vertical
control toward the rear or toward thefront
of the vehicle.
But don’t have a seatback reclined
if your vehicle is
moving.
1 -4

Sitting in a re ned positionwhenyourvehicle
is
in motion canbe 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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 andwear your safety belt
properly.
1 -5

Head Restraints To raise the head restraint pull up on the head restraint.
To lower the head restraint, press the release button
while you push the head restraint down.
The head restraints tilt forward and rearward also.
To tilt the head restraintforward, grasp the top
of the
restraint and move it forward until you hear
a click. It will
then be locked into that position until you need to
move it again. Pulling it forward past the last position
will allow the restraintto return to the upright position.
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.
1-6

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Rear Seat
The rear seat can be folded up to provide more cargo
space. To fold the seat do the following:
2. Fold the seat cushion upward until it latches with
3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure the seat is
the seatback.
secure.
The rear seat can 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.
2. Pullthe seat cushion downward until it latches.
3. After pulling the seat cushion down, pull up on it to
make sure it is locked.
1 -7

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.
.
Don’t let anyone ride __. ]ere 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 notbe, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outsideof 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.
1 -8

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as
a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
on page 3-26.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces,the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’swhy:
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!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or onanything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat OP
wheels.
1-9

--L
I
0
73
s

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 unbucklea safety belt,
even
if you’re upsidedown. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,so
you can unbuckleand 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
supplementalsystems only;
so they work with
safety belts - not insteadof them. Every air bag
system ever offeredfor sale has requiredthe 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 infrontalcollisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-12

Q:
A:
If I’m a good driver,and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
You may be an excellentdriver, but
if you’re in an
accident
- even one that isn’t your fault - you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect youfrom things beyond your
control,such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occurwithin
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds ofless than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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 beltsand 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 1-30
or lnfants and Young Children on page 1-32. Follow
those rulesfor everyone’s protection.
First,you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraintsystem.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulderbelt. Here’s 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.
We’ll start with the driver position.
1-13