2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 has one engine and five trim designations to keep straight — Base, North Face, On Road Edition, WBH and Z71 — all on the four-door crew cab pickup body. The engine is the 325-cubic-inch 5.3-liter V8, overhead-valve and naturally aspirated, running gasoline or flex-fuel. Engine, transmission and chassis procedures apply across the five; the electrical and interior sections are where a technician has to know which truck he is looking at.

Engines covered

• 5.3L V8 (325 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline or flex-fuel

Body styles covered

• 4-door crew cab pickup

Trims covered

• Base
• North Face
• On Road Edition
• WBH
• Z71

Known issues on the 2003 Avalanche 1500. Six recalls stand against this year. In a hard left-angle frontal impact, the mid-frame cross member can tear where it attaches to the left frame rail and leave an edge sharp enough to open the fuel tank. An out-of-specification bore in the brake hydro-boost housing can fracture the valve's O-ring seal and raise steering effort while braking. Tailgate support cables can corrode through and let the gate fall. Belt routing in the second-row center seat, a leaking replacement fuel filter and nonconforming lamps fill out the list. Brakes and electrical lead the 422 complaints at 133 and 125.