How Do You Use DIC W/o Steering Wheel Controls?

[MAB]

I'm just curious here. My 2003 has the steering wheel controls for the radio and DIC, and since those controls are an option, but the DIC is standard, I was just wondering - how do you operate the DIC on 2003 Av's without the steering wheel controls? Where are the buttons located? I don't think I've seen a 2003 without the steering wheel controls yet, but maybe they're out there.

Anybody with info? Pictures?

 

[SciFiGuy01]

MAB,

There out here. I purchased my 2003 last Saturday strickly a base unit no options. I assumed after reading on the GM site about the D.I.C. that you would be able to do everything it says. I thought I heard somewhere that you used the radio controls to toggle through the items. Well I look in the owners manuel and the only thing there is how to use the buttons on the steering wheel. Well after a day of trying to figure this out I e-mailed my dealer to explain or tell me where I could find the info on the D.I.C. without using the steering wheel controls. One salesman called me back and told me to use the trip counter reset switch which is in the upper right hand corner of the of the display but this only will let you pick the language and cycle through the odometer hour meter and trip meter. The second salesman side I had to use the reset knob and the key fob at the same time. All this did was lock and unlock the doors while cycleing through the above. So I'm thinking unless you have the drivers conv. package with the steering wheel controls these are the only things you get to see Wish my dealer had told me this in the begining then I may have opted for the D.C. package.

 

[Chief]

The NEW Driver Information Center is only fully functional when you order PDH Driver Convenience Package or PDQ Personal Security Package which inlude the steering wheel mounted controls.

 

[SciFiGuy01]

Thats what I was afraid of. Time to send my salesman a nasty gram. Should of told me that instead of telling me that I would be able to see all these things when I asked him about it.

But I still love my AV. If I had got the DC package would not of gotten the color that I've been wanting since I saw my first AV in person.

 

[MAB]

Ahhh, that's what I was afraid of. Without looking again, I don't think the Chevy sales material explains this. I do know that it talks about the DIC being standard equipment. I like all that it does, there's a long list of things to look at. However, many of the things it does is help set vehicle preferences such as do you want lights/horns/nothing when you lock the truck, do you want seat memory (if you have leather I presume) to be set when you hit the keyless remote, when you put the key in, or not at all unless you press the door button. Many of these items I don't think were options or if they were they were not tied into the steering wheel controls options.

I'm sure glad I got the controls now. At one time I had thought that could be one option that didn't matter that much to me, but now it appears you'll have a hard time using all the functionality of the truck without it.

 

[Z71-n-Z28]

I just picked up a 2003 yesterday... Without the steering wheel controls.

The owners manual doesn't include the (if equipped) after the steering wheel controls. I wonder if at the last minute some marketing genius at GM thought it would save $$$ if the steering wheel controls became an option.

To say that the DIC is standard is misleading. Nowhere that I have seen, including brochures, manual, and press releases, does it say anything about the DIC losing functionality w/o steering wheel controls.

I have an idea though... Assuming that the wiring in the column is present, and the DIC module is the same (probably are), would it be possible to add this feature simply by changing the steering wheel?

This is something I've seen done with Pontiac Firebirds that optionally had the steering wheel radio controls. Simply changing the steering wheel made for functional wheel controls....

Do any of you all have access to the '03 service manual to see if wiring is present and the DIC module PN is the same? I bet it is, but I don't want to bet the price of a new steering wheel through GMPartsDirect or Dal at VanDevere...

Cheers,
John