ESP GMC ENVOY 1998 Owners Manual

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.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
&.. Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I'm wearing a safety belt?
A: You ctxrld 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 car2 unbuckle and get out, is m~h 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.
ProCarManuals.com

When should an air bag inflate?
I
If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between
an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed
to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
The air bag system
is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving” in
the Index for more tips on off-road driving.
1-24
ProCarManuals.com

Door Locks
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your
doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
You can use
the Keyless Entry System.
You can use your key to unlock your door from
the outside.
You can use your power door lock switch
to unlock your
doors from the inside.
To lock your door from the inside, slide the lever on
your inside door down.
To unlock the door, slide the
lever on your inside door
up. You will see a red area
on the lever.
2-4
ProCarManuals.com

Resynchronization Resynchronization may be necessary due to the security
method used by this system. The transmitter does not
send the
same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver
will
not respond to a signal it has been sent previously.
This prevents anyone
from recording and playing back
the signal from the transmitter.
To resynchronize your transmitter, stand close to your
vehicle and press and hold the LOCK and UNLOCK
buttons on the transmitter at the same time for seven
seconds. The door locks should cycle to confirm
synchronization.
If the locks do not cycle. see your
dealer for service.
LiftgateLiftglass
It can be dangerous to drive with the liftgate or
liftglass open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas
can come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If‘ you must drive with the liftgate or liftglass
open or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal between
the body and the liftgate
or liftglass:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on any airflow selection except
RECIRCULATION. That will force outside
air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them
all the way.
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
2-9
I
ProCarManuals.com

Liftgate Release
To release the liftgate or liftglass, you may use the
Keyless Entry System described earlier. The liftglass can
be opened if
the driver’s door is unlocked.
To open the liftglass only,
press the button and pull up
on the handle.
Remote Liftglass Release
1
This button on the
passenger’s side
of the
steering column allows you
to release the liftglass from
inside the vehicle.
Your shift lever must be in
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
for the release to work.
Theft
To open the entire liftgate, lift the handle located in the
center of the door. Vehicle
theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features,
we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
2-10
ProCarManuals.com

Rotate the knob to the right to the master lamps symbol
to turn on all the lamps listed as well as
the headlamps.
Rotate the
knob all the way to the left to turn off your
lamps and put the system in automatic headlamp mode.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as the
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with High Intensity Discharge
(€€ID) headlamps. Your headlamps come on at lower
intensity and gradually increase to full brightness.
Your vehicle is equipped with
a light sensor on the top
of the instrument panel under the radio speaker grille,
so
be sure it is not covered, which will cause the system to
be on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, a tunnel or fueling your vehicle in a low-light
area. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems
so that driving under bridges or bright overhead street lights
does not affect the system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system will only be affected when the light
sensor
sees a change in lighting lasting longer than
the delay.
To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system
off, set the parking brake while the ignition is
off. Then start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp
system will stay off until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps
are manually turned on and your ignition
is in
OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY. To disable the
chime, rotate the thumb wheel all the way down. In
the
automatic mode, the headlamps turn off once the
ignition key is in
OFF,
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short periods after dawn and before sunset.
2-37
ProCarManuals.com

Disabling the Theft-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY or RUN.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until SEC shows on the display.
4. Press MN and 000 will appear on the display.
5. Press MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
6. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press AM-FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code
you have written down.
The display will show
---, indicating that the radio is
no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear
on the
display. The radio will remain secured
until the correct
code
is entered.
When battery power is removed and later applied to
a
secured radio, the radio won’t turn on and LOC will
appear on the display.
To unlock a secured radio, see “Unlocking the
Theft-Deterrent Feature After a Power
Loss” earlier in
this section.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach
only about 10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to
it.
3-23
I
ProCarManuals.com

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in
a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries
to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
1 A CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in
a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
4-5
I
ProCarManuals.com

Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into
the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway
is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for
a
better time.
0 Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see
a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center
line usually indicates it‘s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side
of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you‘re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces
your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back
a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again
and
wait for another opportunity.
b cret too close. Time your move so you will be
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn.
But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you
as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
4-12
ProCarManuals.com

0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren‘t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
4-13
I
ProCarManuals.com