brake GMC SAVANA 1996 Owners Manual
Page 7 of 372
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are
used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME . .
LAMPS -**
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
m
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL ha
V
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Page 71 of 372
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
0
0
0
0
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 kmh) or
less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
0- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts. Avoid making hard stops for the
first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow
a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index for more
information.
Ignition Switch
Your key lets you turn the ignition switch to five
different positions.
C
I
ACCESSORY (A): ACCESSORY lets you use
things like the radio, power windows and the
windshield wipers when the engine
is off. To get into
ACCESSORY, push in the key and turn it toward you.
Your steering wheel will remain locked, just as it was
before
you inserted the key.
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Page 75 of 372
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
transmission,
it now features an electronic shift position
indicator
within the instrument cluster. This display
must be powered anytime the shift lever
is capable of
being moved out of the PARK (P) position. This lneans
that
if your key is in the OFF position, but not locked,
there
will be a small current drain on your battery which
could discharge
your battery over a period of time. If
you have
a need to leave your key in the ignition in the
OFF position for an extended period for any reason, it is
recomnlended that you disconnect the battery cable from
the battery to prevent discharging yo~~r battery.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It‘s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
Your vehicle has
a brake-transmission shift interlock.
With the ignition in the RUN position, you must fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P).
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Page 77 of 372
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
You should use DRIVE
(D) (or, as you need to, a lower
gear) when towing
a trailer. Operating your vehicle in
DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer will minimize heat
build-up and extend the life of your transmission.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however,
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE
(D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power
but lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2)
on hills. It can help control your speed as you go
down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also
want to use your brakes off and on. If you manually
select
SECOND (2), the transmission will drive in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when
you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfdces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST ( 1)’ the transmission
won’t shift into first gear
until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
w
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you are stuck in
very deep sand or mud
or are up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
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Page 78 of 372
Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to
move the vehicle.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with
your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on. To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal
down. Pull the handle, located just above the
parking brake pedal, marked
BRAKE RELEASE to
release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning
light will go off.
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Page 79 of 372
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle. Always check to be sure
your parking brake
is fully released before
you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see biTowing a Trailer“ in the Index. That section shows
what to do first
to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Irto PPY (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly.
You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move,
even when you’re on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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Page 81 of 372
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Enf;?e Rurr-;-y
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if
you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly,
the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before
you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK
(P)” in the Index. When
you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill
to take some of the
pressure from the transmission,
so you can pull the shift
lever out of PARK
(P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system.
You have to fully apply your regular brakes
before
you can shift from PARK (P). See “Automatic
Transmission” in the Index.
If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If
you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you
5. Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
want.
fixed
as soon
as you can.
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Page 83 of 372
Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
I
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine
Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
tkiis can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.)
A CAUTION: .-
It can be dangerous to get out .of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
.
’Follow the proper steps td be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you”re pulling a, trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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Page 90 of 372
Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever, there’s a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the windshield,
push the paddle.
Washer fluid will spray as long
as you push the paddle.
When
you let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for approximately two more wipe cycles and
then either stop or return to the preset speed.
Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous.
A
bad mud splash can block your vision. You could hit
another vehicle or
go off the road. Check your washer
fluid level
often.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding.
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Resuming a Set Speed
Setting Cruise Control
-
L
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise control switch
OFF until you want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release
it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Suppose
you set your
cruise control at a desired speed
and
then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset
it.
Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from
ON to
R/A (Resume/Accelerate) for about half
a second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
Remember,
if you hold the switch at R/A longer than
half
a second, the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the switch or apply the brake. You could be
startled and even lose control.
So unless you want to go
faster, don’t hold the switch at R/A.
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