Index GMC SIERRA 1993 User Guide

Features & Controls
Propshaft Brake Burnish Procedure
If you have a 3500 HD Model, it is recommended that the propshaft mounted
parking brake be burnished as part of the new vehicle break in. The parking
brake
will work best after it has been burnished following these instructions.
Make
10 stops, using the parking brake foot pedal, from 20 mph (32 k\
m/h)
about 2
112 miles (4 km) apart. In between stops, drive the vehicle at 20
mph (32 kmlh).
Torque Lock
The parking brake should be set first whenever leaving the dri\
ver’s seat. If
you are parked on a hill and the transmission is placed in P (Park) before
the parking brake is set, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in the transmission.
It may be difficult to pull the selector
lever out of
P (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent this, the parking
brake should be set
BEFORE moving the selector lever to P (Park).
When preparing
to move the vehicle, the selector lever should be moved out
of
P (Park) BEFORE releasing the parking brake. Set the parking brake first,
then release the transmission from
P (Park), even on level surfaces.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may have to have another vehicle nudge
your vehicle uphill a little
to take some of the pressure off the transmission
while you pull the selector lever out of
P (Park).
Shifting Into P (Park) (Automatic Transmission Models Only)
1 CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in
P (Park) 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,
when you’re
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in N (Neutral),
your vehicle will be free to roll-even if your shift lever is in P
{Park). So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear-not N
(Neutral).
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re pulling a trailer, also see
“Parking on Hills9’ or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. I
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission Models Only)
I CAUTION
A It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine running. 1
1 Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in P
(Park) with the parking brake firmly set.
If you have a four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case sh\
ift lever
and your transfer case
is in N (Neutral), your vehicle will be free to
roll, even
if your shift lever is in P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear-not in
N (Neutral).
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.\

If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be su\
re your
vehicle
is in P (Park) and your parking brake is firmly set, before you leav\
e
it. If you have a four-wheel drive, be sure that the transfer case i\
s in a drive
gear-not in
N (Neutral).
After you’ve moved the shift lever into the
P (Park) position, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from P
(Park) without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
P (Park).
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission Models Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual transmission in R
(Reverse) and firmly apply the parking brake.
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case is in a\
drive gear.
Your vehicle could roll
if it isn’t.
If you are parking on a hill, or if your vehicle is equipped to tow a trailer,
see “Parking on Hills” or “Towing a Trailer” in the\
Index.
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Running Your Engine While You%
Parked [Automatic mansmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you ever have to, here
are some things
to know.
1 CAUTION I
* Idling the engine with the air system control off could allow
‘ jangerous exhaust into your vehicle. (See the earlier Caution under
**A :E ..:i *; !.< .. 5;:. ::.; ,$+ : ‘Engine Exhaust”.) ~~-?~c-~~~~~=~~:-
Also, Idling in a closed-in place can let deadly oxide (CO)
nto your vehicle, even if the fan switch is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust-with co--( -% -c ?& 2asily. NEVER park in a garage with the engine runni
?-! 4nother ,I: -‘i closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See “Blizzard“ in th
Index.)
CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not
L fully in P (Park) 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,, alw\
ays
set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
P (Park).
I
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in N (Neutral},
your vehicle
will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in P (Park),
So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear-not in N (Neutral).
Foliow the proper -steps to be sure your vehicle won’t move. -See
“Shifting Into P (Park)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re pulling- -a- trailer, also see
“Parking on Hilis”-.or “Towing -a Trailer”‘ in the Index.
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Features & Contmls
Four- Wheel Drive
CAUTION I
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever -is not
fully in
P (Park) 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 P (Park).
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in N (Neutral),
your vehicle
will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in P’(Park).
So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear-not in N (Neutral).
Follow the proper steps
to be suce your vehicle won’t move. See
“Shifting Into
P (Park)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re pulling a trailer, also see
“Parking ‘on Hills’’ or “Towing a Trailer” in this section.
I
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your engine’\
s driving power
to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the most satisfaction out of
four-wheel drive, you must be familiar with it’s operation. \
Read the part that
follows before using four-wheel drive. You should use
2H for most normal
driving conditions.
Rear-wheel antilock brakes
do not work when you shift into four-wheel drive.
Your regular brakes will still work. When you shift back into two-w\
heel drive,
your rear-wheel antilock brakes will take over again.
I NOTICE
Driving in the 4H or 4L positions for a long time on dry or wet pavement
could shorten the life
of your vehicle’s drivetrain.
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Turn Signa/ and Lane Change Indicator
(I
The turn signal has two upward (for Right) and two downward \
(for Left)
positions. These positions allow you to signal a turn
or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return automatically.
A green arrow on the instrument panel will flash in the direction of the turn
or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise
or lower the lever until the green arrow
starts
to flash. Hold it there until you complete your lane change. The lever
will return by itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows flash twice as fast as
normal, a signal bulb may be burned out and other drivers won't see your
turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace
it to help avoid an accident. If the green
arrows don't go on at all when you signal a turn, check the \
fuse (see "Fuses" in the Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
Operation of Lighfs
Although your vehicle's lighting system (headlights, parking lig\
hts, fog lamps,
side marker lights and taillights) meet all applicable federal \
lighting
requirements, certain states and provinces may apply their own lighting
regulations that may require special attention before you operat\
e these lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may require that you operate your l\
ower
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Features & Controls
that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.\
It
may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle towed for
service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
CAUTION
* Your brake system may not be working properly if the brake warning
light is on. Driving with the brake warning light on can lead\
to an
accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have
+hq vehicle towed for service.
“WATER IN FUEL” Light
WATER
IN
FUEL I
-l PB010
This light will come on to warn you if there is too much water in the diesel
fuel system. For more information on how this light works, see\
“Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Index.
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GLOW PLUGS Light
I--
GLOW
PLUGS
K2337
Your diesel engine has a special starting system. An instrument\
panel GLOW
PLUGS light tells you when the engine is ready to be started. It is at the
upper right
of your cluster. For more details, see “Starting Your Diesel
Engine” in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
K2327
If you have a diesel engine, you have a low coolant warning ligh\
t. If this light
comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may overheat. See
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Features & Controls
“Engine Coolant’’ in the Index and have your vehicle s\
erviced as soon as
you can.
Charging System Light
K2328
The red charging system light is located at the upper right hand corner of
your instrument cluster. It should come on briefly when you turn on the
ignition, before starting the engine, as a check to show you it is working.
After the engine starts, the light should
go out. If it stays on, or comes on
while you are driving, you may have a problem with your elect\
rical charging system. It could indicate that you have a loose alternator drive belt, or\
that
you have some other electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner.
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Features & Controls
Listed are four situations you may experience with your fuel g\
age:
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the fuel gage indicated.
For example, the gage may have indicated the tank was half fu\
ll, but
it
actually took a little more or less than half the tank's capa\
city to fill the
tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or speed up. \
The gage doesn't go back to empty when you turn off the ignition.
None of these indicate a problem with the fuel gage.
For information on how to
fill your fuel tank see "Fuel-Filling Your Tank" in
the Index.
For your fuel tank capacity, see "Fuel-Tank Capacity"
in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
760
K2334
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, about 260°F
(145°C) or more, your engine is too hot! It
means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating
your vehicle under normal operating conditions, you should pull \
off the road,
stop your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
Hot Coolant Can Burn You Badly!
In "Problems on the Road", this manual shows what to do. See \
"Engine
Overheating" in the Index.
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Heater Output
Optional Engine Block Heater
If your engine is equipped with an optional engine block heater, you can use
it during initial start-up in cold weather (20”F,
-8”C, or lower) to help heat the
passenger compartment faster. Because an engine block heater war\
ms the
engine coolant, your vehicle’s heating system can provide som\
e heat as soon
as you start the engine.
The use
of an engine block heater also reduces the time it takes for the
engine to reach normal operating temperature, and shortens the time it takes
the heater to reach full output. For more information, See “Engine Block
Heater” in the Index.
Diesel Engine
If you idle your diesel engine for a long time when it’s cold\
outside, your
heater may blow out cool air. This is normal. When you increase the \
engine
speed, your heater should blow out warmer air.
If it doesn’t, your coolant
level may be
low. See “Engine Coolant’’ in the Index to find out how to
check your coolant level.
Electronic HeatingAir Conditioning System
Function Display
K2305
If your vehicle has air conditioning, your heating/air conditioning \
system will
look like this.
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