coolant GMC SIERRA 1993 Owners Manual

How To Use This Manual
These symbols are used on warning lights in your vehicle:
1-
Engine Coolant Temperature
BRAKE
Brake Battery
Charging
System
I RELEASE
Parking Brake Release
s Fuel
SHIFT
Shift Light
Engine Oil
Pressure
Low
Coolant
Here are some other symbols you may see:
Fuse
I II
Hood Release Lighter Horn
PO594
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When your engine is cold, let it run for a few minutes before you move your
vehicle. This lets oil pressure build up. Your engine will sound louder when
it's cold.
NOTIP
-
If you're not in an idling vehicle and the engine overheats, you wouldn't
there to see the coolant temperature gage. This could damage your
hicle. Don't let vour enaine run when you're not
in vour vehicle.
Cold Weather Starting (Diesel Engine)
The following tips will help you get good starting in cold weather.
Use
SAE IOW-30 oil when the outside temperature drops below freezing.
When the outside temperature drops below
0°F (-18"C), use your engine
block heater.
If you park your vehicle in a garage, you shouldn't need to use \
the block
heater until the garage temperature goes below
0°F (-18"C), no matter how
cold it is outside.
To use the engine block heater, first turn
off the engine. Then open the hood,
unwrap the electrical cord and plug it in. It uses normal house voltage
(110
volts), but:
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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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Your Driving and the Road
Winter Driving
- AM480004
Here are some tips for winter driving.
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engi\
ne coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give you less traction
on ice than regular tires.
If you do not expect to be driving in deep
snow, but may have to travel over ice, you may not want to \
switch to
snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.\

Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a
red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple
of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably\
have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you ca\
n
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will
need to be very careful.
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If your vehicle has the four-wheel-drive option and the transfer c\
ase is
engaged, a dolly must be used under the rear wheels when towi\
ng from the
front.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your vehicle instrument\
panel. If
you have a diesel engine, you will also find a low coolant light on your
instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
K2509
I CAUTION
A
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn
it off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until
it cools down. Wait until there is no sign of steam
or coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is overheated, the liquids in it
can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the engine is
cool.
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Cooling System
PO21 0
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what you’ll see:
A. Coolant recovery tank
B. Radiator pressure cap
C. Engine fan
CAUTION
‘4
An electric fan under the hood can start up even when the engine\
is
not running and can injure you. Keep hands, clothing, and tool\
s
away from any electric fan.
m
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling, don’t do anything
else until it cools down.
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I
I
‘4
!b P4
LL
1
PO593
The coolant level should be at or above the COLD mark. If it isn’t, you may
have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine parts, can be very\
hot.
-, Don’t touch them. If you do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run the engine, it cou
lose all coolant. That could cause an engine fire, and you could be
burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I I
NOTICE
Engine damage from running your engine without coolant isn’t covered by
I your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric engine fan (if you
have one) is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan should be running.
If it isn’t, your vehicle needs service.
Start the engine again to see
if the regular fan runs when the engine does.
If it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service. Turn off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level isn’t at or above
COLD, add a 50hO mixture of clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper
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