engine GMC SIERRA 1994 Owner's Manual

5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can walk away from your
vehicle with
the ignition key in your hand, your vehicle is in “P”
(Park).
Leaving Your Vehic/e With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is
in “P” (Park) and your parking brake is firmly set before you
leave it. If you have four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case shift
lever, be sure that the transfer case
is 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).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into “P”
(Park) 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
“P’ (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into “P’ (Park) properly before you
leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in the
Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of “P” (Park)
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 “P’ (Park).
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Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission Models
Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual transmission in “R”
(Reverse), turn off the engine, 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 pulling a trailer, see “Parking on
Hills” or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
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Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you ever have to, here
are some things
to know.
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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 sure your vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting Into
‘P’
(Park)’’ in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Four- Wheel Drive
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 satisfixtion 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-wheel drive, your rear-wheel antilock brakes will take over again.
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Underhood Reel Light
... .
If you have an
underhood reel light,
it is located inside the
engine compartment
on the passenger side
fender. You can use
it
as a flashlight.
To use the light, pull up on the lever and pull the light out. The cord will
unreel as
you pull the light.
When you are done
using the light, reel
the cord back into the
housing by turning the
handle.
Then, slide the light into the holder. Press
PUSH on the lever to hook the
light into the holder.
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lnstument Panel
1 23 456 7093 10 3 1
17 1.6
15 14
13 12
I. Side Window Defogger Vents
2. Light Controls
3. Air Vents
4. Multifunction Lever
5. Tilt Lever
6. Instrument Cluster
7. Gearshift Lever
8. Audio System
9. Comfort Control System
11
10. Glove Box
1 1. Audio System
12. Ashtray
13. Rear Window Defogger Switch
14. Air Vent Handles
15. Cargo Lamp Switch or Dome
Light Override Switch
16. Fuse Panel
17. Parking Brake Release Handle
lnstrument Cluster
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your
vehicle is running. You’ll know
how fast you’re going, about how much
fuel you have and many other things you’ll need
to know to drive safely and
economically.
Tachometer Cluster
If you have the tachometer cluster, it looks different but will tell you
everything the standard cluster does, with
the addition of displaying your
engine’s revolutions per minute (rpm).
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To reset the trip odometer, fully press the reset button located \
near the trip
odometer readout. If the reset button is not fully pressed, the trip odometer
may not go all the way back to zero. If it doesn’t, you may have to press the
reset button again to reset the readout to zero.
Tachometer
If you have a
tachometer, it displays
the engine speed in
revolutions per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the red area\
,
your engine or other parts could be damaged.
Damage to your engine or vehicle caused by operating the
engine in the red area isn’t covered by your vehicle warranty.
Warning Lights and Indicators
This section describes the warning lights and gages that may b\
e on your
vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is wrong before it
becomes serious enough to cause an expensive repair or replacem\
ent.
Paying attention to your warning lights and gages could also s\
ave you or
others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be
or is a problem with one of your
vehicle’s functions.
As you will see in the details on the next few pages,
some warning lights come on briefly when you turn the ignition\
key just to
let you know they’re working.
If you are familiar with this section, you
should not be alarmed when this happens.
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Service Throttle Soon Light
The orange Service
Throttle Soon light,
if
you have one, is
located near the
middle left edge of the
instrument cluster
On diesel engines, a computer monitors the operation of the electronic
accelerator. This light should come on when the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, as a check to show you its working.
If it does not come on at
all, have it fixed right away. If the light stays on after the engine starts or
comes on while you are driving, the computer is indicating that you have a
problem. You should take your vehicle in for service soon.
Glow Plugs Light
The orange Glow
Plugs light, if you
have one, is located
near the upper right
corner
of the
instrument cluster.
If you have a diesel engine,
it has a special starting system. An instrument
panel Glow Plugs light tells you when the engine is ready
to be started. For
more details, see “Starting Your Diesel Engine” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
The orange Low
Coolant Warning
light, if you have one,
is located
in the upper
left corner of the
instrument cluster.
If you have
on anytime
engine may a
diesel engine, you have a low coolant light. If this light comes
the engine is running, your system
is low on coolant and the
overheat. See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Charging System Warning Light
The red Charging
System Warning light
I is located at the upper
right corner
of the
instrument cluster.
The Charging System Warning light 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
charging system.
It could indicate a problem with the alternator drive belt,
or some other charging system problem.
Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light on, it helps to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner.
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Malfunction Indicator (Service Engine Soon) Lamp
The orange
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
A computer monitors the operation of your fuel, ignition and emission
control systems. This light should come on when the ignition
is on but the
engine is not running,
as a check to show you its working. If it does not
come
on at all, have it fixed right away. If it stays on, or comes on while you
are driving, the computer is indicating that you have a problem. You should
take your vehicle in for service soon.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on, after a while
the emission controls won’t work
as well, your fuel economy
won’t be as good, and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
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