GMC SIERRA 1997 User Guide
Page 11 of 436
Power Driver’s Seat (Option) You can use the round center knob to move the seat to
where
you want it. To raise the seat, move the knob up.
To lower the seat, move the knob down. To move the
seat forward, move the knob toward the front
of the
vehicle.
To move the seat rearward, move the knob
toward the rear
of the vehicle.
You can also raise and lower the front and rear of
the seat. To raise the front of the seat, move the front
lever
up. To lower the front of the seat, move the front
lever down.
To raise the rear of the seat, move the rear
lever
up. To lower the rear of the seat, move the rear
lever down.
If your vehicle has a power seat on the driver’s side, you
can adjust it with these controls at the outside edge of
the seat.
1-3
ProCarManuals.com
Page 12 of 436
Power Lumbar Control
If you have power lumbar
adjustment, you can
increase or decrease lumbar support in an area of the
lower seatback.
Reclining Seatbacks
To increase support, press and hold the front of the
rocker switch. Let go
of the switch when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level
of support.
To decrease support, press and hold the rear of the
rocker switch. Let
go of the switch when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
To adjust the front seatback, move the lever rearward.
Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it.
Move the lever again rearward and the seatback will
go
to an upright position.
1-4
ProCarManuals.com
Page 13 of 436
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving. Sitting in
a reclined position when your
vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up,
your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either.
In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 14 of 436
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest
to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatback of the base level bench seat folds
forward to let you access the rear of the cab. Your
seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you
come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock into place. If
you have
a Crew Cab, your front seatback is designed
not to fold forward. Access to the rear of the cab is
available by using the rear doors.
The front seatback
of split bench seat and bucket seats
fold forward to let you access the rear of the cab.
To fold a front split bench
or bucket seatback forward,
pull this lever forward and
fold the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, just push
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, pull
the seatback
forward to make sure
it is locked.
The rear seatback of a rear bench seat without a center
armrest can be folded forward to let you reach the
area behind
it. Your seatback will move back and forth
freely, unless you come to
a sudden stop. Then, it will
lock into place.
The Crew Cab rear seatback
with a center armrest folds
forward to let you access
the area behind it.
1-6
ProCarManuals.com
Page 15 of 436
To fold a seatback forward,
pull this lever forward and
fold the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, just push
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, pull the seatback
forward to make sure it is locked.
A CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward
on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab Only)
The manual driver and passenger front bucket seat and
the manual
60/40 split bench seat of your vehicle have
an easy entry feature. This makes it easy to get in
and out of the rear seat. On vehicles with
the power
driver’s seat, only the front passenger’s seat has the
easy entry feature.
I”
To operate the seat, pull
forward on the top
of this
lever and tilt the back
forward toward the front
of the vehicle.
When you do, the seat bottom will release. Just pull or
push the seat forward until it stops.
1-7
ProCarManuals.com
Page 16 of 436
To return the seat to its regular position, return the
seatback to its upright position, then push the whole seat
rearward until it latches.
After returning the seat to its regular position, try to
move the seat with your body
in order to make sure the
seat
is locked into place.
If any easy entry seat isn’t locked, it can move. In
a sudden stop or crash, the person sitting there
could be injured. And, even
if there is no crash or
sudden stop, a driver sitting in an unlocked
easy
entry seat could be startled by the sudden
movement and hit the wrong control or pedal,
causing an accident. After you’ve used it, be sure
to push rearward
on any easy entry seat to be
sure it is locked.
Rear Seat (Extended Cab)
Folding the Rear Seat
The extended cab may have a rear folding seat
which can be folded open for more seating space.
To use the seat:
1. Pull the entire seat forward until it is flat.
2. Then pull forward on the
RELEASE lever under
the seat cushion, on the
passenger’s side of the
rear seat. Push the
seatback rearward until
it latches.
3. After pushing the seatback upright into position, pull
the seatback forward to make sure it
is locked.
1-8
I
ProCarManuals.com
Page 17 of 436
The extended cab's rear seat can also be folded up to
provide more cargo space. To
fold the seat:
1. Pull forward on the RELEASE lever at the side of
the seat cushion, behind the passenger's side front
seat. Fold the seatback forward
until it latches with
the seat cushion.
2. Lift the entire seat and
push
it rearward into
place.
3. Make sure the seat is secure.
Rear Seat (Crew Cab)
You can adjust the seat by sliding the lever at the front
of the seat toward the seat support to unlock it. Then,
slide the seat to where you want
it. Release the lever and
try to move the seat with your body
in order to make
sure the seat
is locked into place.
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And
it explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
system, or air bag system.
A CAUTION:
- -
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be
if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.
1-9
ProCarManuals.com
Page 18 of 436
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside
or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely
to be
seriously injured or killed.
Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in
a seat and using a
safety belt properly. Your
vehicle has a light
that comes on
as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have
a crash,
you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many
of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
ProCarManuals.com
Page 19 of 436
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle.
Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.
Put someone on it.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 20 of 436
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
. . . . . . .
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
1-12
ProCarManuals.com