light GMC SIERRA 2003 User Guide

If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and
you’re using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat,
check to be sure the right front passenger’s frontal air
bag is off before you begin to drive. If the air bag
has been turned off, the off indicator will light and stay
lit in the rearview mirror.
If the on indicator is lit, the passenger’s frontal air bag
has not been turned off by the passenger sensing
system. If this ever happens, turn the vehicle off,
unbuckle the safety belt and perform the steps to install
the rear-facing restraint again. After restarting the
vehicle, if the air bag still doesn’t turn off, install the
infant restraint in a rear seat position of the vehicle or
check to make sure the AIR BAG OFF switch has been
turned to off. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-61
andPassenger Sensing System on page 1-66.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag ON indicator comes on when you
have a rear-facing child restraint installed in
the right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not turned
off the passenger’s frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger’s
air bag inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inflating air bag. Don’t use a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the air bag is off.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will remove freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
If you were using a rear-facing child restraint and had
turned the air bag off with the switch, remember to turn
on the right front passenger’s air bag when you
remove the rear-facing child restraint from the vehicle
unless the person who will be sitting there is a member
of a passenger air bag risk group. SeeAir Bag Off
Switch on page 1-61.
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{CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an
inflating air bag, as you would be if you were
leaning forward, it could seriously injure you.
Safety belts help keep you in position before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with air bags. The driver should sit
as far back as possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its
air bag system is designed for them. Young
children and infants need the protection that a
child restraint system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, see the parts of this manual
called “Older Children” and “Infants and
Young Children.”
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAir Bag Readiness Light on page 3-27
for more information.
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To turn off the right front passenger’s air bag, insert
your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the off position.
The AIR BAG OFF light will come on to let you know
that the right front passenger’s air bag is off. The
right front passenger’s air bag will remain off until you
turn it back on again, and the AIR BAG OFF light
will stay on to remind you that the air bag is off.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger’s air bag
could inate even though the switch is off. If
this ever happens, don’t let anyone whom the
national government has identied as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group sit
in the right front passenger’s position (for
example, don’t secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. United States with
Passenger Sensing
System
United States without
Passenger Sensing
System
Canada with Passenger
Sensing SystemCanada without
Passenger Sensing
System
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When the passenger’s frontal air bag has been turned
off either by the passenger sensing system or by the air
bag off switch, the off indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the air bag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the passenger’s frontal air bag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint or a booster seat
is detected. If the child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off, remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on page 1-49of this manual.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle
and check with your dealer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inflate) the right front passenger’s frontal air
bag anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
air bag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the air bag is active.For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag, depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly—whether or not there is an air bag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person isn’t sitting properly in the seat
or the air bag off switch is in the off position. If this
happens and the switch is in the proper position, turn
the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback
in the full upright position, then sit upright in the seat,
centered on the seat cushion, with the person’s
legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle and have
the person remain in this position for about two
minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and then enable the passenger’s air bag.
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{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
air bag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the frontal air bag. See “Air Bag Readiness
Light” in the Index for more on this, including
important safety information.
Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
You may want to consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the passenger
sensing system.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s seat
or between the passenger’s seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
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Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the air
bags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end or side sheet
metal or height, they may keep the air bag system
from working properly. Also, the air bag system
may not work properly if you relocate any of the air
bag sensors. If you have any questions about
this, you should contact Customer Assistance
before you modify your vehicle. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance
are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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Tailgate
You can open the tailgate by lifting up on its handle
while pulling the tailgate toward you.
To shut the tailgate,rmly push it upward until it
latches.
After you put the tailgate back up, pull it back towards
you to be sure it latches securely.
Tailgate Removal
The tailgate on your vehicle can be removed to allow for
different loading situations. Although the tailgate can
be removed without assistance, you may want someone
to assist you with the removal to avoid possible
damage to the vehicle.
To remove the tailgate, do the following:1. Raise the tailgate
slightly and release
both retaining cable
clips. To release the
retaining cable clips, lift
the cable so it points
straight out and push
the cable clip forward.
2. With the tailgate at a
slight upward angle,
pull back on the tailgate
at the right edge and
then move the
tailgate to the right to
release the left edge.
Reverse the above procedure to reinstall. Make sure the
tailgate is secure.
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Power Windows
A power window control is located on the inside of each
front door.
The driver’s door has a switch for the passenger
window as well. Your power windows will work when the
ignition has been turned to ACCESSORY or RUN or
when Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
See“Retained Accessory Power”underIgnition
Positions on page 2-16.
Press the rear of the switch with the power window
symbol on it to lower the window or press the front of
the switch to raise the window.
Express-Down Windows
The driver and passenger windows also has an express
down feature that allows the windows to be lowered
without holding the switch. Press and hold the front edge
of the window switch for one second to activate the
express down mode. The express down mode can be
canceled at any time by pulling up on the switch.
To open the window partway, lightly tap the switch until
the window is at the desired position.
Swing-Out Windows
To open a rear swing-out
window,ip the latch open
and swing the glass out.
The latch will catch when the window is fully open and it
will also hold it in the open position.
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Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the top and
bottom visors. You can also swing the bottom visor from
side-to-side. The visors may also have an extension
that can be pulled out for additional glare protection.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors
Your vehicle may have this feature. If it does, pull the
sun visor down and lift the mirror cover to turn on
the lamps. There is a slide switch to adjust the intensity
of the lamps.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle is equipped with a content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
With this system, the
security light on the cluster
willash as you open
the door (if your ignition is
off), to let you know
that you are activating the
system.
This message reminds you to activate the theft-deterrent
system. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the power door lock switch or
the remote keyless entry transmitter. The security
light should come on andash. If you are using the
remote keyless entry transmitter, the door does
not need to be open.
3. Close all of the doors. The light will stopashing and
stay solid.The security light should go off after
approximately 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed
until the security light goes off. If the delayed locking
feature is active, the alarm will not activate until all
doors are closed and the security light goes off.
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Passlock®
Your vehicle is equipped with the
Passlock®theft-deterrent system.
Passlock
®is a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlock®enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key. If a correct key is not used or the
ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, fuel is disabled.
If the engine stalls and the security lightashes,
wait until the light stopsashing before trying to restart
the engine. Remember to release the key from
START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine is running and the security light comes on,
you will be able to restart the engine if you turn the
engine off. However, your Passlock
®system is
not working properly and must be serviced by your
dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock
®at this
time. You may also want to check the fuse (see
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-91.) See your
dealer for service.
In an emergency, call the GM Roadside Assistance
Center. SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-5
under Customer Assistance Information.
Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.”But it will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the first 500 miles (805 km).
•Don’t drive at any one speed — fast or
slow — for the first 500 miles (805 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.
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