light GMC SONOMA 2001 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents
Windows
Keys and Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry (If Equipped)
Tailgate
Automatic Transmission (If Equipped)
Manual Transmission Operation (If Equipped)
Four-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
Parking Brake
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Windshield Wipers
Cruise Control (If Equipped)
Exterior and Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Accessory Power Outlets
OnStar
® System (If Equipped)
Instrument Panel, Warning Lights and Gages Seats and Seat Controls
Safety BeltsAir Bag Systems
Restraint Systems for Children
Section
1
Section
2
Seats and Restraint Systems
Features and Controls
ii

ix
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important for
you and your
passengers
whenever your
vehicle is driven:
CHILD
RESTRAINT
TOP STRAP
ANCHOR
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. Also see ªWarning Lights and Gagesº in the Index.

1-7 Rear Seat (Crew Cab

)
To tilt the rear seat forward, pull forward on the lever
located at the base of the seatback.
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 air bag system.
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.
CAUTION:
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 ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.

1-13
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.

1-22
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. 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 part of this manual
called ªChildren.º
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, 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. See ªAir Bag Readiness Lightº in the Index
for more information.

1-28
To turn off the right front passenger's air bag, insert
your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to AIR BAG OFF.
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 inflate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, don't let anyone whom the national
government has identified 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.

1-34
Lap-Shoulder Belt (Crew Cab)
The positions next to the windows have lap
-shoulder
belts. Here's how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you more slowly.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it
will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
If the belt is not long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

1-52
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 inflate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, don't let anyone whom the national
government has identified 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. See ªAir Bag Off
Switchº in the Index.
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger's air bag.
If your vehicle is a regular cab pickup or an extended
cab pickup and you are using a rear
-facing child
restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag is turned
off. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in the Index. On all
models, if your child restraint is forward
-facing,
always move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing it in this seat. See ªSeatsº in the Index.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child's face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.

1-58
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn't long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It's free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don't let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
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.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you've had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If you ever see a label on
the driver's or on a crew cab
right front passenger's
safety belt that says to
replace the belt, be sure to
do so. Then the new belt
will be there to help protect
you in a collision. You
would see this label on the
belt near the door opening.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt wasn't being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you'll need to replace air bag system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in this section.

2-
2-1
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything
is working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
-2 Windows
2
-5 Keys
2
-7 Door Locks
2
-10 Remote Keyless Entry System (If Equipped)
2
-14 Tailgate
2
-15 Theft
2
-16 Content Theft-Deterrent (If Equipped)
2
-18 Passlock

2-18 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-19 Ignition Positions
2
-21 Starting Your Engine
2
-23 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-24 Automatic Transmission Operation
2
-27 Manual Transmission Operation
2
-29 Four-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
2
-32 Parking Brake
2
-33 Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Only)2
-35 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Only)
2
-36 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-37 Engine Exhaust
2
-37 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
2
-38 Locking Rear Axle
2
-38 Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
2
-39 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-45 Exterior Lamps
2
-48 Interior Lamps
2
-50 Mirrors
2
-53 Storage Compartments
2
-61 Accessory Power Outlets (If Equipped)
2
-65 Instrument Panel - Your Information System
2
-66 Instrument Panel Cluster
2
-69 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators