manual transmission CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1997 Owners Manual

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.
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Door Locks
Keyless Entry System
Your Doors and How They Work
Theft
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Gasoline Engine
Engine Coolant Heater
Automatic Transmission Operation
Locking Rear Axle
Four-wheel Drive
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P)
Shifting Out of PARK
(P)
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2-5 8
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2-60
2-62
2-64 Parking Over
Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
Windows
Tilt Wheel
Multifunction Lever
Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Sun Visors
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
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Operation
To unlock the driver’s door, press the UNLOCK button.
If you press this button again within five seconds, all the
remaining doors will unlock. The interior lamps will
come on for
40 seconds or until the ignition is turned on.
Press the
LOCK button to lock all the doors. The
interior lamps will come on for two seconds as soon as
all the doors are closed.
The rear cargo doors or tailgate glass will unlock
automatically when the REAR button on the transmitter
is pressed twice within three seconds. If your vehicle is
equipped with a rear liftglass, pressing the REAR button
twice within three seconds will release the liftglass, but
only if the transmission selector is in PARK
(P). The
interior lamps will come on for
40 seconds or until the
ignition is turned
on.
Matching Transmitter(s) To Your Vehicle
Each remote keyless entry transmitter is coded to
prevent another transmitter from unlocking your vehicle.
If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can be
purchased through your dealer. Remember to bring any
remaining transmitters with you when you go to your
dealer. When the dealer matches the replacement transmitter
to your vehicle, any remaining transmitters
must also be matched. Once your dealer has coded the
new transmitter, the lost transmitter will not unlock your
vehicle. Each vehicle can have only four transmitters
matched to it.
Battery Replacement
Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless
entry transmitter should last about two years.
You can tell the battery is weak if the transmitter won’t
work at the normal range in any location.
If you have to
get close to your vehicle before the transmitter works,
it’s probably time to change the battery.
NOTICE:
When replacing the battery, use care not to touch
any of the circuitry. Static from your body
transferred to these surfaces may damage
the transmitter.
Use one three volt, type CR2032, or equivalent battery.
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Theft Parking at Night
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.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a tone reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition. If you have an automatic transmission, taking
your key out also locks your transmission. And
remember to lock the doors. Park in
a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
glove box.
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
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LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission. It’s a theft-deterrent feature.
You will only be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to
LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn’t lock the steering
wheel like LOCK. Use
OFF if you must have your
vehicle
in motion while the engine is off (for example, if
your vehicle is being pushed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
START (E): This position starts your engine.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only with your hand.
Using
a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
Starting Your Gasoline Engine
If you have a diesel engine, see “Starting Your Diesel
Engine” in the Diesel Engine Supplement.
Move your shift lever to PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
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4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine
parts. If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying
to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
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REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I
I I
I
I NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (03): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0) can be used when
towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep
hills or for off-road driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD
(3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0).
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your brakes off and
on.
If you manually select SECOND (2), the transmission will
drive
in second gear. You may use this feature for reducing
torque to the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower
fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(1) while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
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An indicator near the lever shows you the transfer
case settings:
2-Wheel High (2H): This setting is for driving in most
street and highway situations. Your front axle
is not
engaged in two-wheel drive.
4-Wheel High (4H): This setting engages your front
axle to help drive your vehicle. Use 4H when you need
extra traction, such as
on wet or icy roads, or in most
off-road situations.
Neutral (N): Shift to this setting only when your vehicle
needs to be towed or when using a power take-off.
4-Wheel Low (4L): This setting also engages your front
axle to give you extra power and a higher driveline ratio.
This position should be used only for off-road driving.
You can shift from 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) to 4-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or from 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) to
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) while the vehicle is moving.
Your front axle may engage faster if you take your foot
off of the accelerator for
a few seconds after you shift.
In extremely cold weather, it may be necessary to stop
or slow the vehicle to shift into 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H). To
shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L) or
N (NEUTRAL):
1. Slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1 to 3 mph
(2 to
5 km/h) and shift the transmission into
NEUTRAL (N).
2. Shift the transfer case shift lever in one quick,
continuous motion.
Don’t pause in N
(NEUTRAL) as you shift the transfer
case into 4-WHEEL LOW (4L), or the gears could clash.
Remember that driving in 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
4-WHEEL LOW (4L) may reduce fuel economy. Also,
driving in four-wheel drive on dry pavement could
cause your tires to wear faster and make your transfer
case harder to shift and run noisier.
When your headlamps or parking lamps are on, rotate
the thumb wheel next to the headlamp switch up
to
brighten, and down to dim your transfer case
indicator light.
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Shifting from 4HI to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed, and the system will unlock automatically.
Shifting from 2HI or 4HI to 4LO
To shift from 2HI or 4HI to 4L0, the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 3 mph (4.8
km/h) with the
transmission in NEUTRAL
(N). The preferred method
for shifting into 4LO is to have your vehicle moving 1 to
2 mph (1.6 to 3.2
km/h). Press and release the 4LO
switch. You must wait for the 4LO indicator light to stop
flashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the 4LO switch is pressed when your vehicle is in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds and not complete the shift unless your
vehicle is moving slower than 3 mph (4.8
km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL
(N).
Shifting from 4LO to 4HI or 2HI
To shift from 4LO to 4HI or 2H1, your vehicle must be
stopped
or moving less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) with the
transmission in NEUTRAL
(N). The preferred method
for shifting out of
4LO is to have your vehicle moving
1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2
km/h). Press and release the 4HI
switch. You must wait for the 4HI indicator light to stop
flashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the 4HI switch is pressed when your vehicle is in gear
and/or moving, the
4HI indicator light will flash for
30 seconds but will not complete the shift unless the
vehicle is moving slower than 3 mph (4.8
km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL
(N).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) 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 PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK
(P)” in the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P) 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 parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system. You have
to fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in RUN. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the vehicle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
fixed as soon as you can.
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