mirror GMC C-SERIES 1999 Owners Manual

2-
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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 Keys
2
-4 Door Locks
2
-5 Theft
2
-5 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-6 Ignition Positions
2
-7 Starting Your Gasoline Engine
2
-10 Starting Your Diesel Engine
2
-13 Engine Checks Before Operating
2
-15 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-16 Diesel Engine Exhaust Brake
2
-17 Two-Speed Rear Axle Electric Shift Control
(If Equipped)
2
-20 Automatic Transmission Operation
2
-22 Manual Transmission Operation
2
-23 Parking
2
-29 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-29 Engine Exhaust2
-30 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
2
-30 Windows
2
-31 Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
2
-32 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-39 Trailer Brake Hand Control Valve (Option)
2
-40 Inter-Axle Differential Lock Control
(If Equipped)
2
-41 Rear Axle Differential Lock Control
(If Equipped)
2
-42 Engine Air Control (If Equipped)
2
-43 Exterior Lamps
2
-46 Interior Lamps
2
-46 Mirrors
2
-50 Instrument Panel
2
-52 Instrument Panel Cluster
2
-55 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
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2-46
Interior Lamps
Dome Lamp
The dome lamps will come on when you open the
driver's door. You can also turn the dome lamps on by
turning the interior lamp dimmer dial all the way up
until it clicks.
Mirrors
Inside Rearview Mirror (If Equipped)
Press the tab under the mirror to reduce glare at night
from headlamps behind you.
Outside Mirrors
Adjust the outside mirror or
mirrors by hand so you can
just see the side of your
vehicle when you're sitting
in the driver's seat. These
mirrors can fold in toward
the vehicle for entering
narrow garages and for
clearance in an automatic
vehicle wash.
If your mirrors have the clearance lamps, they'll be on
when your parking lamps are on.
Convex Outside Mirrors (Option)
Your vehicle may have optional convex mirrors. A
convex mirror's surface is curved so you can see more
from the driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right or left lane,
you could hit a vehicle. Check your regular
outside mirrors (or your inside mirror, if you
have one) before changing lanes.
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2-47 Heated Outside Mirrors (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has heated
mirrors, you'll find this
switch on the upper right
side of your instrument
panel area, just above the
radio. Use it to operate your
mirror heaters to defrost or
defog your mirrors.
When you turn on the mirror heaters, an indicator light
in the switch will be lit to tell you the heaters are on.
Once the mirrors are clear for viewing, turn the switch
off. The mirror heaters remain on until the heater switch
or ignition switch is turned off. However, when you turn
the ignition back on, the heater switch will again be on
until turned off.
Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
(If Equipped)
The ashtray is just below the gages on the right side of
your instrument panel. If you have a cigarette lighter, it
is inside the ashtray.
To use the lighter, press it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and heating element.
To remove the ashtray for cleaning, pull up on the
front of it.
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2-51
A. Left Side Window Defogger
B. Main Lamps Switch
C. Vent
D. Instrument Cluster
E. Warning Lights
F. Heated Mirror Switch (Option)
G. Exhaust Brake Switch (Option)
H. Marker/Clearance Lamps Switch (Option)
I. Audio System or Storage Area
J. VentsK. Glove Box
L. Right Side Window Defogger
M. Storage Tray/Cassette Player
N. Comfort Controls
O. Air Brake Controls (If Equipped)
P. Ashtray
Q. Air Vent Controls
R. Convenience Center Fuse Panel
S. Hourmeter (Option)
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4-13

Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it's all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a
solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you're awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you're following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won't have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.

When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don't
get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
ªrunning startº that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.

Check your mirrors and start your left lane change
signal before moving out of the right lane to pass.
When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your right outside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal and move back into the
right lane. (Remember that if your right outside
mirror is convex, the vehicle you just passed may
seem to be farther away from you than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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4-14
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are
usually best handled by easing your foot off the
accelerator pedal.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). See ªDiesel Engine Exhaust Brakeº in the Index
for information about using the exhaust brake on
slippery surfaces. Any sudden changes could cause the
tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti
-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti
-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
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4-20
Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too
-fast or
too
-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and try to blend smoothly with the
traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass. On some
freeways, larger vehicles aren't allowed to use some
lanes. These places usually are well
-marked.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
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4-21
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed for cars
-- but not larger vehicles -- is
usually posted. You should go more slowly.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway hypnosisº?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.When you drive the vehicle for a long distance, there is
something about an easy stretch of road with the same
scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the
drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the
vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it happen to
you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.

Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.

If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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4-27

Tie a red cloth to your mirror arm to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle if any is blocking
your exhaust pipe. And check around again from
time to time to be sure snow doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery (or batteries) charged. You will need a
well
-charged battery (or batteries) to restart the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps.
Let the heater run for a while.
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6-71
Name Circuits Protected
CHAS Exhaust Brake, Air Suspension
Dump Valve, Air Dryer, HYD
ABS ECHU
PARK LP Auxiliary Wiring, Air Conditioner
Controls, Parking Lamps, Turn
Signals, Taillamps, Stoplamps,
Marker Lamps, Trailer Running
Lamps, Lighted Mirrors, Radio
Receiver, Mirror Clearance Lamps
HORN Horn/Diagnostic Connector
PRK BRK Parking Brake Module
FUEL Heated Fuel Filter (Diesel
Engines) or Fuel Pump
(Gasoline Engines)
AXLE Heated Mirrors, Radiator Shutters,
Tw o
-Speed Axle Motor,
Tw o
-Speed Axle Switch
MRKR LP Roof Marker Lamps,
Trailer Marker Lamps,
Marker Lamp RelayName Circuits Protected
CIG/AUX Cigarette Lighter,
Auxiliary Power Jacks
AUX Auxiliary Wiring Relay
IGN RLY/VIN Vehicle Interface Module
(Diesel Engines) or Generator,
Coil, Injectors (Gasoline Engines)
WDO Power Windows
CRNK Starter Relay
IGN SW Instrument Panel Cluster Telltales
AUX Auxiliary Wiring
RDO Radio, Auxiliary Wiring
DR LK Power Door Locks
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