towing GMC ENVOY 1998 Owners Manual

During normal operation, the SECURITY light will go
off after the engine is started.
If the engine stalls and the SECURITY light flashes,
wait about
10 minutes until the light stops flashing
before trying to restart the engine. Remember to release
the key from the
START position as soon as the
engine starts.
If the engine does not start after three (3) tries, the
vehicle needs service.
If you are driving 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 ”FLIS~S and
Circuit Breakers”
in the Index). See your dealer
for service.
If the SECURITY light comes on while the engine is
running.
a problem has been detected and the system
may need service. See your dealer for service.
In an emergency, call the GMC Roadside Assistance
Center
at 1 -800-GMC-8782 (in Canada, call
1-800-268-6800).
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:
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Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 kmh) 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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I NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal
all the way down for five more
seconds, unless
it starts sooner.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When
the engine starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You‘ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
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Automi ic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless
you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has
a
Brake-Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI). You have to
fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift
from PARK (P) when the ignition key is
in RUN. If you
cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P)
(press
the button in on the console shift lever) as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear
you wish. See “Shifting Out of PARK (P)”
in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
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.
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NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
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.
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I 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. DRIVE
(D):
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 krdh), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 krdh) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE
(D) should not be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for
off-road driving. Select THIRD
(3) when operating the
vehicle under any of these conditions.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D).
You should use THIRD (3)
when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on
steep hills or winding roads or for off-road driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than
THIRD (3). 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.
You can also use SECOND
(2) for starting your vehicle
from a stop
on slippery road surfaces.
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NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and you must park on a hill,
see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
L
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L!h CAUTL .:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow. Always put the shift lever fully in
PARK
(P) with the parking brake firmly set. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever you have to, here
are some things to know.
A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air system control
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your
vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard. (See
L6BlizzardSS in the Index.)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push.
Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
it fixed so it will be ready
to warn you if there’s
a problem.
(0) (8> doesn’t come on then, have
BRAKE
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon
as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If
the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put
fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions, We’ve also
included many other useful tips on driving.
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Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of
a Vehicle
Braking Steering
Off-Road Recovery
Passing
Loss
of Control
Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your GM
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
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Driving at Night
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
City Driving
Freeway Driving
Before Leaving on
a Long Trip
Highway Hypnosis
Hill and Mountain Roads
Winter Driving
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer
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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, especially any
that 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 charged.
YOLI will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later
on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold.
But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Vehicles with the electronic shift transfer case require
special modifications before they can be towed
in this
manner. Please contact your dealer
.for the towing
information that is appropriate
for yoc~r
particular vehicle.
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