GMC JIMMY 1997 Owner's Manual

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Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also
the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know
how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this:
let your engine do some of the
slowing down.
Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on
a steep
downhill slope.
A CAUTION: . -.
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
otf is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work
of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when
you go downhill.
0 Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a
lower gear. The lower gears help cool yo~~r engine and
transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
0 Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
0 As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on nmuntains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones. a falling rocks area or winding
roads.
Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid,
a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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What's the worst time for this'? "Wet ice." Very cold
snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be
even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it's about
freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fill.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there. Whatever
me condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing.
or loose snow -- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate
too fist, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when
you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though
you have an anti-lock braking system, you'll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See "Anti-Lock"
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear
in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of
a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear.
If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you're actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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If You’re Caught in a Blizzard 0 Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators
f1-om newspapers, burlap bags, rags , floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
If you are stopped by heavy snow. you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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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.
You 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 hirly vigorous exercises
every half
hour or so until help comes.
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Recreational Vehicle Towing (Four-wheel Drive With
7
Shift Transfer Case Only)
1.
2.
3.
3.
Set the par' * lg brake firmly.
Place an automatic transmission
in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST ( I ).
Firmly attach the vehicle being towed to the tow
vehicle.
Do not tow the vehicle by the rear bumper
bar. Refer
to the hitch manufacturer's instructions.
Place the manual shift transfer case shift lever
in
NEUTRAL (N).
A CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is
in PARK (P), for an automatic transmission, or
if your vehicle is in gear, for a manual
transmission. You
or others could be injured.
Make sure the parking brake
is firmly set before
you shift the transfer case into
NEUTRAL (N).
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is firmly attached
to the tow vehicle.
6. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch and
turn
it one notch forward of the LOCK position. This
places the key
in the OFF position, which unlocks
the steering column while preventing battery drain.
Unlocking the steering column will allow
for proper
movement
of the front wheelshires during towing.
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Recreational Vehicle Towing (Except Four-wheel Drive With
Manual Shift Transfer Case) Loading Your Vehicle
Vehicles with
two-wheel drive or the optional 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
your particular vehicle.
Vehicles
with all-wheel drive (AWD) can not be towed
in this manner.
The Certification/Tire label is found on the driver’s door
edge, above the door latch. The label shows the size
of
your original tires and the inflation pressures needed to
obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is
called the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The
GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight,
if pulling a trailer.
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The CertificatiodTire label also tells you the maximum
weights far the front and rear
axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on
your front and rear axles, you need to go to
a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on
both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the
GVWR for your vehicle, or the
GAWR for either the front or rear axle.
If you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different
GVWRs
and payloads. Please note your vehick's
CertificatiodTire label or consult your dealer for
additional details.
A CAUTION:
Do not load yuurvehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break,
or
it can change the way your vehicle handles. These
could cause you to
lose control. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask
your dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else
-- they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly,
or
if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and
injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
Try
to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops
of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
There’s
also important loading information for off-road
driving
in this manual. See “Loading Your Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving” in the Index.
Payload
The payload capacity is shown on the Certification/Tire
label. This
is the maxjInum load capacity that your
vehicle can carry.
Be sure to include the weight of the
occupants
as part of your load. If you added any
accessories
or equipment after your vehicle left the
factory. remelnber to subtract the weight of these things
from the payload. Your dealer can help you with this.
Add-on Equipment
When you carry rernovable items, yo11 may need to put a
limit 011 how many people you carry inside your vehicle.
Be sure to weigh your vehicle before you buy and install
the new equipment.
NOTICE:
Your warranty doesn’t cover parts or
components that fail because
of overloading.
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Towing a Trailer
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer
is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously in.jured.
Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the
steps in this section.
Ask your GR/I dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer with vour vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your
GM dealer
for important information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
Every vehicle
is ready for some trailer towing. If yours
was built
with trailering options, as many are. it‘s ready
for heavier trailers.
But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In
it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
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