service GMC JIMMY 1997 Owner's Guide

7. Don't let the other end
touch metal. Contwct it to
the positive (+) terminal
8. Now connect the
black negative (-) cable
to the good battery's
negative
(-) terminal.
Don't let the other
end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative cable
doesn't go to the dead
battery.
It pes to a heavy
unpainted metal ~U'I on
the engine of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least
18 inches (45 crn) away
from
the dead battery,
but
not near engine purts
that ITIOW.
The electrical
connection
is just as
good there, but the
chance
of sparks getting
back to
the battery is
much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for ;1 while.
1 I. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it
won't start after a few tries make sure all
connections we good. If it still won't start. it
probably needs service.
A CAUTION:
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines arc running.
5-6

When your vehicle is being towed. have the ignition key
turned to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be cla111ped
in a straight-alwad position with a clamping
device designed for towing service. Do not use the
vehicle's steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case, if you
have one. should be in 2HI. The parking brake should
be released.
If your vehicle 11as a floor mounted shifter and no
electrical power, the electrical solenoid lock must be
overridden to shift from PARK (P) to NEUTRAL (N).
Follow these steps:
1. Push the base of the shift lever boot forward \%7ith
your tlwmb.
2. Lift the boot and find the white solenoid lever.
3.
4.
5.
Move the solenoid lever toward the driver's side to
unlock
it.
While holding the solenoid lever in the ~~nlock
position. press the shift lever button and shift into
NEUTRAL (N).
5-9

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you zet the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam. the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get
a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades" in the Index.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute
or so:
2. T~11-11 on yo~~r heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam. shift to NEUTRAL (N):
otherwise, shift to the highest gear \vhile
driving -- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ((33) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
If you no longer have the overheat warning. you
can drive. Just
to be safe. drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on.
you can drive norrnally.
If the warning continues. pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam. push the accelerator until
the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle
speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes. Now see
if the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the warning, rum ogtlw
eugine
c~l got el?er;\.olw out oftlw \vl~iclc. until it
cools down.
You
may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right
away.
5-13

Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If' you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine
if there is a leak. If' you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before
you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't
covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be 110 leak, start the engine again. See
if the t'an speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal
down. If it doesn't. your
vehicle needs service. T~1l-11
off the engine.

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
6-3 6-4
6-5
6-6
6-9
6-13
6- 14
6- 1 8
6- 19
6-20
6-2
1
6-23
6-26
6-26 6-26
6-27
6-28
6-32
6-33
6-3
8
6-40
6-49
6-49
6-5 2
6-54
6-57
6-58
6-5 8
6-58
6-62
6-63
6-64 Brakes
Battery
Bulb
Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade
Repl~tcenwnt
Tires Appemlnce Care
Cleaning
the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Appearance Care Materiuls
Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Ci,plcities
and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see "Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle'' in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perfonn. See "Maintenance Record" in the Index.
I--
A CAUTION:
You can be in-jured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try
to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts and tools before you attempt any vehicle
nlaintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. "English" and "metric"
fasteners can be easily
confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Service
Your GM dealer knows your vehicle best and wants yc.)u
to be happy with it. We hope you'll go to your dealer for
all yo~~r service needs. You'll pet genuine, GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope
~011'11 want to keep yo~~r GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine. GM parts have one of these marks:
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work. you'll
want to get the proper GM Service Manual. It tells you
much more about
IIOW to service your vehicle than this
tnanual can. To order the proper service manual, see
"Service and Owner Publications"
ill the Index.
6-2

Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT):
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use
of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance
may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for service.
To provide cleaner ail-, all gasolines in the United States
are now required
to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming
in your engine and fuel
system, allowing; your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have
to add
anything
to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available
in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
I NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the United
States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to find. Never
use leaded gnsooline or any other fuel not recommended
in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs caused by use of
improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
To check on ~w1 availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a nlajor oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you-re going and give your
Vehicle Identil’ication Number
(VIN).
General Motors International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Osha~/a. Ontario
L 1 H 8P7
6-4

Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. YOLK GM dealer is ready
to advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you. LIS~ the short trip/city
. maintenxm schedule:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
0 You operate your vehicle in dusty areas or
off-road frequently.
YOLI frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application. Driving under
these conditions causes engine oil to
break
down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle. then you need to change your
oil and filter
every
3.000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first.
Remote Oil Filter (Four-wheel Drive)
The ;1ccess door for the remote oil filter is in the steering
linkage shicld
assembly located under the radiator
support. Twist the
screw to unlock or lock the door.
Make sure
if you open the door, it is securely closed
when you are finished.
6-12

Automatic Transmission Fluid
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others
to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame
if the engine
backfires.
If it isn't there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don't drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
I NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which
will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner
in place when you're driving.
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid
and filter every 50.000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi. police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See "Scheduled Maintenance Services"
in the Index.
6-14

How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to hm;e this done at your
GM dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here,
or you could get a false reading
on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level
if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid slwuld be at normal
operating temperature. which
is 180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93°C).
Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
( 10°C). If it's colder than 50°F ( IOOC), drive the
vehicle
in DRIVE (D) until the engine temperature gage
rnoves and then remains steady for
10 minutes. Then
follow the hot check procedures.
6-15