warning GMC SIERRA 1993 Owner's Manual

Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
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Know the best way to get to where you are going. Try not to drive
around trying to pick out a familiar street or landmark. Get a city map
and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for
a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next section, “Freeway Drivi\
ng.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just
before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red light.
Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they are for ideal road,
weather and visibility conditions. You may need to drive below the
posted limit in bad weather or when visibility is especially poor.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of intersections when you see
or hear emergency vehicles.
Freeway Driving
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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
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close behind you, you can allow a little extra time and flash\
your brake lights (in addition to your turn signal) as extra warning that you are about to slow
down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curvea, somerlmes quite sharply. The exit\
speed is
usually posted. 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.\
For example,
40 rnph (65 km/h) might seem like only 20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this
could lead to serious trouble
on a ramp designed for 20 mph (30 kmlh)!
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways, there are\
still many
made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular highways is the s\
ame in some
ways. The trip has to be planned and the vehicle prepared, you drive at\

higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns behind the \
wheel. You’ll
enjoy your trip more
if you and your vehicle are in good shape. Here are
some tips for a successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh-such as after a day’s work-don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and \
shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to go.
If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of
course, you’ll find experienced and able service experts in \
your vehicle’s
dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready and willing to help \
if
you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough for long distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure? inside and outside?
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Your Driving and the Road
Winter Driving
- AM480004
Here are some tips for winter driving.
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engi\
ne coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give you less traction
on ice than regular tires.
If you do not expect to be driving in deep
snow, but may have to travel over ice, you may not want to \
switch to
snow tires at all.
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 a couple of 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 ca\
n
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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Pmb/ems on the Road
1 Section
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Hazard Warning Flasher ........................................................................\
............... 5-2
Other Warning Devices ........................................................................\
................. 5-3
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
................................ 5-3
Towing Your Vehicle ........................................................................\
...................... 5-8
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
....................... 5-9
If
If
a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
...................... 5-17
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
............... 5-17
Jack Storage
........................................................................\
............................ 5-19
Spare Tire
........................................................................\
................................ 5-20
You’re Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow ................................................... 5-33
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Hazard Warning Flashers U
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Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They also let pol\
ice know
you have a problem. Your front and rear turn signal lights will flash
on and
off. But they won't flash if you are braking.
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Press the button in to make your front and rear turn signal lights flash on
and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what position your key is in,
and even if the key isn't in.
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.
To turn off the flasher, pull out on the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the
steps- below
to do it safely.
CAUTION
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous because: I
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode c te. ..
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
n hurt you. I
If you don’t follow these ’ !ps exactly, some or all of tt- --e things
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To Jump Start Your Vehicle ’
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a negative ground, bot
I vehicles can be damaged.
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If you have a diesel engine vehicle with two batteries (or more), you
should know before you begin that, especially in cold weather, you may
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Problenrs on the Road
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how to tow it without dam-
age.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was factory-new, by adding things
like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, th\
ese things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the four-wheel drive
option.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and \
transfer case,
if you have one.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
I A To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has been lifted by the tow
truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each side when towing a
vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transmission and transfer case,
if you have one, should be in Neu-
tral and the parking brake released.
If you have a two-wheel drive vehicle, don’t have your vehicle \
towed on the
rear wheels, unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on\
the rear
wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56 km/h) or farther than 50 miles (80
krn) or your transmission will be damaged. If these limits must be exceeded,
then the rear drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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Problems on the Road
If your engine catches fire because you keep driving with no cool\
ant, your
vehicle can be bac"lI damaged.
T- ! costly rep; 1 would not be Iverec
by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, th\
e problem may
not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too\
hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try t\
his for a minute
or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and\
open the
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to N (Neutral).
window as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just
to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehic\
le 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, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE
OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service help right away.
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antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Coolant” in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant mix.)
* Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous.
Plain water, or some other liquid like alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
for the proper coolant mix. With plain water or the wrong mix, your
engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning,
Your engine could catch fire and you or others could be burned.
USE
7 50/50 mix of clean water and a proper antifreeze.
I ln cold weather, water can freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heate\
r
:ore and other parts. Use the recommended coolant.
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I * You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot engine parts. CoolQni
A contains ethylene glycol and it will burn if the engine parts are hut
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery is at
or above COLD, start your
vehicle.
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If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more thing you c\
an try. You
can add the proper coolant mix directly to the radiator, but \
be sure the radiator is cool before you
do it.
‘ Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling system can blow \
out
I- and burn you badly. They are under pressure, and if you turn the
radiator pressure cap-even a little-they can come out at high
speed. Never turn the cap when the cooling system, including t\
he radiator pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and\
radiator
pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to turn the pressure cap. I
. . . .
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap and upper radiator hose is \
no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to the
left until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means there is still some
pressure left.
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