engine GMC SIERRA 1995 Owner's Manual

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 “Blizzard” in the
Index.)
A CAUTION:
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).
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in NEUTRAL (N),
your vehicle
will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in NEUTRAL (N). Always
set your parking brake. 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.
Four- Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your engine‘s driving
power
to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the most satisfaction out
of four-wheel drive, you must be familiar with it’s operation. Read the part
that follows before using four-wheel drive.
You should use 2-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) for most normal driving conditions.
2-33
ProCarManuals.com

Cargo Lamp
If you have a cargo lamp, you can use it to light the cargo area of your
vehicle.
Press the top, ribbed
part of the switch
to
turn the cargo lamp
on,
and press the
bottom
of the switch
to turn it off.
The dome
lamp switch must be on, or one of the doors open, for the cargo
lamp to work.
Underhood Reel Lamp
If you have an
underhood reel lamp,
it is located inside the
engine compartment
on the passenger side
fender.
You can use it
as a flashlight.
To use the lamp, pull up on the lever and pull the lamp out. The cord will
unreel as you pull the lamp.
2-52
ProCarManuals.com

Tachometer
. :i
Your tachometer
displays the engine
speed
in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
1 NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the red area\
,
your engine
or other parts could be damaged.
Damage to your engine or vehicle caused
by operating the
engine
in the red area isn’t covered by your vehicle warranty.
Warning Lights and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may be on your
vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is wrong before
it
becomes serious enough to cause an expensive repair or replacement.
Paying attention to your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a problem
with one of your
vehicle’s functions.
As you will see in the details on the next few pages,
some warning lights come on briefly when you start the engine just
to let
you know they’re working. If you are familiar
with this section, you should
not be alarmed when
this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and warning lights work together to let you
know when there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on when you are
driving, or when one
of the gages shows there may be a problem, check the
section that tells you what
to do about it. Please follow this manual‘s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
2-70
ProCarManuals.com

The brake system warning light will also come on when you set your
parking brake, and
it 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.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI-
LOCK
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on when you start your
engine and may stay on for several seconds. That‘s normal.
If the light
doesn’t come on, have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on. or comes on when you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn‘t on, you still have
brakes, but you don‘t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system
warning light is
also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
2-73
ProCarManuals.com

Water in Fuel Light
I.
This red light will come on to warn you if there is water in the diesel fuel
system. For more information on how this light works. see "Diesel Fuel
Requirements
and Fuel System" in the Index.
Service Throttle Soon Light
SERVICE
THROTTLE
SOON
On diesel engines, a computer monitors the operation of the electronic
accelerator.
As a check to show you it's working, this orange light comes on
for
a few seconds after the ignition is turned on. Normally, it will not come
back
on unless the ignition has been off' for SO seconds or more. If the light
does not come on at all, and the ignition has been off for 30 seconds or
more, have the light fixed right away. If the light stays on after the engine
starts, or comes on while you are driving. the computer
is indicating that
your vehicle has
a problem. You should take your vehicle in for service
soon.
2-74
ProCarManuals.com

Glow Plugs Light
GLO
PLUGS
If you have a diesel engine, it has a special starting system. An orange
instrument panel Glow Plugs light shows that the system is functioning
properly and tells you when the engine is ready to be started. For more
details, see “Starting
Your Diesel Engine’’ in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
41 h,
2-75
t
ProCarManuals.com

Charging System Warning Light
The red Charging System Warning light should come on briefly when you
turn on
the ignition, before starting the engine, as a check to show you it is
working. After the engine starts, the light should
go out. If it stays on or
comes on while you are driving, you may have a problem
with your
charging system. It could indicate a problem with the alternator drive belt,
or
some other charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light
is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance
with this light on, it helps to turn off all
your accessories, such
as the radio and air conditioner.
Malfunction Indicator (Service Engine Soon) Lamp
I
A computer monitors the operation of your fuel, ignition and emission
control systems. This orange light should come on when
the ignition is on
but the engine is not running. as a check
to show you it’s working. If it does
not come on at all, have
it fixed right away. If it stays on, or comes on while
you are driving, the computer is indicating that you have
a problem. You
should take your vehicle
in for service soon.
2-76
ProCarManuals.com

NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on, after a while
the emission controls
won’t work as well, your fuel economy
won’t
be as good, and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead
to costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
Check Gages Light
This orange light will come on briefly when you are starting the engine. If
the light comes on and stays on while you are driving, it could indicate a
problem with your vehicle.
It could be a problem with your oil pressure.
coolant temperature, or some other problem. Check your various gages
to
see if they are in the warning zones. If they are, have your vehicle serviced
right away.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light
2-77
ProCarManuals.com

Turn Signal and Lane Change lndicator Lights
Gasoline Engine Diesel Engine
The fuel gage, when the ignition is on. tells you about how much fuel you
have left
in your tank. The gage will first indicate empty before you are out
of fuel. and you should get nmre fuel as soon as possible.
2-79
ProCarManuals.com

Listed are four situations you may experience with your f~~el gage:
At the gas station. the fuel pump shuts off before the gage reads full.
It lakes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the fuel gage indicated.
For example, the gage may have indicated the tank was half
full, but it
actually took a little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill the
, tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or speed up.
The gage doesn't go back to empty when you turn off the ignition.
None of these indicate
a problem with the fuel gage.
For information on how to fill your fuel tank, see "Fuel - Filling Your
Tank"
in the Index.
For your fuel tank capacity, see "Fuel -Tank Capacity" in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. Most of the time. the gage
pointer
will show your coolant temperature at 2 10°F (99"C), or less. But, if
you are pulling a heavy load or driving LIP hills, your coolant temperature
may rise and
fall near the red 260°F ( 128°C) mark. This is normal. If the
gage pointer moves to the red 260°F
(128°C) mark, your engine is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. You should pull off the
road,
stop your vehicle. and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
Hot Coolant Can Burn You Badly!
In "Problems on the Road," this manual shows what to do. See "Engine
Overheating"
in thc Index.
2-80
ProCarManuals.com