GMC SIERRA 1996 Owners Manual

Parking Your Vehicle (Manual
Transmission Models Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission in REVERSE (R), turn
off the engine, and
firmly apply the parking brake.
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case
is in
a drive gear. Your vehicle could roll if it isn’t.
If you are parking
on a hill, or if you are pulling a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
f
A CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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Engine Exhaust
I
A CAUTION:
-
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
modified improperly.
blow
out any
CO; and
I
Zunning Your Engine While You’re
larked (Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
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.)
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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
, See “Shifting Into to be sure your vehicle won’t move
PARK
(P)“ in the Index.
If you‘re pulling a trailer. see “Tow
the Index. ing
a Trailer“
in
Windows
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door to raise or lower
manual windows.
Power Windows
If you have the optional
power windows, the
controls are
on each of
the side doors.
The driver’s door has a
switch for the passenger
windows as well. Your
power windows will
work when the ignition
has been turned to
ACCESSORY or
RUN.
Press the rear of the switch with the power window
symbol on
it to lower the window.
Press the front of the switch with the power window
symbol on
it to raise the window.
The driver’s window also
has an express down feature
that allows the window to lower without holding the
switch. Press and hold the side
of the window switch
marked AUTO for one second to activate the express
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down mode. The express down mode can be canceled at
any time by pressing
the opposite side of the switch. To
open the window part way, lightly tap the switch
until
the window is at the desired position.
Lockout Switch (Crew Cab)
If you have a Crew Cab and power windows, the power
window switch has a
lockout feature. This feature
prevents the rear windows from operating
when the
front driver’s side switch is
in the lockout position. The
windows can still be operated using the driver’s window
switch. When the switch is moved out of the lockout
position, the rear power windows
will operate again.
Swing-Out Windows (Extended Cab)
To open a rear swing-out
window, just flip the
latch open and swing
the glass out.
The latch
will catch when
the window is
fully open
and hold the window
in the
open position.
Sliding Rear Window (Option)
To open the sliding rear window, unlock the latch lever
by moving the lever toward the driver’s side. Release
the lever from the latch plate and slide
the window
toward the driver’s side
of the vehicle.
To close the window, slide the window toward the
passenger’s side
of the vehicle. The latch lever will
automatically snap locked on the latch plate. Try to open
the window without releasing the latch lever to be sure
the window is
in the locked position.
Horn
On air bag-equipped vehicles, press the air bag module
in the center of the steering wheel to sound the horn.
On vehicles not equipped with an air bag, press the pad
in the center of the steering wheel to sound the horn.
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I ilt Wheel (Option)
I A tilt steering wheel allows
you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when
you enter and exit the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
unction Lever
. .. .. . ..
The lever on the left side of the steering colutnn
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
0 Cruise Control (Option)
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’hrn Signal and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These po.sitions allow you
to signal a turn
or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow
on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until.the arrow starts
to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
.,
If you move the lever all the way up or down, and the
arrow flashes at twice the normal rate, a signal bulb
may be burned out and other drivers may
.ot see your
turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and a blown
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index).
Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull
the multifunction lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
When
the high beams
are
on, this light on the
instrument panel also will be
on.
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Winds1 . :Id Wipers
You control the windshield
wipers by turning the knob
with the wiper symbol on it.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the knob to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want more cycles, hold the
knob on
MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the knob to choose the delay time. The
closer to LOW, the shorter the delay. For steady wiping
at
low speed, turn the knob to the
LOW position. For high-speed wiping, turn the knob
further,
to HIGH. To stop the wipers. move the knob to
the OFF position.
Be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them.
If they are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them.
If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever,
there’s a paddle with
the word
PUSH on it.
To spray washer tluid
on the windshield, push
Washer fluid will spray as long as you push the paddle.
When you
let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for a few seconds and then either stop or return
to the preset speed.
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Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous. A
bad mud splash can block your vision. You could hit
another vehicle or go off the road. Check your washer
fluid
level often.
A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, y6u Cgn
maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kdh) or more
without keeping your
foot
on the accelerator. This can
really help on
long trips.
Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads
or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you
could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery yoads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Resuming a Set Speed
Setting Cruise Control
A CAUT’3N:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
OFF until you want to use it
1. Move the cruise switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end
of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal Suppose
you set your cruise control
at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 kndh) or nwre,
you can move the cruise
switch from
ON to R/A
(Resull7e/Accelerate)
for
about a I /2 second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
Remember,
if you hold the switch at R/A longer than
a
1/2 second, the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the switch or apply the brake. You could be
startled and e\len lose control.
So unless you want to go
faster, don’t hold the switch at R/A.
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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button at the end
of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll now
cruise at
the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up
to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
(To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A for less
than a
1/2 second. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 kmh) faster.)
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want,
then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, press the
button for less than- a
1/2 second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go 1 mph (1.6 kmh) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep
hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
If the steepness
of the
hill causes the vehicle speed to drop more than
15 mph (24 kmh) below the set speed, your cruise control
will automatically disengage. When going downhill,
you
may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. Of course, applying
the brake takes you out
of cruise control. Many drivers find this to be too much
trouble and don’t use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal: or
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory
is erased.
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