warning GMC SIERRA 1996 User Guide

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that
will help
prevent
a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there’s
a problem with the
anti-lock brake system,
this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light’‘
in
ANTI -
LOCK
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for
a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a lower
gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road
to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember:
Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid
only the braking skid.
Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn’t drive off-road unless you’re on a level,
solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have
some definite hazards.
The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left
the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are
no road signs.
Surfxes can
be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that
you read this guide. You’ll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These
will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
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City Driv---,
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and
pay attention to
traffic signals. Here are ways
to increase your safety
in city driving:
0
0
0
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. 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 part, “Freeway Driving.”)
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.
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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. 1nclude.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 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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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear be~m you start
down
a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down,
you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and
no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use
THIRD
(3) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when
towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in THIRD
(3)
when towing a trailer will minimize heat build-up and
extend
the life of your transmission
If
you have a manual transmission and you are towing a
trailer,
it’s better not to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you turn
your engine off‘ immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine
run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission
in PARK (P) (or the
manual transmission out
of gear and the parking brake
applied) for a few minutes before turning
the engine off.
If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating’’
in the Index.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have
a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps
will flash on and off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
Press the button at the top
of the steering column all
the way down to make your
front and rear
turn signal
lamps 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 flashers, press the button until the first
click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn
signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can use them to
warn others. Set one up at the side
of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start
your vehicle. But please use the following steps to
do
it safely.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
vehicle warranty.
Don’t try to start your vehicle
by pushing or
pulling it. This could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. And if you have
an automatic transmission, it won’t start that
way.
I
’
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you.
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery
with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
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12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
I
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was
factory-new, by adding such things as fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these’
instructions may not be correct.
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 make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
the four-wheel-drive
option.
transmission
and transfer case, if you have one.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get 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:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 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:
I. 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 window
as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0)
or THIRD (3) 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 normally.
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, turn of
the engine nrzd get everyone nut 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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NOTICE:
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Engine damage from running your engine without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if the fan speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal down.
If it doesn’t, your
vehicle needs service. Turn
off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the
COLD mark, add a SO/SO mixture
of ciecu? wter (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL”
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank.
(See (‘Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information.)
I A CAUTION:
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 set 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 a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM antifreeze.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
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