wheel GMC SIERRA 1996 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: GMC, Model Year: 1996, Model line: SIERRA, Model: GMC SIERRA 1996Pages: 404, PDF Size: 21.57 MB
Page 94 of 404

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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Page 95 of 404

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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Page 98 of 404

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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Page 101 of 404

Lamps
Your parking lamp and
headlamp switch is on the
driver's side of your
instrument panel.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Clearance Lamps
(If So Equipped)
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps Instrument Panel Lights
Transfer Case Shift Indicator Light
(Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles) Rotate the knob clockwise again
to the master lamp
symbol to turn on all the lamps listed as well as
the headlamps.
Rotate the knob counterclockwise to
OFF to turn off
your, lamps.
Rotate the thumb wheel next
to the knob up 'to adjust
instrument panel lights. Rotate the thumb wheel up to
the first notch to return the radio display and gearshift
indicator LED display to full intensity when the
headlamps or parking lamps are on.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beams
by pulling on the
turn signalhigh-beam lever.
Headlamps On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your headlamps are turned on
and the key is turned to the
OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY position.
If you need to use your
headlamps when the key is turned to
OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY, the buzzer can be turned off by turning
the thumb wheel next to the parking lampheadlamp
knob all the way down.
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Page 104 of 404

Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
The instrument panel intensity control is located to the
right of the headlamp switch.
Rotate the thumb wheel up to adjust instrument panel
lights. Rotate the thumb wheel up
to the first notch to
return the radio display and gearshift indicator
LED
display to full intensity when the headlamps or parking
lamps are
on. To turn on the dome lamps (with the
vehicle doors closed) rotate the thumb wheel up to the
second notch position.
Illuminated Entry
Your vehicle may be equipped with an illuminated
entry feature.
When the doors are opened, the dome lamps will come
on if the dome lamp button
is out. When all the doors
are closed, or the dome lamp button
is pressed in, the
lamps
will stay on for a short period of time and will
then
go out.
Front Reading Lamps (Option)
If your vehicle has reading
lamps, press the button next
to the lamp
to turn the lamp
on. The lamps can be
adjusted to point
in the
direction you want.
Press the button again
to turn the lamp off.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open the doors.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by rotating the
thumb wheel, located next
to the parking/headlamps
knob, all the way up to
the second notch. In this
position, the dome lamps will remain
on whether the
doors are opened or closed.
You can use the dome lamp button, located below the
parking/headlamp knob,
to set the
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Page 161 of 404

Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving
safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work
the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The
anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer
is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Page 162 of 404

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If
you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and
let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the brakes
vibrate, or you may notice some noise, but this
is
normal. On vehicles with four-wheel drive, your
anti-lock brakes work at all times
-- whether you are in
two-wheel drive
or four-wheel drive.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help
you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand
this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and
the road surface, the angle at
which
the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
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Page 163 of 404

Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration can demand too
much
of those places. You can lose control.
What should
you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs
near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are
based
on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain
a reasonable. steady speed. Wait to
accelerate
until you are out of the curve, and then
acce.lerate gently into
the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a
hill and
find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you
can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
roam. That’s the time
for evasive action -- steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well
in emergencies
like these. First apply
your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem,
to the left
or right depending on the space available.
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Page 164 of 404

Road Rea ---:y
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding
the steering wheel at .
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten
the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road
onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
- - -r- --
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY RECOVER
0-
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator
and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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Page 166 of 404

@ Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start
your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal
and
move back into the right lane. (Remember that if
your right outside mirror
is convex, the vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing,
it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a
little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where
the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route
or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited
to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions.
But skids are always
possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In t.he braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
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