light GMC SIERRA 1996 Service Manual

BAS Press'lightly on this knob to release it from its
stored position. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the
bass and counterclockwise to decrease the bass. When
the
BASS control is rotated, the AUTO TONE setting
will change to
MAN. Push the knob back in to its stored
position when done.
TREB: Press lightly on the TREB knob to release it
from its stored position. Turn the knob clockwise to
increase the treble and counterclockwise
to decrease the
treble. When the TREB control is rotated, the AUTO
TONE setting will change to MAN. Push the knob back
in to its stored position when done.
Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Press this button to remove the control from its
stored position. Turn the control clockwise
to adjust
sound
to the right speakers and counterclockwise to
adjust sound to the left speakers. Press the button again
to return BAL to its stored position.
FADE: Press this button to remove the control from its
stored position. Turn
the control clockwise to adjust the
sound to
the front and counterclockwise for rear
speakers.
Press the button again to return FADE to its
stored position.
Playing a Compact Disc
PWR: Press this knob to turn the system on. (Please
note that
you can also turn the system on when
you insert a compact disc into the player with the
ignition on.)
Insert
a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The
player will pull it
in. Wait a few seconds and the disc
should play. CD and
a CD symbol will also appear on
the display. Anytime you are playing a
CD, the letters
CD will be
next to the CD symbol.
If the disc comes back out and ERR appears on the
display,
it could be that:
You are driving on a very rough road. (The disc
should play when the road gets smoother.)
The disc is upside down.
0 It is dirty, scratched or wet.
0 It is very humid. (If so, wait about an hour and
try again.)
The disc player is very hot.
Press RECALL
to make ERR go off the display.
3-19
ProCarManuals.com

Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes
or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat. If they aren’t,
they may not operate
properly or may cause failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that
you have used your tape player for 50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If you notice a reduction in
sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape
or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement
in sound quality, clean the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs
of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning because
your unit is equipped with
a cut tape feature. To
temporarily override this feature (for one insertion), turn
the radio off and press and hold TAPE AUX until the
tape symbol flashes on the display, then insert
the
cassette again. Insert the cassette at least three times to
ensure thorough cleaning. A scrubbing action cleaning
cassette
is available through your GM dealer.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with
a fabric belt to clean the
tape head. This type
of cleaning cassette will not eject. It
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
Cassettes are subject
to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure that
the cassette
tape
is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in
a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean
it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never
to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most vehicle
washes without being damaged.
If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, you can straighten
it out by hand.
If the mast is badly bent,
as it might be by vandals, you
should replace it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the mast is still
tightened to the cowl.
3-24
ProCarManuals.com

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
4-6
ProCarManuals.com

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.
ProCarManuals.com

When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surfax features can jerk the wheel out of your hands
if
you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground.
If this happens, even
with one or two wheels, you can’t control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it‘s
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or signal
lights. You have
to use your own good judgment about
what
is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous
on any
road. And
this is certainly true for off-road driving. At
the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills,
your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious -- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive
or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving”
in the Index.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding
of what your vehicle can and can’t do.
There are some hiIls that simply can’t be driven,
no
matter how well built the vehicle.
I
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you
will roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
4-17
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider
a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Logs? Boulders?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
What’s at the bottom of the hill‘? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom
with large rocks?
If you decide YOU can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do all
the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times,
’ A CAUTION:
-
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending
a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
Are there some things
I should not do when
driving down a hill?
At Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0 When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline
of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift, This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
ProCarManuals.com

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as
quickly, turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best to
use a low gear when you’re in mud -- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving so you don’t
get stuck.
When
you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel
traction. But
it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend
to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating and braking. You may
want t.o reduce the air pressure in your tires slightly
when driving
on sand. This will improve traction. Hard
packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it’s very easy
to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause
you to slide
out of control.
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and
your passengers could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
4-26
ProCarManuals.com

Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water
is before you drive through
it.
If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don’t try
it -- you probably won’t get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it
slowly. At fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition
system and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under water. And, as
long as your tailpipe
is under water, you’ll never be
able to start your engine. When you go through water,
remember that when your brakes get wet,
it may take
you longer
to stop. Driving mrough rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown.
If it’s
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water” in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
4-27
ProCarManuals.com

Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from he.adlamps behind
you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
ght Vis- -
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light
to see the
same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you
do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses.
Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting
to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take
a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down
a little. Avoid staring
directly
into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass
can build up
a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light
up far less of a
roadway when
you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should
be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware
of it.
4-29
ProCarManuals.com

Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some vehicle washes can
cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you
hit them.
I
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or
a vehicle wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
ProCarManuals.com