engine GMC SIERRA 1997 User Guide

NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
Shift Speeds
REVERSE (R): To back up, first press down the clutch
pedal. Wait about five seconds for the internal parts
to
stop spinning and then, shift into REVERSE (R).
Let up on the clutch pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.
)NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE
(R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transmission.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
when turning off your engine and parking your vehicle.
A CAUTION:
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could
lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t shift down more than one gear when you downshift.
~~ ~
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 kmh), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
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Up Shift Light
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transmission,
you may have
a SHIFT light. This light
will show
you when to shift
to the next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear
if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift when the light comes
on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go
on and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the
SHIFT light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and is equipped
with a manual transmission, disregard the
SHIFT light
when the transfer case is in
4L.
Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most
of the time, but when
one of the rear wheels has no traction and the other
does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to
move the vehicle.
Four-wheel Drive (If Equipped)
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 its operation. Read the
part that follows before using four-wheel drive. You
should use 2-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) for most normal
driving conditions.
I NOTICE: I
Driving in the 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
4-WHEEL LOW (4L) positions for a long time
on dry or wet pavement could shorten the life of
your vehicle’s drivetrain.
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Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
It can be danL *ous 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.
If you have 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, use the steps
that follow. 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). If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer”
in the Index.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set.
If you have
four-wheel drive with
a manual transfer case
shift lever 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). And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could overheat and even
catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t
leave your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have
to.
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If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After you
move the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward
you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put
too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find
it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill
to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission shift interlock
system. You have
to fully apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in RUN. See “Automatic Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then,
move the shift lever to any gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF,
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the brake-transmission shift interlock system
fixed as soon as you can.
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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
I
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Engine Exhaust
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:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 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
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately,
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
ever have
to, here are some things to know.
I
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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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.
Windows
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door to raise or lower
manual windows.
Power Windows (If Equipped)
Regular and Extended Cab
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Instrument Panel Cluster
SERVlCE ENGINE SOON
CHECK GAGES
c
lolololo] TRIP loo 0 0 oolol APPLY BRAKE TO SHIFT FROM PARK
United States version shown, Canada similar.
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast you're
going, about how much fuel
you have and many other things you'll need to know to drive safely and economically.
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Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used
in Canada).
TamperResistant Odometer
Your odometer is tamper-resistant. The odometer will
show silver lines between the numbers
if someone tries
to turn
it back.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If the new odometer can be set
to the mileage total of the old odometer, then
it must be.
But
if it can’t, then it’s set at zero, and a label must be
put
on the driver’s door to show the old mileage reading
when the new odometer was installed.
Wip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since
you last set the trip odometer to zero.
To reset the trip odometer, fully press the reset button
located near the trip odometer readout. If the reset
button is not fully pressed, the trip odometer may not go
all the way back to zero. If it doesn’t, you may have to
press the reset button again to reset the readout to zero.
Tachometer
Your tachometer displays the engine speed in
revolutions per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
On vehicles with a manual transmission, if you
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. Don’t operate the
engine with the tachometer in the red area.
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