lock GMC SIERRA 1997 Repair Manual

Off-Road Recovery
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.
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I OFF- ROAD RECOVERY /
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7 SLOWDOWN
edge of paved surface
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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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 dnving 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.
Surfaces 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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Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns.
GM recognizes these concerns and urges
every off-roader to follow these basic rules for
protecting the environment:
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Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment
-- shrubs, flowers, trees, grasses -- or
disturb wildlife (this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams
or over soft ground).
Always carry a litter bag
. . . make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open fires (where permitted),
camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch fire from the
heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to a remote area.
Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps
of trails and terrain. Try to learn of any
blocked or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel
with at least one other
vehicle.
If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have
a winch? If so, be sure to read
the winch instructions. In a remote area, a winch can
be
handy if you get stuck. But you’ll want to know how to
use
it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and
close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need
to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen for
unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms, hands,
feet and body, you’ll need to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
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Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one of
those hills that’s just too steep
to climb, descend or cross.
Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very small hill, for
example, there may be a smooth, constant incline with only a small change in elevation where
you can easily see all the
way to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get steeper as
you near
the top, but you may not see this because the crest of
the hill is hidden by bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach a hill\
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Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions
on the hill that can block your
path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill?
Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walk the
hill if
you don’t know. It’s the smart way to find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible
to the effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
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Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don’t use more power than you need,
because
you don’t want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try
to drive straight up the hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
A CAUTION:
lhrning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over.
You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try to go straight up.
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0 As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position. This
way, you’ll be able to
tell if your wheels are straight
and maneuver as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the
hill with your wheels straight rather
than
in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will increase the possibility
of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or are
about to stall, when going up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL
(N) (or depressing the clutch, if you
have a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. This won’t work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could
go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the
vehicle. Then apply
the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough
to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around.
If you can’t make it up
the hill, you must back straight down the hill.
@ Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the hill
and decide
I just can’t do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) (or the manual transmission in FIRST (1))
and turn off the engine. Leave the vehicle and go get
some help. Exit on the uphill side and stay clear
of
the path the vehicle would take if it rolled downhill.
Do not shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N)
when you leave the vehicle. Leave it in I ne gel
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTR
I (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK (P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even if you’re in gear). This is
because the
NEUTRAL (N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to
PARK (P)
(or, put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL
(N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the
2 Wheel, 4 High or 4 Low position.
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.............. .............
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
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Whatever the condition -- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have an anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Mow greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with
ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch
of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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A CAJTldN:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially
any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out. Run your engine
only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make
it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it
keeps the battery (or batteries) charged. You will need a
well-charged battery (or batteries) to restart
the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps.
Let the heater run for awhile.
If you have
a diesel engine, you may have to run it at a
higher speed to get enough heat. Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost all the way to preserve
the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only
when
you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle
and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour
or
so until help comes.
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Power Winches
If you wish to use a power winch on your vehicle, only
use it when your vehicle is stationary or anchored.
I NOTICE:
Using a power winch with the transmission in
gear may damage the transmission. When
operating a power winch, always leave the
transmission in NEUTRAL
(N).
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake, or block
the wheels
to keep your vehicle from rolling.
Power Take-Off (PTO) (Manual Tkansmission)
NOTICE:
If you have a PTO that will exceed 35 hp installed
on your vehicle, it could damage the transfer case
or transmission. When having
a PTO installed
on
your vehicle, make sure that it will not exceed
35 hp. Before using
a PTO, refer to the manufacturer’s
or
installer’s instructions.
I NOTICE:
Using a PTO while operating in one place before
the vehicle has reached normal operating
temperature can damage the transfer case or
transmission. If you will be using the
PTO while
operating in one place, drive and warm up the
vehicle before using the
PTO.
To engage a PTO:
1. Hold the clutch pedal down.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL (N).
4. Engage the PTO.
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Front Towing 4. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or
manual transmission in FIRST
(1).
5. Put the transfer case in NEUTRAL (N).
6. When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
7. Maximum speed 55 mph (88 kmh), distance
If your vehicle is a two-wheel drive or a four-wheel
drive with an electric shift transfer case,
use the
following directions: parking brake.
unlimited.
1.
2.
3.
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case, use the following directions:
1. Turn the ignition key to the OFF position.
2. Engage the parking brake.
3. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing service.
(Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this.)
4.
5.
6.
7.
Turn the ignition key to the OFF position.
Engage the parking brake.
Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with
a clamping device designed for
towing service.
(Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock
for this.)
Put an automatic transmission
in NEUTRAL (N) or
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
Put the transfer case
in 2HIGH (2HI).
When
the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
Maximum speed
35 mph (55 km/h), maximum
distance
50 miles (80 km).
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when
the cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn
the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until it
first stops. (Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as
you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
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