towing GMC SIERRA 1998 Owner's Manual

SI ;tion 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engine) 5- 15
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Cooling System -- Gasoline Engines
Engine Fan Noise
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a
Flat Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
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11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after
a few tries, it probably
needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
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:
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel-drive, or that it has
the four-wheel-drive option.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
0 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.
transmission and transfer case, if you have one.
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A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
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Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed. Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing a vehicle.
For pickups (except cab chassis models),
use T-hooks on front of vehicle, J-hooks
on rear.
For cab chassis models, use J-hooks on
front and rear of vehicle.
A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
Don‘t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels. be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
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Front Towing
Two- Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Tow Lirnits -- 35 nzph (55 kdh), 50 miles (80 kr.n/h)
If your vehicle is two-wheel drive, use the
following directions:
I. Engage the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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. Put an automatic or a manual transmission in
NEUTRAL (N).
5. When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles (Manual Transfer Case)
Tow Lirnits -- 55 rnph (88 knzdh) or legtrl speed limit,
distance
is unlimited
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive with a manual
transfer case, use the following directions:
1. Engage the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P), or a
manual transmission
in FIRST (1).
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5. Put the transfer case in NEUTRAL (N). See
“Four-wheel Drive” in the Index
for the proper
procedure to select NEUTRAL
(N).
6. When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Put the transfer case in 2 High (2HI).
6. When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
Four- Wheel Drive-Vehicles (Electronic
Transfer Case)
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (55 krdh), 50 miles (80 krn/l1)
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive with an electronic
transfer case, use the following directions:
1. Engage the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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.)
NOTICE:
If your vehicle is equipped with an electronic
transfer case and the tow limits must be
exceeded, a towing dolly must be used under the rear wheels or vehicle/powertrain damage
will occur.
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Rear Towing
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Tow Limits -- 55 ~zph (88 krdh) or legal speed limit,
distmce is ditnited
If your vehicle is two-wheel drive, use the
following directions:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Engage the parking brake.
Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahedd 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 PARK (P), or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles (Manual Transfer Case)
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive with a manual
transfer case, use the following directions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Engage the parking brake.
Turn the ignition
key to ON.
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 PARK (P), or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
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5. Put the transfer case in NEUTRAL (N). See
“Four-Wheel Drive’’
in the Index for the proper
procedure to select NEUTRAL
(N).
6. When the vehicle is hooked up. release the
parking brake.
7. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
Four- Wheel-Drive Vehicles (Electronic
Transfer Case)
Eml Limits -- 35 mph (55 km/JZ), 50 milc?s (80 kndh)
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive with an electronic
transfer case, use the following directions:
I. Engage the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to ON.
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. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Put the transfer case in 2 High (2HI).
6. When the vehicle is hooked up, release the
parking brake.
7. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle is equipped with four-wheel drive
and the towing limits must be exceeded, a towing
dolly must be used under the front wheels or
vehicle/powertrain damage will occur.
I NOTICE:
Towing pickup models from the rear while loaded
with heavy cargo may cause the frame side rails
to flex sufficiently to allow the pickup box to
contact the cab and could cause damage to the
cab and/or box.
Engine Overheating (Gasoline Engine)
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. See “Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Engine
Overheating”
in the Diesel Engine Supplement.
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Engine Fan Noise If a Tire Goes Flat
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When
the clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide
more air to cool the engine.
In most everyday driving
conditions, the fan is spinning slower and the clutch
is
not fully engaged. This improves fuel economy and
reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading. trailer
towing and/or high outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more
fully engages. So you may
hear an increase
in fan noise. This is normal and should
not be mistaken as the transmission slipping or making
extra shifts.
It is merely the cooling system functioning
properly. The fan
will slow down when additional
cooling
is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may
also hear this fan noise when you start
the engine.
It will go away as the fan clutch
partially disengages. It‘s
unusual for
a tire to “blow out’’ while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly.
If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire hils, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in
a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth,
you can destroy your transmission. I
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If
you have a
four-wheel drive vehicle, shift into
4HI. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transmission, between FIRST
(1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is
in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
Or,
you can use your recovery hooks if your vehicle has
them.
If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing
Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle may be equipped with recovery hooks.
The recovery hooks are provided
at the front of your
vehicle.
You may need to use them if you’re stuck
off-road and need to be pulled to some place where
you can continue driving.
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Automatic Transmission Fluid
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Automatic
Transmission Fluid”
in the Diesel Supplement.
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83
000 km) if the vehicle’s GVWR is over 8,600 or
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
regularly
reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
If your vehicle’s GVWR is not over 8,600 and you do not
use your vehicle under any
of these conditions, change the
fluid and filter every
100,000 miles (166 000 km).
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services’’ in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your
GM dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come
out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93°C). See “Checking Transmission Fluid Hot“ in
the Index.
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