belt GMC SIERRA 1998 Workshop Manual

Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint
a shoulder belt can provide. Accident statistics show that
children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are.
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Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In
a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
What
if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is
so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child’s face
or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt
still is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
If the
child
is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides”
in the Index.
If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close to the child’s face or neck, you might
want to place
the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
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A CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips,
just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force
to the child’s
pelvic bones
in a crash.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer
will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear,
so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat
in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use
it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and
all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If
you see
anything that might keep
a safety belt system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you
in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is
torn or frayed, get
a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have
them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After
a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during
a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need
to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even
if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time
of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part
on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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Door Locks
A CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when
you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you
will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several cc.ays to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside. use your key or the Keyless Entry
System.
if your \:ellick has this option.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide
the lever on
your door down.
To unlock the door. slide the lever up.
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Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others
from injury.
Warning lights come on when there
miiy be or is a
problem with
one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see
in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is
a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one
of the gages shows
there
may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to
do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re
a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come
on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 20 seconds, then it
will flash for about 55
seconds. If the driver’s belt
is already buckled, neither
the tone nor the light will
come on.
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After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the generator
drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light
is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light on, it
helps to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and the
air conditioner.
Voltmeter
19
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
in RUN, this gage shows
your battery’s state of
charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range. Readings
in the low warning zone may occur when a
large number
of electrical accessories are operating in
the vehicle and the engine is left at an idle for an
extended period.. This condition is normal since the
charging system
is not able to provide full power at
engine idle. As engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds
allow the charging system to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading in
either warning zone. If you must drive, turn off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means you have a brake problem.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you
need both parts working well.
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If your vehicle is equipped with the AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette Tape Player and Automatic Tone Control:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE AUX button for
five seconds. The tape symbol
on the display will
flash for two seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer's
recommended cleaning time.
When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the cut tape
detection feature is active again.
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
on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of
a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended
After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio
will
display --- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may
degrade over time. Always Incake sure the cassette tape is in
good condition before you have yo~~r 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.
Care of Your Compact Disc Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with
lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car 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.
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Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start
with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts” in the Index.) Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads
or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going
to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable
of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the
driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the
floor -- makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause
a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help
do things like this, or pull
off the road in a safe place to do
them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
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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 room.
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. 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.
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