ignition GMC SIERRA 2001 Owner's Guide

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Indicator lights in the switches show which setting your
transfer case is in. The indicator lights will come on
briefly when you turn on the ignition and one will stay
on. If the lights do not come on, you should take your
vehicle to your dealer for service. An indicator light will
flash while the transfer case is being shifted. It will
remain illuminated when the shift is complete. If for
some reason the transfer case cannot make a requested
shift, it will return to the last chosen setting.
If the SERVICE 4WD light stays on, you should take
your vehicle to your dealer for service. See ªService
4WDº in the Index for further information.
Shifting to 4HI or AUTO 4WD
Press and release the 4HI or AUTO 4WD switch. This can
be done at any speed (except when shifting from 4LO),
and the indicator light will flash while shifting. It will
remain illuminated when the shift is completed.
Shifting to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed (except when shifting from 4LO).Shifting to 4LO
To shift to 4LO, the ignition must be in RUN and the vehicle
must be stopped or moving less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) with
the transmission in NEUTRAL (N). The preferred method
for shifting into 4LO is to have your vehicle moving 1 to
2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release the 4LO switch.
You must wait for the 4LO indicator light to stop flashing and
remain illuminated before shifting your transmission in gear.
If the 4LO switch is pressed when your vehicle is in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will flash
for 30 seconds and not complete the shift unless your
vehicle is moving less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the
transmission is in NEUTRAL (N). After 30 seconds the
transfer case will return to the setting last chosen.
Shifting Out of 4LO
To shift from 4LO to 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI your vehicle
must be stopped or moving less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) with
the transmission in NEUTRAL (N) and the ignition in RUN.
The preferred method for shifting out of 4LO is to have your
vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and
release the 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI switch. You must wait
for the 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI indicator light to stop
flashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear.

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If the 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 2HI switch is pressed when
your vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the 4HI, AUTO
4WD or 2HI indicator light will flash for 30 seconds but
will not complete the shift unless your vehicle is moving
less than 3 mph (4.8 km/h) and the transmission is
in NEUTRAL (N).
Shifting to NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL, first make sure
the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
3. Connect the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
6. Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and 4LO
buttons for 10 seconds. The red NEUTRAL light
will come on when the transfer case shift to
NEUTRAL is complete.7. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D)
for one second.
8. Turn the ignition to OFF.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
10. Release the parking brake prior to towing.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular
brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
5. You may start the engine and shift the transmission
to the desired position.

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Electronic Transfer Case (If Equipped)
If your four-wheel-drive vehicle has the electronic
transfer case, the transfer case switches are located to
the left of the instrument panel cluster.
Use these switches to shift into and out of four
-wheel
drive. You can choose among three driving settings:
2HI: This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situations. Your front axle is not engaged in
two
-wheel drive.
4HI: This setting engages your front axle to help drive
your vehicle. Use 4HI when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads, or in most off
-road situations.
4LO: This setting also engages your front axle to give
you extra traction. You may never need 4LO. It sends
the maximum power to all four wheels. You might
choose 4LO if you were driving off
-road in sand, mud
or deep snow and climbing or descending steep hills.
Indicator lights in the switches show you which setting
you are in. The indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and the last chosen setting
will stay on. If the lights do not come on, you should
take your vehicle in for service. An indicator light will
flash while shifting. It will remain illuminated when the
shift is completed. If for some reason the transfer
cannot make a requested shift, it will return to the last
chosen setting.

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Shifting to NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL, first make sure
the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
3. Connect the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
6. Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and
4LO buttons for 10 seconds. The red NEUTRAL
light will come on when the transfer case shift to
NEUTRAL is complete.
7. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for
one second, then shift the transmission to
DRIVE (D) for one second.
8. Turn the ignition to OFF.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
10. Release the parking brake prior to towing.Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular
brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
5. You may start the engine and shift the transmission
to the desired position.

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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
flash. A chime will activate when the parking brake is
applied and the vehicle is moved at least 3 mph (5 km/h)
for at least three seconds.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located
above the parking brake pedal, marked BRAKE
RELEASE, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. 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 Only)
CAUTION:
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, 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. 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 ªtorque lock.º 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 ªShifting Into PARK (P)º 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 Only)
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system, you have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transmissionº 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 into the 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 the OFF ignition position.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the vehicle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.

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Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission Models Only)
CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the manual
transmission is in gear. You or someone else could
be seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking
brake before placing the transfer case in
NEUTRAL. See ªParking Brakeº in the Index.
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever
into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition
key to OFF, remove the key and release the clutch.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you are pulling a
trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You'll
now cruise at the higher speed.

Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A briefly.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control

Press and hold the SET button at the end of the lever
until you reach the lower speed you want, then
release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, press the
SET button briefly. Each time you do this, you'll go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may want to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don't use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal.

Step lightly on the clutch pedal (if equipped).

Move the cruise control switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.

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Exterior Lamps
Your parking lamp and headlamp switch is on the
driver's side of your instrument panel.
Turn the knob clockwise to the parking lamps symbol to
manually turn on the following:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel LightsTurn the knob clockwise to the master lamps symbol to
turn on all the lamps listed as well as the headlamps.
Turn the knob all the way counterclockwise to turn off
your lamps and put the system in auto headlamp mode.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as the
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor located on
the top of the instrument panel in the defroster grille.
Be sure it is not covered, or the system will be on
whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.