automatic transmission GMC SIERRA 2004 User Guide

g(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
brie¯y 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 ¯ash 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.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). You or someone
else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set
the parking brake before placing the transfer
case in NEUTRAL. See
Parking Brake on
page 2-48
.
NEUTRAL:Shift the vehicle's transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-54orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-53for more information.
Shifting from 2HI to 4HI
Press and release the 4HI switch. This can be done at
any speed, and the front axle will lock automatically
with some delay.
Shifting from 4HI to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed, and the front axle will unlock automatically
with some delay.
2-45

·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 ®rmly 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 ®re.
You or others could be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have to.
2-50

If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is ®rmly 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 ®rst 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 ®nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque
lock.²To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver's seat. To ®nd out how, see ªShifting
Into PARK (P)².
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
beforeyou 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)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system which locks the shift lever in PARK when
the ignition is in the LOCK position. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
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 ACCESSORY. There is no shift
interlock in this key position.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the gear
you want.
5. Have the system ®xed as soon as you can.
2-51

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-14
Interior Lamps..............................................3-19
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-20
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-21
Climate Controls............................................3-21
Climate Control System.................................3-21
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-22
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-26
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-33
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators.............3-33
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-34
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-35
Tachometer.................................................3-35
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-36
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-36Air Bag Off Light..........................................3-37
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator.................3-40
Battery Warning Light....................................3-42
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-42
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-43
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-43
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-45
Traction Off Light..........................................3-45
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-46
Transmission Temperature Gage.....................3-47
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-49
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-52
Cruise Control Light......................................3-53
Four-Wheel-Drive Light..................................3-53
Tow/Haul Mode Light....................................3-53
Overdrive Disable.........................................3-53
Fuel Gage...................................................3-54
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-54
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-55
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-55
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-66
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of your instrument panel are the
following:
A. Dome Lamp Button. See ªDome Lampsº under
Interior Lamps on page 3-19.
B. Exterior Lamp Controls. See
Exterior Lamps on
page 3-14.
C. Air Outlets. See ªClimate Controlsº in Section 3.
D. Automatic Transfer Case/Electronic Transfer
Case/Traction Assist System (TAS). See
Four-Wheel
Drive on page 2-35.
E. Multifunction Lever. See
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever on page 3-7.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-34.
G. Gearshift Lever (Automatic Transmission). See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
H. Tow/Haul Selector and Overdrive Disable (Allison
Transmission
žOnly) Button (If Equipped). SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-26.
I. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-73.
J. Comfort Control System. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-21.
K. Instrument Panel Fuse Block.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-126.L. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-10.
M. Steering Wheel Control Buttons (If Equipped). See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-55.
N. Center Instrument Panel Utility Block. See
Fuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 5-126.
O. Parking Brake Release. See
Parking Brake on
page 2-48.
P. Tilt Wheel Lever. See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-7.
Q. Lighter and Accessory Power Outlet. See
Accessory
Power Outlets on page 3-20, andAshtrays and
Cigarette Lighter on page 3-21.
R. Storage Area. See ªStorage Areasº in Section 2.
S. Ashtray. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
on page 3-21.
T. Manual Selectable Ride Control (If Equipped). See
Manual Selectable Ride on page 4-11.
U. 4WS Switch (If Equipped). See
QUADRASTEERŸ
on page 4-14.
V. Passenger Air Bag Off Switch. See
Air Bag Off
Switch on page 1-76.
W. Glove Box. See
Glove Box on page 2-66.
3-5

Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to turn off the cruise control:
·Step lightly on the brake pedal,
·move the cruise control switch to off, or
·shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
·If your vehicle has the Stabilitrakžfeature, cruise
control will turn off if road conditions cause
Stabilitrak
žto activate.
·If the accelerator pedal is held for 60 seconds or
longer, cruise control will turn off.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The switch on the driver's side of your instrument panel
operates the exterior lamps.
Turn the control clockwise to operate the lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has four positions:
9(OFF):Turning the switch to this position turns off
the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamps.
AUTO (Automatic):Turning the control to this position
puts the system into automatic headlamp mode.
3-14

If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take approximately
one minute for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is bright enough outside. During that
delay, your instrument panel cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure your instrument panel
brightness control is in the full bright position. See
ªInstrument Panel Brightness Controlº under
Interior
Lamps on page 3-19.
To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system off, turn the control to the off position.
You may be able to turn off your Automatic Headlamp
System. See ªDaytime Running Lamps (DRL)º later
in this section for more information.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need them.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition is
off, in LOCK, ACCESSORY, or your door is open. To
disable the chime, turn the light off then back on.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
·The ignition is on
·The exterior lamps control is in AUTO
·The automatic transmission is not in PARK (P)
·The light sensor determines it is daytime
When the DRL system is on, only your DRL lamps will
be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won't be on. The instrument panel won't be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps or the last
chosen headlamp setting that was used.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the headlamps
will go off, and your DRL lamps will illuminate,
provided it is not dark outside.
3-16

To idle an automatic transmission equipped vehicle with
the DRL off, set the parking brake. Shifting the
transmission into PARK (P) will also allow you to idle
the vehicle with the DRL off. The DRL will stay off until
you release the parking brake or shift the transmission
out of PARK (P).
To idle a manual transmission equipped vehicle with the
DRL off, set the parking brake. The DRL will stay off
until you release the parking brake.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog lamps, use them for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions.
The fog lamp button is
located on the left side of
your instrument panel.Your parking lamps and/or low-beam headlamps must
be on for your fog lamps to work.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on. Press the
button again to turn them off. An indicator light will glow
in the button when the fog lamps are on.
Remember, fog lamps alone will not give off as much
light as your headlamps. Never use the fog lamps in the
dark without turning on the headlamps.
The fog lamps will go off whenever the high-beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go off, the
fog lamps will come on again.
The fog lamps will be cancelled after the ignition is
turned off. If you still want to use the fog lamps after you
restart the vehicle, you will need to press the fog
lamp button again.
3-17

Instrument Panel Cluster
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.
United States Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission version shown. Canada, Light Duty Automatic and Manual
Transmission Clusters similar.
3-34

Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Assist System (TAS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the rear wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.
The traction control system is enabled every time your
vehicle is started. The system will activate if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction.
You may hear or feel the system working or notice a
lack of accelerator response, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn't mean there's a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safelyuse it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise ControlunderTurn Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-7.
When the traction off light
is on, the TAS is off and
will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The traction off light will come on under the following
conditions:
·The Traction Assist System is turned off, either by
pressing the TAS on/off button or by turning off
the automatic engagement feature of the TAS.
·The transmission is in FIRST (1); TAS will not
operate in this gear. This is normal.
·The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road.
When the vehicle leaves the rough surface, slows
down or stops, the light will go off and TAS will
be on again. This is normal.
4-9