warning GMC SIERRA 2004 Owner's Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-11
Child Restraints
.......................................1-33
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-70
Restraint System Check
............................1-87
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-54
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-64
Storage Areas
.........................................2-66
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-69
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-55
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-73Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-53
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-59
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-60
Noise Control System
...............................5-62
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-64
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-74
Tires
......................................................5-76
Appearance Care
...................................5-116
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-125
Electrical System
....................................5-125
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-134
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will ®nd a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you
or others could be hurt.You will also ®nd a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means ªDon't,º
ªDon't do thisº or ªDon't let
this happen.º
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

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.
A chime will activate and the warning light will ¯ash
when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle
is moving 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, with the parking
brake symbol, 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
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-70.
2-48

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

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ¯ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ¯ash on and off.The hazard warning
¯asher button is located at
the top of the steering
column.
Your hazard warning ¯ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn't in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ¯ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ¯ashers off.
When the hazard warning ¯ashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.Other Warning Devices
If you carry re¯ective triangles, you can use them to
warn others. Set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
3-6

Operation Tips
·
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
·Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout your
vehicle.
·Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air de¯ectors, etc., may affect
the performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
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 may 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 brie¯y 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.
Your vehicle also has a driver information system that
works along with the warning lights and gages. See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-55.
3-33

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven, in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers (used in Canada).
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since you last set the trip odometer to zero.
Press the reset button to toggle between the trip
odometer and the regular odometer. Holding the reset
button for two seconds while the trip odometer is
displayed will reset it.
To display the odometer reading with the ignition off,
press the reset button.
Engine Hour Meter Display
The odometer can also display the number of hours the
engine has run. To display the hour meter, turn the
ignition off, press and hold the reset button for at least
four seconds. The hour meter will be displayed for
up to 30 seconds, or until the ignition is turned on.
Tachometer
Your tachometer displays the engine speed in
revolutions per minute (rpm).
Notice:If you operate the engine with the
tachometer in the shaded warning area, your vehicle
could be damaged, and the damages would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area.
3-35

Battery Warning Light
If this light is displayed
when the engine is
running, you may have a
problem with your charging
system.
The battery display will also stay on while the key is in
RUN until the engine is started.
If the light stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or some
other charging system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving with this light displayed could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories, such
as the radio and the air conditioner.
Voltmeter Gage
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.
3-42

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.
Up-Shift Light
This light is used on some
models with manual
transmissions.
The shift indicator light will show you when to shift to
the next highest gear, and will help you get the best fuel
economy.
Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
¯ash when you set the parking brake. The light will
¯ash if the parking brake doesn't release fully. If you try
to drive with the parking brake engaged, a chime will
sound when the vehicle speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h).
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.
If the warning light comes on and a chime sounds there
could be a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.
3-43