light GMC SONOMA 2000 Owner's Guide

2-37 Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
with the wiper symbol on it.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one wipe. If you want more wipes, hold the
band on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain
or snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time.
The closer to LO, the shorter the delay.For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you to the LO position. For high
-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers, turn the
band to OFF.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
worn or damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Windshield Washer
There is a paddle marked with the windshield washer
symbol on the top of the multifunction lever. To spray
washer fluid on the windshield, push the paddle. The
wipers will clear the window and then either stop or
return to your preset speed.
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.

2-40
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 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.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control

Press in the 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
button for less than a half a second. Each time you
do this, you'll go 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 two ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transmission.

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

2-41
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:

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 dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor on the
top of the instrument panel under the radio speaker
grill. 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.

2-42
To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system off, set the parking brake while the ignition is
off. Then start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp
system will stay off until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition
is in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY. To turn the chime
off, turn the knob all the way to the left or turn the
instrument panel dimmer down to the fully dimmed
position. In the automatic mode, the headlamps turn
off once the ignition key is in OFF.
Daytime Running Lamps (If Equipped)
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 lights are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.The DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
reduced brightness when:

the ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is in automatic headlamp mode,

the light sensor detects daytime light,

an automatic transmission is not in PARK (P), and

the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your headlamps 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 headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL to the regular headlamps.
The DRL system on some vehicles may turn off
temporarily while the turn signals are activated.
To idle an automatic transmission vehicle with the
DRL off, put the transmission in PARK (P) or set the
parking brake. To idle a manual transmission vehicle
with the DRL off, set the parking brake. The DRL will
stay off until you shift out of PARK (P) or release the
parking brake.

2-43
The following does not apply to vehicles first sold in
Canada, and to some early production vehicles.
When necessary, you may turn off the Automatic
Headlamp System and the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) feature by following the steps below:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN.
2. Press the DOME OVERRIDE button four times
within six seconds. After the fourth press of the
button, a chime will sound informing you that the
system is off.
3. To return to the automatic mode, push the DOME
OVERRIDE button four times within six seconds
(the chime will sound), or turn the ignition to OFF
and then to RUN again.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
Use your fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty
conditions. Your parking lamps or low
-beam headlamps
must be on for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp switch is on the instrument panel under
the lamps switch. Press the switch to turn the fog lamps
on. Press the switch again to turn them off. A light will
glow in the switch when the fog lamps are on.
The fog lamps will go off whenever your high
-beam
headlamps come on. When the high
-beam headlamps
go off, the fog lamps will come on again.

2-44
Interior Lamps
Brightness Control
Turn the thumbwheel next to the headlamp switch up to
make your instrument panel lights brighter. Turn the
thumbwheel all the way up to turn on the interior lamps.
Illuminated Entry
Your vehicle is equipped with an illuminated entry feature.
When the doors are opened, the dome lamps will come
on if the DOME OVERRIDE button is in the ªoutº
position. If your vehicle is equipped with remote keyless
entry and all the doors are closed, or the front door
handles are lifted and released, the lamps will stay on
for a short period of time and will turn off automatically.
If you use your keyless entry transmitter to unlock the
vehicle, the interior lights will come on for a short time
whether or not the DOME OVERRIDE button is in
the ªoutº position.
Exit Lighting
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on when
you remove the key from the ignition to help you seewhile exiting the vehicle. These lights will stay on for a
short period of time and then will go out, if the DOME
OVERRIDE button is in the ªoutº position.
Front Map Lamps (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has front map lamps, they are located
on the inside rearview mirror. They will automatically
come on for approximately 40 seconds when the
doors are unlocked with the keyless entry transmitter
(if equipped) or until the ignition key is turned to
RUN or ACCESSORY. The lamps will also stay on
for approximately 40 seconds after you exit the
vehicle, unless you lock the doors with the keyless
entry transmitter.
You can also turn the lamps on and off by pressing the
switch near each lamp.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open the doors.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by turning the
thumbwheel, located next to the parking/headlamps
knob, all the way up to the top detent position.
In this position, the dome lamps will remain on
whether the doors are opened or closed.

2-48
If your vehicle has the center armrest compartment, lift
the cover to expose the storage area which includes slots
for cassettes or compact discs and a coinholder.
Some vehicles may have a storage pocket on the back of
the bucket or 60/40 bench seats.
Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
Rotate the front ashtray door down to open it.
NOTICE:
Don't put papers and other things that burn
into your ashtray. If you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire,
causing damage.
To remove the front ashtray, pull the bin upward.
To use the lighter, press it in all the way, and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back by itself.

2-49
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overload, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the sun visor.
You can also swing the visor from side to side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull the sun visor down and lift the cover to expose the
vanity mirror.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
(If Equipped)
Pull the sun visor down and lift the mirror cover to turn
on the lamps.
Accessory Power Outlets
(If Equipped)
If you have accessory power outlets, you can plug in
auxiliary electrical equipment. The accessory power
outlets are located near the center of the vehicle on the
lower part of the instrument panel. Just remove the
plug from the outlet and follow the proper installation
instructions that are included with any electrical
equipment you install.
These circuits are protected by a fuse and have
maximum current levels.
NOTICE:
When using the accessory power outlets,
maximum electrical load must not exceed
20 amps. Always turn off any electrical
equipment when not in use. Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended periods will drain
your battery.

2-54
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red range, or engine damage will occur.
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 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 chime 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.

2-55 Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag's electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. The
system check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag
modules, the wiring, the passenger air bag suppression
circuit and the crash sensing and diagnostic module. For
more information on the air bag system, see ªAir Bagº
in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your vehicle,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.