light GMC SONOMA 2001 Owner's Guide

2-32
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 come on.
To release the parking brake hold the regular brake
pedal down.
Pull the BRAKE RELEASE lever fully. It is located on
the bottom of the driver's side of the instrument panel.
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 you must park on a hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-40
Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low to high beam or high
to low beam, pull the multifunction lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high-beam
headlamps are on, this
indicator light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
Flash-To-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps
to signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even if your headlamps are in the
automatic position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you, but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are in the automatic position or on
low beam, your high
-beam headlamps will turn on.
They'll stay on as long as you hold the lever toward you
and the high
-beam indicator on the dash will come on.
Release the lever to return to normal operation.

2-41 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 LO. 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.

2-44
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, briefly 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 briefly. 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.

2-45
Exterior Lamps
Your parking lamp and headlamp knob 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 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.

2-46
To idle an automatic transmission vehicle with the DRL
off, put the transmission in PARK (P). 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.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
You may be able to turn off your Automatic Headlamp
System. See ªDaytime Running Lamps (DRL)º later in
this section for more information.
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 headlamp knob all the way counterclockwise to
the automatic position 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 following conditions are met:

The ignition is on,

the headlamp knob 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.

2-47
The following does not apply to vehicles first sold
in Canada.
When necessary, you may turn off the automatic
headlamp system and the Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) feature by following these steps. When the
system is turned off, the headlights will not
automatically come on when it becomes dark outside.
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 the
system is off.
3. The system will revert back to the automatic mode
when the DOME OVERRIDE button is again pushed
four times within six seconds (a chime will sound),
or when the ignition is turned off and on 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 headlamps knob. 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.

2-48
Interior Lamps
Brightness Control
Turn the thumbwheel next to the headlamp knob 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 any door is 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 see
while 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.

2-51
At night, when the glare is too high, the mirror will
gradually darken to reduce glare (this change may take a
few seconds). The mirror will return to its clear daytime
state when the glare is reduced. The mirror will also
return to its clear daytime state when the vehicle is put
into REVERSE (R).
Press the AUTO button at the base of the mirror to turn
on the automatic feature. The button has an indicator
light to show it is on. Press the OFF button to turn the
automatic feature off.
Time Delay
The automatic mirror has a time delay feature which
prevents unnecessary switching from the night back to
the day position. This delay prevents rapid changing of
the mirror as you drive under lights and through traffic.
Cleaning the Photocells
Use a cotton swab and glass cleaner to clean the
photocells when necessary.Electrochromic Day/Night Inside Rearview
Mirror with OnStar
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with an electrochromic
day/night rearview mirror with the OnStar system.
The automatic dimming feature is turned on or off by
pressing the far left button, located on the lower part of
the mirror face, for up to three seconds. When turned
on this mirror functions exactly as the electrochromic
mirror described previously with the exception of the
three OnStar buttons located at the bottom of the
mirror face.
See your dealer for more information on subscribing to
OnStar. See ªOnStar Systemº in the Index for more
information on using OnStar.

2-55
The pegs inside the
compartment door are used
to make sure the button on
the compartment door will
contact the control button
on the garage door opener.
Add one peg at a time until the garage door opener
operates with the compartment door closed when you
press the button.Now, with the compartment
door closed, press the
button again to make sure
the garage door opener
operates properly.
With the garage door opener positioned properly and
the right number of pegs in place, you should only
have to press the button slightly to operate the opener.
Adjust the position of the garage door opener and
add or remove pegs, as needed, until the opener
operates properly.