GMC SONOMA 2003 Owner's Manual

The following does not apply to vehicles sold in Canada.
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. The system will revert back to the
automatic on mode when the ignition is turned to
OFF and then to RUN again.
3. To return to the automatic mode, push the DOME
OVERRIDE button four times within six seconds
(a 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
Your vehicle may be equipped with fog lamps. Use your
fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty conditions.
Your parking lamps or headlamps must be on for
your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is located on the instrument panel
near the lamp control.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on. Press the
button again to turn them off. A light will glow in
the button when the fog lamps are on.
Fog lamps will go off whenever your high-beam
headlamps come on. When the high-beams go off,
the fog lamps will come on again.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
It is located on the driver’s side of your instrument panel
next to the exterior lamps control.
Turn the thumbwheel up to make your instrument panel
lights brighter or down to dim them. Turn the
thumbwheel all the way up to turn on the interior lamps.
Entry Lighting
Your vehicle is equipped with an entry lighting feature.
When any door is opened, the dome lamps will
come on if the DOME OVERRIDE button is in the out
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 remote 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 out 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 out position.
Front Map Lamps
If your vehicle is a Crew Cab®and has front map
lamps, they are located in the overhead console. For all
other vehicles that have this feature, they are located
on the inside rearview mirror. The front map lights
that are located on the inside rearview mirror will
automatically come on for approximately 40 seconds
when the doors are unlocked with the remote 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 remote
keyless entry transmitter.
You can also turn the lamps on and off by pressing the
switch near each lamp.
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Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open any door.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by turning the
instrument panel brightness thumbwheel, located next to
the exterior lamps control, all the way up to the
second notch. In this position, the dome lamps will
remain on whether a door is opened or closed.
You can use the DOME OVERRIDE button, located
below the exterior lamps control, to set the dome lamps
to come on automatically when any door is opened,
or to remain off. To turn the lamps off, press the button
in. With the button in, the dome lamps will remain off
when any door is opened. To return the lamps to
automatic operation, press the button again and return
it to the out position. With the button in this position,
the dome lamps will come on when you open any door.
This will override the illuminated entry feature, unless
you use your remote keyless entry transmitter
(if equipped) to unlock the vehicle.
Battery Rundown Protection
This feature shuts off the dome, courtesy, vanity,
reading, glove box, cargo and underhood lamps if they
are left on for more than 20 minutes when the ignition
is off. This will keep your battery from running down.If the battery rundown protection shuts off the interior
lamps, it may be necessary to do one of the following to
return it to normal operation:
Shut off all lamps and close all doors, or
turn the ignition key to RUN.
Accessory Power Outlets
Your vehicle may be equipped with an accessory
power outlet.
With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
There may be an accessory power outlet located near
the center of the vehicle on the lower part of the
instrument panel. A small cap must be pulled down to
access an accessory power outlet. When not using
an outlet be sure to cover it with the protective cap.
Notice:When using an accessory power outlet,
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.
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Certain electrical accessories may not be compatible
with the accessory power outlet and could result
in blown vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a
problem, see your dealer for additional information
on accessory power outlets.
Notice:Adding some electrical equipment to your
vehicle can damage it or keep other things from
working as they should. This wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty. Check with your dealer before
adding electrical equipment, and never use anything
that exceeds the amperage rating.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
proper installation instructions included with the
equipment.
Notice:Power outlets are designed for accessory
plugs only. Do not hang any type of accessory
or accessory bracket from the plug. Improper use of
the power outlet can cause damage not covered
by your warranty.Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Your vehicle may be equipped with an ashtray and
cigarette lighter.
Pull the front ashtray door down to open it.
Notice:Don’t put papers or other ammable
items into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite them, causing
a damaging re.
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 out by itself.
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 overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
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Climate Controls
Climate Control System
With this system you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation for your vehicle.
Directing the Airow
Mode Knob:Turn the right knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to direct the airow inside of your
vehicle.
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument panel
outlets, with a little air directed toward theoor vents.
)(Bi-Level):This mode directs half of the air to the
instrument panel outlets, then directs most of the
remaining air to theoor outlets. A little air is also
directed toward the windshield and the side window
outlets. Cooler air is directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to theoor outlets.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
oor outlets with a little air directed to the windshield and
the side window outlets.
9(Fan):Turn the left knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the fan speed.
Turn the mode knob to OFF to turn off the fan.
The mode knob can also be used to select defog or
defrost mode. For more information, see“Defogging”
later in this section. Standard Climate Control System
Optional Climate Control System
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Heating
Turn the center knob clockwise or counterclockwise to
raise or lower the temperature on the inside of your
vehicle.
When it’s cold outside 0°F(−18°C) or lower, use the
engine coolant heater, if equipped, to provide warmer air
faster to your vehicle. An engine coolant heater warms
the coolant that the engine uses to provide heat to
warm the inside of your vehicle. For more information,
seeEngine Coolant Heater on page 2-24.
Cooling
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air
escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps
the system to operate more efficiently.
A/C (Air Conditioning):Turn the knob to the A/C
position to turn the air-conditioning system on or
off. When the system is on, this setting cools and
dehumidies the air entering your vehicle and directs
it through theoor outlets as well as the instrument
panel outlets.
MAX A/C (Maximum Air Conditioning):This mode
recirculates much of the air inside your vehicle so
it cools quickly. It directs most of the air through the
instrument panel outlets and a small amount through
theoor outlets.
-(Blend):Use this mode to direct half the air to the
windshield and half to theoor outlets. Close the
center outlets to help defrost the side windows more
quickly. In this mode, the system will automatically force
outside air into your vehicle and it will also run the
air-conditioning compressor, unless it falls below the
temperature at which air conditioning is effective.
You may notice a slight change in engine performance
when the air-conditioning compressor shuts off and
turns on again. This is normal. The system is designed
to make adjustments to help with fuel economy while
still maintaining the selected temperature.
For quick cool down on hot days, do the following:
1. Select A/C.
2. Select the coolest temperature.
3. Select the highest fan speed.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm the upper
part of your body, but the lower part may not be
warm enough. To remedy this, do the following:
1. Select the bi-level mode.
2. Select the temperature.
3. Select the fan speed.
The air-conditioning system removes moisture from the
air, so you may sometimes notice a small amount of
water dripping underneath your vehicle while idling
or after turning off the engine. This is normal.
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Defogging and Defrosting
To circulate outside air and to help clear the windshield
quickly, do the following:
1(Defrost):This mode directs most of the air to the
windshield and the side window outlets, with only a
little air directed to theoor outlets.
-(Blend):This mode can be used on cool, humid
days to keep the windshield and side windows clear.
1. Select the blend mode.
2. Select the temperature.
3. Select the highest fan speed.
Outlet Adjustment
Theow through outlets on your vehicle allow outside
air to enter your vehicle while it is moving. Outside
air will also enter your vehicle while the air-conditioning
compressor is running.
Use the thumbwheels located in the center and on the
sides, to change the direction of the airowing through
the outlets.
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Operation Tips

Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the air
inlets at the base of the windshield that may
block theow of air into your vehicle.
Use of non-GM approved hood deectors may
adversely affect the performance of the system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear of objects
to help circulate the air inside of your vehicle more
effectively.
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 briey 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.
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Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel 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’ve used, and many other things you’ll need to know to drive safely
and economically.
Base Level Cluster United States, Canada similar
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Uplevel Cluster United States, Canada similar
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