mirror GMC SUBURBAN 1999 User Guide

2-61
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the top and
bottom visors (if equipped). You can also swing the
bottom visor from side
-to-side. Your visors may
have an extension that can be pulled out for additional
glare protection.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
(If Equipped)
Pull the sun visor down and lift the mirror cover to turn
on the lamps. There is a slide switch to adjust the
intensity of the lamps.
Sunroof (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a power sliding
sunroof. To open or close your sunroof, the ignition or
RAP needs to be on. See ªRetained Accessory Powerº
in the Index.Press and release the rear side of the button located in
the front overhead console to express
-open the glass
panel and sunshade. To close the glass panel, press and
hold the front of the button. The glass will not be fully
seated unless the button is held until the glass stops
moving. With the sunroof closed, press the forward side
of the button to open the sunroof to the vent position.
The sunroof is also equipped with a sunshade which you
can pull forward to block sun rays.
If a hand, arm, or other object is blocking the sunroof
glass panel as it is closing, the glass panel will stop at
the obstruction. After the obstruction is removed, the
glass panel can be closed or opened.
Use care not to leave the sunroof open for long periods
of time as debris may collect in the tracts.
If the battery has been recharged, disconnected or is not
working, you may need to reprogram the sunroof. To do
this, start the vehicle and press the forward side of the
sunroof switch until the glass panel moves to a fully
closed position. Release, and press again to move to the
vent position which occurs when the sunroof is fully
tilted rearward. This will reset the memory and enable
the sunroof to function properly.

3-13
The defogger will shut itself off after several minutes.
If you need additional warming time, press the button
again. You can turn the defogger off at any time by
pressing the button.
If your vehicle is equipped with heated outside mirrors,
the rear window defogger button will also activate the
heated outside mirrors.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license, tape or decals
across the defogger grid on the rear window.
NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn't be covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Air will flow through the
instrument panel outlets.
Your vehicle's ventilation system supplies outside air
to the inside of your vehicle when it is moving. With
the side windows closed, air will flow into the front
air inlet grilles, through the vehicle, and out the air
exhaust valves.
Outside air will also enter the vehicle when the heater
or the air conditioning fan is running, unless you have
the RECIRCULATION button pushed in. For more
information on the RECIRCULATION button,
see ªAir Conditioningº earlier in this section.

4-15

Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
if your right outside mirror is convex, the vehicle
you just passed may seem to be farther away from
you than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing,
it may be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid,
too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.

4-16
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you have the ªTraction Assist
System,º remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid. If you do not have this system, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues -- such as enough
water, ice or packed snow on the road to make a
ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving with Your
Four
-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four
-wheel drive.
Also, see ªAnti
-Lock Brakesº in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn't have four
-wheel drive, you
shouldn't drive off
-road unless you're on a level,
solid surface.
Off
-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
ªOff
-roadingº means you've left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren't
marked. Curves aren't banked. There are no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill.
In short, you've gone right back to nature.

4-31
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired
-- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.

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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too
-fast or
too
-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to
the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in your
ªblindº spot.

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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway hypnosisº?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.

Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.

If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on
the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.

4-59
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you'll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you
are driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving
and then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You'll need more passing distance up ahead when
you're towing a trailer. And, because you're a good
deal longer, you'll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that
hand to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone guide you.

6-57
NAME Usage
LOCK Power Door Lock Relay
HVAC 1 Climate Control System
CRUISE Cruise Control, Instrument Cluster
IGN 3 Ignition, Power Seats
4WD Four
-Wheel Drive System,
Auxiliary Battery
CRANK Starting System
INT PRK Parking Lamps, Sidemarker
Lamps, Interior Lamps
L DOOR Power Door Lock Relay
BRAKE Anti
-Lock Brake System
RR WIPER Rear Window Wiper
ILLUM Interior Lamps
SEAT Power Seat Circuit Breaker
TURN Exterior Lamps, Turn Signals,
Hazard Lamps
UNLOCK Power Door LocksNAME Usage
HTR A/C Climate Control System
WS WPR Windshield Wipers
IGN 1 Ignition, Instrument Panel
AIR BAG Air Bag
MIR/LOCK Power Mirrors, Power Door Locks
DR LOCK Power Door Locks
PWR WDO Power Window Circuit Breaker
UNLOCK Power Door Lock Relay
IGN 0 PRND321 Display, Odometer,
VCM/PCM
SEO IGN Special Equipment Option,
Ignition
SEO ACCY Special Equipment Option
Accessory, Cellular Telephone
RAP #1 Retained Accessory Power Relay
RDO 1 Audio System
RAP #2 Rear Power Windows,
Sunroof, Radio

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Name Usage
STUD #1 Accessory Power/Trailer
Wiring Feed/Load Leveling
ABS Anti
-Lock Brakes
IGN A Ignition Switch
AIR A.I.R. System
RAP #1 Retained Accessory Power,
Power Mirrors, Power Door
Locks, Power Seat(s)
IGN B Ignition Switch
RAP #2 Retained Accessory Power/Rear
Power Windows, Sunroof, Radio
STUD #2 Accessory Power/Trailer Wiring
Brake Feed
TRL R TRN Right Turn Signal Trailer Wiring
TRL L TRN Left Turn Signal Trailer Wiring
IGN 1 Ignition, Fuel Controls
INJ B Ignition, Fuel Controls (Relay)
STARTER Starter (Relay)
PARK LP Parking LampsName Usage
FRT HVAC Climate Control System
STOP LP Exterior Lamps, Stoplamps
ECM 1 VCM/PCM
CHMSL Center High Mounted Stoplamp
VEH STOP Stoplamps, Cruise Control
TRL B/U Backup Lamps Trailer Wiring
INJ A Fuel Controls, Ignition
RR HVAC Rear HVAC
VEH B/U Vehicle Backup Lamps
ENG 1 Engine Controls, Canister Purge,
Fuel System
ETC Electronic Throttle Control
IGN E A/C Compressor Relay, Rear
Window Defogger, Daytime
Running Lamps, A.I.R. System
B/U LP Backup Lamps, Automatic
Transmission Shift Lock
Control System
ATC Automatic Transfer Case