1993 GMC SIERRA battery

AM480043
Run your engine only as long as you musk. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that yo\
u get and
it keeps
the battery (or batteries) charged. You will need a well-charged battery (or
batteries) to restart the' vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your
headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
If you 'have a diesel engine, you
may have to run it at a higher speed
to lget enough heat. Then, shut the
engine
off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat.
Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But
do it as little as'possible. Preserve the fuel
as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes.
If You're Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging it. See "Rocking Your Vehicle" in the Index.
Towing a mailer
CAUTION I
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive properly, you ca\
n
lose control when you pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well-or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if \
you have
followed all the steps in this section.
I
i'- ." "
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To turn off the flasher, pull out on the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the
steps- below
to do it safely.
CAUTION
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous because: I
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode c te. ..
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
n hurt you. I
If you don’t follow these ’ !ps exactly, some or all of tt- --e things
-I
To Jump Start Your Vehicle ’
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a negative ground, bot
I vehicles can be damaged.
- -
If you have a diesel engine vehicle with two batteries (or more), you
should know before you begin that, especially in cold weather, you may
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Pmbkms on the Road
not be able to get enough power from a single battery in another vehicle
to start your diesel engine.
If your vehicle has more than one battery, use the battery that’\
s closest
to the starter-this will reduce electrical resistance.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be
sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical syst\
ems.
You could be injured
if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake firmly
manual transmission in
N (Neutral).
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer c\
ase is
not in
N (Neutral).
1 on each vehicle. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t need-
ed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both bat\
teries. And
it could save your radio!
ou leave your radio on, it could be badly damaged. The repairs
r.,Jldn’t be covered by your warranty. I
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
Find the positive
(t) and negative (-) terminals on each battery.
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IA
Using a match near a battery can cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been blinded. Use
a flashiight if you need more light.
Be sure the batteries have enough water. You-don? need
to adb
water to the Delco Freedom* battery (or batteries) instailed in every
new
GM vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water to take care of that
first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could be present. .hr~ic;. -- ,
Battery fluid conbins acid that can burn you. Don’t. get it. on you.
. you accidentally get it in your eyes or on your skin, ftush the placl
~~~~-,~~~~.~-:~~.~.~. -2-
.with water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some things you should\
know.
Positive
(t) will go to positive (t) and negative (-) will go to negative
(-) or a metal engine part. Don’t connect (t) to (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts, too\
.
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you badly. Keep your
hands away from moving parts once the engines are running.
6. Connect the red positive (t) cable to the positive (t) terminal of the
vehicle with the dead battery. Use a remote positive
(t) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
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Problents on the Road
Dead Battery Good Battery
K2504
7. Don’t let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the positive (+)
terminal of the good battery. Use a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (-) cable to the good battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next step.\
The other end
of the negative cable doesn’t go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy
unpainted metal part on the engine of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts that move. The electrical connection is just
as
good there, but the chance of sparks getting back to the battery is much
less.
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Good Battery Dead Battery
K2506
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. awhile.
If it
won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent electrical shorting.
Take care that they don’t touch each other or any other metal.
REMOVE CABLES IN THIS ORDER
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Service & Appearance Care
Engine Coolant ........................................................................\
........................ 6-42
Power Steering Fluid
........................................................................\
............... 6-46
Windshield Washer Fluid
........................................................................\
......... 6-48
Brake Master Cylinder
........................................................................\
............. 6-49
Replacing Brake System Parts
........................................................................\
.. 6-50
Other Maintenance Items ........................................................................\
........... 6-51
Lubrication
........................................................................\
.................................... 6-52
Electrical System
........................................................................\
......................... 6-54
Battery
........................................................................\
...................................... 6-54
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
........................................................................\
.... 6-64
Bulb Replacement
........................................................................\
.................... 6-54
Exhaust System
........................................................................\
........................... 6-65
Loading Your Vehicle
........................................................................\
.................. 6-67
Tires
........................................................................\
.............................................. 6-72
Inflation-Tire Pressure
........................................................................\
........... 6-73
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................................................................\
.. 6-78
When It's Time for New Tires
........................................................................\
6-80
Buying New Tires
........................................................................\
.................... 6-81
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
............................................................... 6-82
Wheel Replacement
........................................................................\
................. 6-83
Tire Chains
........................................................................\
............................... 6-84
Appearance Care
........................................................................\
........................ 6-84
Cleaning the Inside Of Your Vehicle
............................................................. 6-85
Cleaning the Outside Of Your Vehicle
.......................................................... 6-88
Appearance Care Materials
.r.ikl...rr.r.n.....lr. ........ ... .. 6-91
Vehicle Identification Number
........................................................................\
..... 6-92
Service Parts Identification Label
...................................................................... 6-94
Specification Charts
....++t....,.,.*,..-".,,. .............. , ........... .................... 6-95
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
........................................................................\
.. 6-81
..................................................
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Service & Appearance Care
You should not use penetrating oils because they could wash out the factory
installed lubricant and cause the lock to bind. De-icers which contain alcohol
could also wash away the lubricant,
so be sure to lubricate the lock after
using a de-icer of this type.
Tailgate Handle
The tailgate handle pivot points on your vehicle should be lub\
ricated to keep
it working smoothly.
Your maintenance schedule will tell you how often to lubricate the handle.
See “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index for the proper
lubricant to use.
Electrical System
Battery
Every new GM vehicle has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You never have to
add water to one of these. When it’s time for a new battery, we recomme\
nd
a Delco Freedom@ battery. Get one that has the catalog number \
shown on
the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or more, take off the
black, negative
(-) cable from the battery. This will help keep your battery
from running down.
I - Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas that can explod\
e. You I
1 can be badly hurt if you aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” in the
Index for tips on working around a battery without getting hur\
t.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle for longer periods.
Bulb Replacement
Before you replace any bulbs, be sure that all the lights are off and the
engine isn’t running.
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