
Featums & Controls 
Section 
Here  you  can  learn  about  the  many  standard  and  optional  featur\
es on your 
vehicle.  and  information  on  starting.  shifting.  and  braking 
. Also  explained  are 
the  instrument  panel  and  the  warning  systems  that  tell  you 
if everything  is 
working  properly-and  what  to  do 
if you  have  a  problem . 
For  explanation  of vehicle symbols in this  section.  refer  to “Vehicle 
Symbols” in  Section 0 . 
Keys ........................................................................\
............................................... 2-3 
Your  Doors  and  How  They  Work 
........................................................................\
 2-5 
Side  Doors ........................................................................\
................................. 2-5 
Door  Locks 
........................................................................\
................................. 2-6 
Tailgate 
........................................................................\
........................................... 2-8 
Theft ........................................................................\
............................................... 2-9 
New  Vehicle  Break-In 
........................................................................\
................. 2-10 
Ignition  Switch 
........................................................................\
............................. 2-10 
Sterting  Your Gasoline  Engine 
........................................................................\
... 2-12 
Starting  Your Diesel  Engine 
........................................................................\
....... 2-15 
Automatic  Transmission 
........................................................................\
.............. 2-21 
Five-Speed  Manual  Transmission  (Without  Low  Gear) 
.................................... 2-24 
Five-Speed  Manual  Transmission  (With  Low  Gear) 
......................................... 2-25 
Locking  Rear  Axle 
........................................................................\
....................... 2-28 
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If  you  have  a  quick-release tailgate it  can  be  removed  by: 
1. Raising  the tailgate slightly  and  removing  both retaining  cables. 
2. Lift the  tailgate  at the  right  side  and  pull it  out  at  the  left  side. 
Reverse  the  above  procedure  to reinstall.  Make  sure  the  tailgate  is secure. 
Then 
Vehicle  theft  is  a  big business,  especially  in some  cities.  Although  your 
vehicle  has  a  number  of theft  deterrent  features,  we  know that nothing  we 
put  on  it  can  make  it impossible  to  steal.  However, there  are  ways you  can 
help. 
Key in  the  Ignition: If you  walk  away  from  your  vehicle  with  the  keys  inside, 
it’s  an  easy  target  for  joy riders  or  professional  thieves-so  don’t  do  it.  When 
you  park  your  vehicle  and  open  the  driver’s  door,  you’ll  hear  a tone reminding 
you  to remove  your  key  from  the  ignition  and  take  it with  you.  Always  do 
this.  Your  steering  wheel  will  be  locked,  and 
so will  your  ignition. If you  have 
an  automatic  transmission,  taking  your  key  out  also  locks  your \
 transmission. 
And  remember  to lock  the  doors. 
Parking  at  Night: Park  in a  lighted  spot,  close  all windows  and  lock  your 
vehicle.  Remember  to keep  your  valuables  out  of sight.  Put  them  in a  storage 
area,  or  take them  with  you. 
Parking  Lots: If you  park  in  a  lot  where  someone  will  be  watching  your  vehicle\
, 
it’s  best  to  lock  it  up  and  take  your  keys.  But  what 
if you  have  to  leave  your 
ignition  key?  What 
if you  have  to  leave  something  valuable  in your  vehicle? 
Put  your  valuables  in  a  storage  area  or  console. 
Lock  the console. 
Lock  all  doors  except  the  driver’s, 
Then  take  the  door  key  with  you. 
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Features & Controls 
A On  manual  transmission  vehicles,  turning  the  key  to LOCK will lock 
3 steering  column  and  result  in a loss of ability  to  steer  the 
vehicle.  This  could  cause  a  collision.  If  you  need  to  turn  th\
e  engine 
off while  the  vehicle  is  moving,  turn  the  key  only  to OFF. Don’t  move 
the  key  -‘?ase  lever  while  the  vehicle  is  mc 
IQ. 
To Remove  the  Key 
On  manual  transmission  vehicles,  turn  the  key  to the LOCK position  while 
pressing  the  key  release  lever  down.  Keeping  your  finger  on  the  lever,  pull 
the  key  straight  out. 
On  automatic  transmission  vehicles,  turn  the  key  to 
LOCK and  pull  it straight 
out. 
Starting Your Gasoline Engine 
If you  have  a  diesel  engine,  see  “Starting  Your Diesel  Engine”  in the  Index. 
Engines  start  differently.  The  8th  digit  of  your  Vehicle Identification  Number 
(VIN)  shows  the  code  letter  or  number  for  your  engine.  You will  find  the  VIN 
at  the  top  left 
of your  instrument  panel.  (See  “Vehicle  Identification  Number”\
 
in  the  Index.) 
Follow the  proper  steps  to start  the  engine. 
To Starl Your 4.3 Liter  (Code Z) engine 
or 
5.0 Liter  (Code H) engine: 
1. Automatic  Transmission 
Move  your  shift  lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral).  Your engine  won’t  start 
in  any  other  position-that’s  a  safety  feature.  To restart  when  you’re 
already  moving,  use 
N (Neutral)  only. 
NOTICE I 
Manual  Transmission 
Shift  your  gear  selector  to neutral  and  hold the  clutch  pedal  to the floor 
while starting  the  engine.  Your vehicle  won’t  start if the clutch  pedal  is 
not  all  the  way  down-that’s  a  safety  feature. 
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2. Don’t  push  the  accelerator  pedal  before  starting  your  engine.\
 In some 
other  vehicles  you  might  need  to  do  this,  but  because  of  your  vehicle’s 
computer  systems,  you  don’t. 
key.  The  idle  speed  will  go  down  as  your  engine  gets  warm. 
3. Turn  your  ignition  key  to Start. When  the  engine  starts,  let  go  of  the 
Holding  your  key  in 
Start for  longer  than 15 seconds  at a time  will  caus 
your  battery  to  be  drained  much  sooner.  And  the  :essive  heal 
m 
damage  your  starter  motor. 
4. 
5. 
If it  doesn’t  start  right  away,  hold  your  key  in Start. If  it  doesn’t  start  in 
three  seconds,  push  the  accelerator  pedal  about  one-quarter  of the  way 
down  for 
12 more  seconds,  or  until  it starts. 
If your  engine  still  won’t  start  (or  starts  but  then  stops), \
 it  could  be 
flooded  with  too  much  gasoline.  Try  this: 
Wait 
15 seconds  to  let  the  starter  motor  cool  down.  Then  push  your 
accelerator  pedal  all the  way  to  the  floor.  Hold  it  there.  Then,  hold  the 
key  in 
Start for  no  more  than  ten  seconds.  This  clears  the  extra 
gasoline  from  the  engine. 
If the  engine  still  doesn’t  start,  wait  another 15 seconds  and  do  it  all  again. 
When  the  engine  starts,  let  go  of  the  key  and  accelerator  ped\
al. 
Your  engine  is designed  to work  with  the  electronics  in your  vehicle. 
If you 
add  electrical  parts  or  accessories,  you  could  change  the  way  \
the  fuel 
injection  system  operates.  Before  adding  electrical  equipment,  ch\
eck  with 
-w dealer. If you  don’t,  your  engine  might  not  perform  properly 
If you  ever  have  to  have  your  vehicle  towed,  see  the  part  of  th\
is  Manua 
that  tells  how to do 
it wit‘--.Jt  damaging  your ?hide. See “Tc ‘ng Yo 
Vehicle’’  in the  lnde 
To Start Your 5.7 Liter  (Code K) engine 
or 7.4 Liter  (Code N) engine: 
1. Automatic  Transmission 
Move  your  shift  lever to P (Park)  or N (Neutral).  Your engine  won’t  start 
in  any  other  position-that’s  a safety  feature. 
To restart  when  you’re 
already  moving, 
use N (Neutral)  only. 
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When  the  engine  starts,  let  go  of  the  key  and  accelerator  ped\
al. Your  engine  is  designed  to work  with the electronics  in your  vehicle. 
If you 1 
add  electrical  parts or accessories,  you could  change  the way  the fuel 
injection  system  operates.  Before  adding  electrical  equipment,  ch\
eck  with 
your  dealer.  If  you  don’t,  your  engine  might  not perform  properly. 
If you  ever  have  to have  your  vehicle  towed,  see  the  part of this  Manu; . 
that  tells  how  to do it without  damaging  your  vehicle.  See  “Towing  Your 
Vehicle”  in  the Index. 
NOTICE I 
If you -drive  too quickly  through  deep  puddles or standing  water,  water  can 
come 
in through  your  engine’s  air  intake  and  badly  damage  your  engin\
e. 1%- 
you  can’t  avoid  deep  puddles or standing water, drive  through  very  slowlv. I 
-- 
Never  drive  through  standing  water  more  than 8 inches  deep if yo~ 
vehicle  has  a  diesel  engine. 
Also, don’t  drive  through  any  standing  water 
faster  than 
5 mph (8 kmh). If you  do,  water  can  be drawn  in through  the 
air  intake,  and this  can  severely  damage  your  engine. 
- 
Driving  In  Snow  (Diesel  Engines) 
When  driving  in  a  heavy  snowstorm  or  in swirling  snow  with  a  diesel  engine, 
snow  can  get  into  the  air  intake  system. 
If you  keep  driving  in  these 
conditions,  the  air  cleaner  may  get  plugged,  causing  black  smok\
e  and 
loss of 
power.  In  an  emergency, 
if the  air  cleaner  is plugged  with  snow,  you can 
remove  the  air  cleaner.  Then,  drive  to  a  place 
of safety  as  soon  as  possible 
and  put  the  air  cleaner  back  on. 
Starting  Your Diesel  Engine 
Your diesel  .engine  starts  differently  than  a  gasoline  engine. 
1. Automatic  Transmission: 
Move  your  shift  lever  to P (Park) or N (Neutral).  Your engine  won’t  start 
in  any  other  position-that’s  a  safety  feature. 
To restart  when  you’re 
already  moving,  use 
N (Neutral)  only. 
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Featums & Contmls 
R (Reverse) 
Use  this  gear  to  back  up. 
Shifting 
to R (Reverse)  while  your  vehicle  is moving  forward  could  damage 
your  transmission.  Shift 
to R (Reverse)  only  after  your  vehicle  is stopped. I 
b 
1 
damaging  your  transmission,  see “If Yo$re  Stuck:  In Sand,  Mud,  Ice or 
Snow” in the  Index. 
N (Neutral) 
In  this  position,  your  engine  doesn’t  connect  with  the  wheels. 
To restart  when 
you’re  already  moving,  use 
N (Neutral)  only. Also, use N (Neutral)  when  your 
vehicle  is  being  towed. 
CAUTION I 
Shifting  out  of P (Park) or N (Neutral)  while  your  engine  is “racing” 
(running  at  high  speed)  is  dangerous.  Unless  your  foot  is  fi\
rmly  on 
the  brake  pedal,  your  vehicle  could  move  very  rapidly.  You  cou\
ld  lose 
control  and  hit  people 
or objects.  Don’t  shift  out  of P (Park) or N 
wI ! your  enaine  is  racing. 
I 
NOTICE 
I 
1 
Damage to your  transmission  caused  by  shifting  out of P (Park) or N 
(Neutral)  with  the  engine  racing  isn’t  covered  by  your  war\
ranty. 
OD (Automatic  Overdrive) 
This  position  is 
for normal  driving. If you  need  more  power  for  passing,  and 
you’re: 
- Going  less  than  about 35 mph (56 km/h),  push your  accelerator 
- Going  about 35 mph (56 kmlh) or more,  push  the  accelerator all the 
pedal  about  halfway  down 
way  down 
You’ll  shift  down 
to the  next  gear  and  have  more  power. 
OD should not be  used  when  towing a trailer,  carrying a heavy  load,  driving 
on  steep  hills, 
or for  off-road  driving.  Select D (third  gear)  when  operating  the 
vehicle  under  any  of  these  conditions. 
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Features & Controls 
Propshaft  Brake  Burnish  Procedure 
If you  have a 3500 HD Model,  it  is  recommended  that  the  propshaft  mounted 
parking  brake  be  burnished  as  part  of  the  new  vehicle  break  in.  The  parking 
brake 
will work  best  after it has  been  burnished  following  these  instructions. 
Make 
10 stops,  using  the  parking  brake  foot  pedal,  from  20  mph  (32  k\
m/h) 
about  2 
112 miles (4 km)  apart. In between  stops,  drive  the  vehicle  at 20 
mph  (32  kmlh). 
Torque Lock 
The  parking  brake  should  be  set  first  whenever  leaving  the  dri\
ver’s  seat. If 
you  are  parked  on  a  hill and  the  transmission  is  placed  in P (Park)  before 
the  parking  brake  is  set,  the  weight  of the  vehicle  may  put  too much  force 
on  the  parking  pawl  in the  transmission. 
It may  be  difficult to pull the  selector 
lever  out  of 
P (Park).  This  is  called  “torque  lock.”  To prevent  this,  the  parking 
brake  should  be  set 
BEFORE moving  the  selector  lever  to P (Park). 
When  preparing 
to move  the  vehicle,  the  selector  lever  should  be  moved  out 
of 
P (Park) BEFORE releasing  the  parking  brake.  Set  the  parking  brake  first, 
then  release  the  transmission  from 
P (Park),  even  on  level  surfaces. 
If “torque  lock” does  occur,  you  may  have to have  another  vehicle  nudge 
your  vehicle  uphill  a  little 
to take  some of the  pressure off the  transmission 
while  you  pull the  selector  lever  out  of 
P (Park). 
Shifting  Into P  (Park) (Automatic  Transmission  Models  Only) 
1 CAUTION 
It can  be  dangerous  to  get  out of your  vehicle if the  shift  lever  is  not 
fully  in 
P (Park) with the  parking  brake  firmly  set. Your vehicle  can 
roll. 
If you  have  left  the  engine  running,  the  vehicle can move  suddenly. 
You 
or others  could be injured. TO be  sure  your  vehicle  won’t  move, 
when  you’re 
on fairly level  ground,  use  the steps  that  follow. 
If you  have  four-wheel  drive  and  your  transfer  case is in N (Neutral), 
your vehicle will be  free  to roll-even if your  shift  lever  is in P 
{Park). So, be  sure  the transfer  case is in a drive  gear-not N 
(Neutral). 
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re  pulling a trailer,  also  see 
“Parking on Hills9’ or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. I 
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Leaving Your  Vehicle  With  the  Engine  Running  (Automatic 
Transmission  Models  Only) 
I CAUTION 
A It can  be  dangerous  to  leave  your  vehicle  with  the  engine  running. 1 
1 Your  vehicle  could  move  suddenly if the  shift  lever  is  not  fully  in P 
(Park)  with  the  parking  brake  firmly  set. 
If  you  have  a  four-wheel  drive  with  a  manual  transfer  case  sh\
ift  lever 
and  your  transfer  case 
is in N (Neutral),  your  vehicle  will  be  free  to 
roll,  even 
if your  shift  lever  is  in P (Park). So be  sure  the  transfer 
case  is  in  a  drive  gear-not  in 
N (Neutral). 
And, 
if you  leave  the  vehicle  with  the  engine  running,  it could 
overheat  and  even  catch  fire.  You or  others  could  be  injured.  Don’t 
leave  your  vehicle  with  the  engine  running  unless  you  have  to.\
 
If you  have  to  leave  your  vehicle  with  the  engine  running,  be  su\
re  your 
vehicle 
is in P (Park)  and  your  parking  brake  is  firmly  set,  before  you  leav\
e 
it. If  you  have  a  four-wheel  drive,  be  sure  that  the  transfer  case  i\
s  in  a  drive 
gear-not  in 
N (Neutral). 
After  you’ve  moved  the  shift  lever  into  the 
P (Park)  position,  hold  the  regular 
brake  pedal  down.  Then,  see 
if you  can  move  the  shift  lever  away  from P 
(Park)  without  first  pulling  it  toward  you. 
If  you  can,  it means  that  the  shift  lever  wasn’t  fully  locked  into 
P (Park). 
Parking  Your  Vehicle  (Manual  Transmission  Models  Only) 
Before  you  get  out  of your  vehicle,  put  your  manual  transmission  in R 
(Reverse)  and  firmly  apply  the  parking  brake. 
If you  have  four-wheel  drive,  be  sure  your  transfer  case  is  in  a\
  drive  gear. 
Your  vehicle  could  roll 
if it  isn’t. 
If you  are  parking  on  a  hill,  or if your  vehicle  is  equipped  to  tow  a  trailer, 
see  “Parking  on  Hills”  or  “Towing  a  Trailer”  in  the\
  Index. 
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