
Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you’re crossing an incline, be sure you (and your
passengers) get out on the uphill side, even
if the door there is harder to
open. If you get out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll over,
you’ll be right in its path.
Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow, Or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning is more difficult, and you’ll need
longer braking distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when you’re in mud
- the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. In really deep mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has an
effect
on steering, accelerating, and braking. You may want to reduce the air
pressure in your tires slightly when driving on sand. This will improve
traction.
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Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring, The green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer,
the green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If
you don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around 45 mph
(70 kdh) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use “D” (or, as you need
to, a lower gear) when towing
a trailer. Operating your vehicle in “D” when
towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend
the life of your
transmission.
If
you have a manual transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s better
not
to use fifth gear. Just drive in fourth gear (or, as you need to, a lower
gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P’ (Park) yet, or in gear
for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb
the load.
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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.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for
awhile.
1 1. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably needs service.
Remove Cables in this Order
1. Heavy Metal
Engine Part
2. Good Battery (-)
3. Good Battery (+)
4. Dead Battery (+)
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent electrical shorting.
Take care that they don't touch each other
or any other metal.
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have your GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your
vehicle. They can provide the right equipment and know how
to tow it
without damage.
If your vehicle has been changed since
it was factory-new, by adding such
things like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these things
could
be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call,
tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has the four-wheel
drive option.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
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Engine Fan Noise
Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air to cool
the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the fan
is spinning slower and clutch is not fully engaged.
This improves
fuel economy and reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle
loading, trailer towing and/or high outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more fully engages.
So you may hear an increase in
fan noise. This is normal and should not be mistaken as the transmission
slipping or making extra shifts.
It is merely the cooling system functioning
properly. The
fan will slow down when additional cooling is not required
and the clutch partially disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch partially disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have
a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road if
possible.
If a
tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use your jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
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Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage by driving slowly to a
level place. Turn on your hazard warning flashers.
The following
steps
will tell you how to
use the jack and
change
a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is located
in the rear cargo area. You’ll also find
your spare tire there.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its many parts have to
be of top quality and work well together if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake parts in
them, as your vehicle does when it is new. When you replace parts of your
braking system
- for example, when your brake linings wear down and
you have to have new ones put
in - be sure you get new genuine GM
replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly.
For example, if someone puts
in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes can change, for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve come to expect can change
in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Other Maintenance Items
Front Suspension and Steering Linkage
Your maintenance schedule will tell you how often to lubricate the fittings.
See “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index for the proper
lubricant to use.
Front Wheel Bearing
Your vehicle has front wheel bearings that must be cleaned and repacked.
Your maintenance schedule will tell you how often this must be done.
Front Shock Absorbers
The front shock absorbers of your vehicle do many things. They help the
vehicle ride smoothly and also control the travel of the suspension system.
When the shock absorbers are serviced, any replacement shock absorbers
must be the same as the original equipment shock absorbers
in both
extended length
and strength.
I NOTICE:
If you use shock absorbers that are not the same as the original
shock absorbers, the shock absorbers or suspension system
could be damaged.
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Specification Charts
Replacement Parts
Replacement part numbers listed in this section are based on the latest
information available
at the time of printing, and are subject to change. If a
part listed in this manual
is not the same as the part used in your vehicle
when
it was built, or if you have any questions, please contact your GM
truck dealer.
Engine Identification -Gas Engines
Engine
Type VIN Code
Fuel System
Produced By
Emissions
5.7L
V8
K
TBIT
U.S., CAN.
JJD*/HD**
“Light Duty Emissions with
8500 GVWR and below or:
**Heavy Duty Emissions with 8501 GVWR and above
?Throttle Body Injection
Engine Identification -Diesel Engines
Engine
Type VIN Code
Fuel System
Produced By
Emissions
Wheel Nut Torque
MODEL
C 1500
K 1500, C-K 2500
C-K 2500
6.5L
V8
S
Turbo Diesel
U.S.
LD
DESCRIPTION
5 bolts (14mm)
6 bolts (14mm)
8 bolts (14mm)
6.5L
V8
F
Turbo Diesel
U.S.
HD
TORQUE
120 ft. lbs. (1 60 Nom)
120 ft. lbs. ( 1 60 Nom)
I20 ft. Ibs. (I 60 Nom)
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GASOLINE ENGINES WITH HEAVY DUTY EMISSIONS
- MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE yf
Item Miles (000) 3
No. Kilometers (000) 5 Service
I
1 Engine Oil Change*-Every 3 Months, or t
Oil Filter Change*-Every 3 Months, or t
12 Chassis Lubrication-Every 12 Months, or I+
II
3 Clutch Fork Ball Stud Lubrication (5-speed manual
transmission with deeplow only)
Cooling System Service*-Every 24 Months or
Air Cleaner Filter Replacement* Front Wheel Bearing Repack
Transmission Service
**
Fuel Filter Replacement*
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
I9
Spark Plugs Replacement*
Spark Plug Wire Inspection*
EGR System Inspection*
Electronic Vacuum Regulator Valve (EVRV)
Inspection*
Engine Timing Checkk
Fuel Tank, Cap and Lines Inspection
*
Thermostatically Controlled Air Cleaner
Inspectionk
Engine Accessory Drive (Serpentine) Belt
Inspection*
Evaporative Control System Inspection*
Shields and Underhood Insulation InspectionA.
20
21
-
23
24
-
Air Intake System InspectionA. I
Brake Systems Inspection** I
* An Emission Control Service
** See “Explanation of Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
A A Noise Emission Control Service
Applicable only to vehicles sold in the United States
t To determine the emissions classification of your engine, refer to “Selecting the Proper
Maintenance Chart” in this section.
TO404
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