Page 56 of 385

Features & Controls 
Section 
L 
r 
1 
Here you can  learn about the many  standard  and  optional  features 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.  refer  to  “Vehicle Symbols” in the 
Introduction . 
Keys ..................................................... 2-3 
DoorLocks 
................................................ 2-5 
Your  Doors  and  How  They  Work .... .................... 2-7 .. 
................................................ Side Doors  2-7 
Tailgate.  Tailgate  Glass and Rear 
Doors ... ... ............... 2-8 
Tailgate 
........................... ...................... 2-8 
PanelDoors 
............................................... 2-9 
Theft 
.................................................... 2-10 
New  Vehicle  Break-In 
...................................... 2-11 
Ignition  Switch 
.................................... . 2-12 
Starting  Your Gasoline  Engine ......................... . 2-13 
Driving  Through Deep Standing  Water 
......................... 2-15 
Starting  Your  Diesel  Engine 
................................. 2-16 
Automatic Transmission .................................... 2-21 
Five-Speed  Manual  Transmission 
............................. 2-24 
LockingRearAxle ......................................... 2-26 
Parking Brake .................................... . . 2-26 
2-1 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 63 of 385
Tailgate Glass, Tailgate and Rear Doors 
into  your  vehicle. You can't  see or smell CO. It  can  cause 
unconsciousness 
and even  death. 
into your ve :le.  See "Comfort Controls''  in the Fdex. & 
tailgate, or rear doors: I 
Tailgate  Glass and Tailgate 
If  your  vehicle  has a tailgate,  you  must  raise  the rear  glass  before  lowering 
the  tailgate. 
To open the glass 
from  the outside,  use 
your  door  key.  With 
the 
key in the lock, 
turn  the  key to the 
To release  the glass from  the inside, use the  electric  tailgate  glass  release 
switch 
on the instrument  panel.  For  more  information,  see ''Tailgate- 
Electric  Glass Release" 
in the  Index. 
2-8 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 64 of 385
Open the tailgate by lifting  up on the  handle while pulling the tailgate 
toward  you. 
Close  the tailgate before closing the rear glass. After closing, make sure the 
tailgate 
is securely latched by pulling  it toward you. After closing  the rear 
glass, pull up 
on its  handle to make sure  it is locked. 
Panel Doors 
To open the rear panel doors  on the wagon model, you must open the right 
door first. 
If the door  is locked, insert your door  key in the lock and turn  it 
to  the left  to unlock  it. 
To open the right 
door, pull up on the 
handle and  pull the 
door open. 
To open the left  door, 
first open the right 
door. 
Then, pull the 
handle on the left door 
edge  out  and pull the 
door 
open. 
2-9 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 91 of 385
Hectric Tailgate Glass Release 
Before operating your electric tailgate  glass  release,  see the  caution  under 
“Tailgate  Glass,  Tailgate  and  Rear  Doors” in  this section. 
The  electric  hatch 
release  button,  located 
below  the  headlight  switch,  lets you 
release  the  tailgate 
glass. 
To release  the 
glass,  slide  the  button 
to  the  right  until 
you 
hear  the  latch  release. 
Then,  lift 
the window 
up 
to open. 
If you have  an  automatic  transmission,  your shift  lever  must  be  in “P’ 
(Park)  or “N”(Neutra1) for the  release to work.  With a manual  transmission, 
you 
must apply  the parking  brake  for the  release to work. 
2-36 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 104 of 385
Dome Lights 
The  dome lights  will come on  when you open  the  doors or tailgate.  You can 
also  turn  the dome  lights 
on by turning  the  interior  light dimmer dial  all  they 
way  up 
until it clicks. 
You can  use  the dome 
lamp switch,  located 
below 
the headlight 
switch,  to set  the 
dome lamps  to come 
on  automatically  or 
remain  off. 
To turn  the  lights  off, just  press  the  side of the switch  marked OFF. To 
return  the  lights  to automatic operation,  press  the side marked AUTO. 
Reading  Lighfs 
If your  vehicle  has 
reading  lights,  press 
the  bar  next  to  the 
light  to turn  the  light 
on.  Press  the  bar  again 
to turn  the  light off. 
2-49 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 294 of 385

Your maintenance  schedule  will tell you  how  often to lubricate  these items. 
See  “Recommended  Fluids and Lubricants”  in the  Index  for  the  proper 
lubricant to  use. 
Lock Cylinders 
To be sure  your  locks  operate  properly, they must  be lubricated.  Your 
vehicle’s  maintenance  schedule  will tell you  how  often to lubricate them. 
See  “Recommended  Fluids and Lubricants”  in the  Index  for  the  proper 
lubricant to use. 
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  lubricated 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. 
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 recommend 
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. 
Contact  your dealer  to learn  how to prepare  your vehicle for  longer  storage 
periods. 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 300 of 385
Center  High  Mount Stop/amp (CHMSL) 
“,Gar-& ... “B 3 The  individual  bulbs 
in  the 
CHMSL are not 
replaceable.  See your 
dealer  for  assistance. 
Rear  Lights 
1. Open the tailgate  or rear doors. 
2. Remove the  two black plastic plugs  in  the rear light 
holes. 
I 3. 
assembly access 
Remove  the two 
rear light 
assembly screws 
inside  the fender 
and  pull  out the 
light assembly.  You  may  want  to 
use a magnetic 
screwdriver  when 
removing  the 
screws. 
6-55 
ProCarManuals.com 
     
        
        Page 301 of 385

4. Remove the 
screws  from  the 
bulb retainer  and 
take  the  bulb 
retainer 
off of  the 
light  assembly. 
5. Pull  the  old  bulb 
straight  out 
of the 
socket. 
6. Put  in a new  bulb and  push it in  until  it is  tight. 
7. Replace the bulb  retainer. 
8. Replace the  rear  light  assembly  and  tighten  the  screws. You may  want 
to  use 
a magnetic  screwdriver  when  installing  the  screws. 
9. Close the tailgate  or rear  doors. 
Fuses and Circuit Breakers 
The  wiring circuits  in your  vehicle  are protected  from short  circuits  by  a 
combination 
of fuses, circuit  breakers,  and  fusible thermal  links in  the 
wiring  itself.  This greatly  reduces  the chance of fires  caused  by  electrical 
problems.  See “Fuses  and  Circuit Breakers”  in  the  Index  for more 
information. 
The  headlight  wiring  is  protected  by 
a circuit breaker  in  the  light  switch.  An 
electrical overload 
will cause  the lights to flicker on and off, or in some 
cases  to remain  off. 
If this happens, have your  headlight  wiring checked 
right  away. 
Windshield Wipers 
The  windshield  wiper  motor  is protected  by a circuit breaker  and a fuse. If 
the  motor overheats due  to heavy  snow,  etc.,  the  wiper will stop  until  the 
motor  cools.  Although 
the circuit  is  protected  from electrical  overload, 
overload  due to heavy  snow,  etc., may  cause wiper linkage damage. Always 
clear ice  and  heavy  snow from  the  windshield  before  using  the  windshield 
wipers. 
If the  overload  is caused  by  some electrical  problem  and  not  snow, 
etc., be  sure  to  get  it fixed. 
6-56 
ProCarManuals.com