1994 GMC SIERRA ignition

Starting Your Diesel Englne
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.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to “P” (Park) if your vehicle is moving. If you
do, you could damage the transmission. Shift to
“P” (Park) only
when your vehicle is stopped.
2. Manual Transmission:
Move your shift lever 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.
Turn your ignition key to
RUN. Don’t turn it to “Start.”
With
the ignition in RUN, the “GLOW PLUGS” light will come on. If
the engine is already warm, this light may not come on. That’s normal.
During starting, your “GLOW PLUGS” light may
go on and off a few
times. This is normal. This means that part
of your engine is being
warmed
up for better starting. When the light goes off, your engine is
ready to start. Do not start the engine with this light on.
NOTICE:
If the “GLOW PLUGS” light stays on, it means that your
vehicle could have one
of several problems, so you should have it
serviced right
away.
3. If this light does not come on, or the instant the light goes off, turn your
ignition key to “Start.” When the engine starts,
let go of the key.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in “Start” for longer than 15 seconds at a time
will cause your battery to be drained much sooner. And the
excessive heat can damage your starter motor.
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4. If the engine does not start after 15 seconds of cranking, turn the
ignition key to
OFF. Wait one minute for the starter to. cool, then try
the
same steps again.
If you’re trying
to start your engine after you’ve run out of fuel, follow the
steps in “Running Out of Fuel” (see “Diesel Fuel Requirements and Fuel
System” in the Index).
When your engine
is cold, let it run for a few minutes before you move your
vehicle. This lets oil pressure build up. Your engine will sound louder
when
it’s cold.
I NOTICE:
If you’re not in an idling vehicle and the engine overheats, you
wouldn’t be there to see the coolant temperature gage. This \
could damage your vehicle. Don’t let your engine run when
you’re not
in your vehicle.
Cold Weather Starting (Diesel Engine)
The following tips will help you get good starting in cold weather.
Use
SAE 1OW-30 oil when the outside temperature drops below freezing.
When the outside temperature drops below
0°F (- 1 SOC), use your engine
coolant heater.
If you park your vehicle
in a garage, you shouldn’t need to use the coolant
heater
until the garage temperature goes below 0°F (-18OC), no matter how
cold it is outside.
To use the engine coolant heater, first turn off the engine. Then open the
hood, unwrap the electrical cord and plug it in. It uses normal house voltage
(I 10 volts), but:
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NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store the cord in
the manner it was, to help keep it away from moving engine
parts.
If you don’t, it could be torn and damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged in? The answer
depends on the weather,
the kind of oil you have, and some other things.
Follow this chart.
Engine Coolant Heater Usage
Viscosity/ 32°F
to 0°F
Oil Grade
(OOC to -1SOC)
SAE
1 OW-30
SAE
I5W-40
Not
Required
Not
Required
0°F to -10°F
(-18” C to -23 O C)
Two
Hours*
Two
Hours*
Below -10°F
Below -23 ” C
Eight Hours* or Overnight
Eight Hours”: or Overnight
*The times listed are minimum times. It
will not harm either the coolant
heater or the vehicle
to leave the coolant heater plugged in longer than the
times stated.
For best results
in cold weather, use Number I-D diesel fuel or a
“winterized” Number 2-D fuel.
lf Your Diesel Engine Won’t Start
If you’ve run out of fuel, look at “Running Out of Fuel” (see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the Index).
If you’re not out of fuel, and your engine won’t start, do this:
Turn your ignition key to RUN. Make sure that the “GLOW PLUGS” light
is out. Then turn the ignition key to START.
If the light doesn’t go off, wait a few seconds, then try starting your engine
again. And, see
your dealer as soon as you can for a starting system check.
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Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you additional traction on
snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does, the
locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your
right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left
foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the lever, located just
above the parking
brake pedal, marked
RELEASE to release
the parking brake.
-
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system
warning light will
go off.
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Shifting Into “P” (Park) (Automatic
Transmission Models Only)
Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake
pedal down
with
your right foot
and set the
parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into “P” (Park) position like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear
- not in “N” (Neutral)
4. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
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5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can walk away from your
vehicle with
the ignition key in your hand, your vehicle is in “P”
(Park).
Leaving Your Vehic/e With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is
in “P” (Park) and your parking brake is firmly set before you
leave it. If you have four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case shift
lever, be sure that the transfer case
is 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).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into “P”
(Park) properly,
the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of
“P’ (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into “P’ (Park) properly before you
leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in the
Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of “P” (Park)
BEFORE you release the parking brake.
If “torque
lock” does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours
a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of “P’ (Park).
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Windows
To operate your
manual windows, turn
the hand crank on
each door to raise or
lower your side door
windows.
If you have the
optional power
windows, the controls
are on each
of the side
doors.
The driver’s door has a switch for the passenger windows as well. Your
power windows
will work when the ignition has been turned to ACC or
RUN.
Push the switch with the down-pointing arrow to lower the window.
Push the switch with the uppointing arrow to raise the window.
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your Cruise Control will work on hills depends upon your speed,
load, and the steepness of the hills. When going up steep hills, you may
have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your speed
down.
Of course, applying the brake takes you out of Cruise Control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don’t use Cruise Control on
steep hills.
To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the Cruise Control:
0 Step lightly on
the brake pedal or
push the clutch
pedal, if you have
a manual
transmission
OR;
0 move the Cruise switch to
OFF.
To Erase Speed Memory
When you turn off the Cruise Control or the ignition, your Cruise Control
set speed memory is erased.
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