1994 GMC SIERRA wheel

Horn
To sound the horn,
press the pad
in the
center of the steering
wheel. The pad has a
horn symbol on it.
Tilt Wheel (Option)
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before you
drive.
You can raise it to the highest level to give your legs more room when you
exit and enter the vehicle.
To adjust the tilt steering wheel:
While holding the
steering wheel,
pull
the lever
toward you.
Move the steering
wheel
to a
comfortable level, then release
the lever
to lock
the wheel
in
place.
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Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and warning lights work together to let
you
know when there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on when you are
driving,
or when one of the gages shows there may be a problem, check the
section that tells you what to do about
it. Please follow the manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They’re
a big help.
Brake System Warning Light
The red brake system
warning light is
located at the bottom
right corner
of the
instrument cluster
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
is divided into two parts. If one part
isn’t working, the other part can still work and stop you. For good braking,
though, you need both parts working well.
Your vehicle also has rear-wheel anti-lock brakes.
If the warning light
comes on, there could be
a brake problem with either your regular or
rear-wheel anti-lock brakes, or both. Have your brake system inspected
right away.
This light should come on
as you start the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer
to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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Air Vents
If your vehicle does not have air conditioning, there are air vents be\
low the
instrument panel.
- Use the handles below
your steering wheel,
with the vent symbols
on them, to open and
close the vents.
If your vehicle has air
conditioning, you will
find air vents in the center and on the sides
of your instrument
panel.
You can move the vents grilles from side to side or up and down to direct
the flow of air,
or close the vents altogether.
When you close a vent, it will increase the flow of air coming out of any
vents that are open.
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Your Driving and the Road
Section
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in
varying weather conditions . We’ve also included many other useful tips on
driving .
Defensive Driving .......................................... 4-2
DrunkenDriving
........................................... 4-2
Control of
a Vehicle
Braking
................................................ 4-5
Steering
................................................ 4-8
Steering Tips
............................................ 4-8
Passing
............................................... 4-10
Lossofcontrol
......................................... 4-11
Off-Road Driving With Your Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
.......... 4-13
DrivingatNight
........................................... 4-24
Driving
in the Rain ........................................ 4-26
CityDriving
.............................................. 4-28
Freeway Driving
.......................................... 4-29
Hill and Mountain Roads ....................... ......... 4-31
WinterDriving
............................................ 4-33
Power Winches
........................................... 4-36
PowerTake-Off
........................................... 4-37
TowingaTrailer
........................................... 4-38
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If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes.
If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once
the power assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control.
When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away, you may hear
a
momentary motor or clicking noise. The ABS motor comes on momentarily
when
the vehicle reaches 8 mph (I 2 km/h). And you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves a little while this is going on. This
is the ABS
system testing itself.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that the rear wheels are slowing down.
IT one of the rear
wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will work
the brakes at the rear
wheels.
It is programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
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I- .,
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on rear wheel speed
and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need to get your foot up
to the brake pedal. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you
won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Use rear-wheel anti-lock like regular brakes. You may feel the brakes
vibrate, or
you may notice some noise outside your vehicle, but this is
normal. Let anti-lock work for
you, but remember: Your front wheels can
still stop rolling.
If that happens, release enough pressure on the brakes to
get the wheels rolling again
so that you can steer.
With the four-wheel drive option, you won't have anti-lock braking when
you shift into four-wheel drive. But you will have regular braking. When
you shift back into two-wheel drive, you
will have anti-lock again.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard
braking.
You have the rear-wheel anti-lock braking system.
Your front wheels can
stop rolling
when you brake very hard. Once they do, the vehicle can't
respond
to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it
was headed when the front wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the
road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
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So, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give you maximum
braking while maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on the
brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. When you do,
it will help
maintain steering control. In many emergencies, steering can help
you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
Steering lips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen
on curves. Here’s
why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction
of the tires against the road
surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in
the same direction. If you‘ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve
is banked, and your
speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through
a sharp curve. Then you suddenly apply
the brakes. Both control systems
- steering and braking - have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the hard braking can demand
too much at those places.
You can lose control.
The same thing can happen
if you’re steering through a sharp curve and you
suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems - steering and acceleration
- can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you
lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want
it to go, and slow
down.
Speed
limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
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If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you
enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate
until you are out of the curve.
and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example,
you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and
stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by
braking
- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
- steering around the problem.
Your Vehicle can perform very well
in emergen.cies like these. First apply
your brakes, but not enough to lock your front wheels. It
is better to remove
as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the
left or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision.
If you
are holding the steering wheel at the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock
positions,
you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quicltly, and just
as quickly
straighten
the wheel once you have avoided the object.
p-:. : . .. , ... 1
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason
to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly.
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