1995 GMC SIERRA instrument panel

'' The person keeps
going until stopped by
something.
In a real vehicle, it
could be the
L
I
windshield . . .
or the instrument
panel
...
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to
stop.
You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the for\
ces.
That's why safety belts make such good sense.
1-11
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating air bag, it could seriously
injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for an air bag
inflation in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
an
air bag, and sit as far back as you can while still maintaining
control of your vehicle.
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the air bag‘s electrical system for
malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See “Air
Bag Readiness Light” in the index for more information.
How the Air Bag System Works
1-20
ProCarManuals.com

Features and Controls
Section
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.
Keys
t
A CAUTION:
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the ignition key is
dangerous for many reasons.
A child or others could be badly
injured
or even killed.
They could operate power windows or other controls
or even
make the vehicle move. Don’t leave the keys in a vehicle with
young children.
2- 1
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Automatic trunsnaission:
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). Your engine won’t
start
in any other position - that’s a safety feature. To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is moving. If you
do, you could damage the transmission. Shift to
PARK (P) only
when your vehicle
is stopped.
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N). Hold the clutch pedal to the
floor and start the engine. Your vehicle won’t start
if the clutch pedal is not
all the way down
- that’s a safety feature.
To start ymr 4.3 Liter V6 (Code Z) or 5.0 Liter V8 (Code H) engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let go of the key. The idle speed will
go down as your engine gets warm.
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.
2. 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.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then stops), it could be
flooded
with too much gasoline. Try this:
4. 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
2- 12
ProCarManuals.com

To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return auto~natically.
A green arrow on the
instrument panel will
flash in the direction
of the turn or lane
change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever until the green arrow
starts to flash. Hold
it there until you complete your lane change. The lever
will return by itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows flash at twice the normal
rate,
a signal bulb may be burned out and other drivers may not see your
turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an accident. If the green
arrows don’t go on at all when
you signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs
and
a blown fuse (see “Fuses” in the Index).
Headlamp High-Low Beam
To change the
headlamps from low
beam to high or high
to low, pull the
multifunction lever all
the way toward
you.
Then release it.
2-40
ProCarManuals.com

When the high beams
are
on. this blue light
on the instrument
panel also
will be on.
Windshield Wipers
You contro: the
windshield wipers by
turning the band with
the wiper symbol
on
it.
..... ".. .... ~..
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold it there until the
wipers start, then let
go. The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want
more cycles, hold the band
on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay between wipes. This
can be very useful in light rain
or snow. Turn the band to choose the delay
time. The closer to LOW, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band to the LOW position. For high
speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HIGH. To stop the wipers, move the
band to the
off symbol.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing well
enough
to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from
the wiper blades before using them.
If they are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them.
If your blades do become damaged, get new
blades or blade inserts.
2-41
ProCarManuals.com

To Erase Speed Memory
When you turn off' the Cruise Control or the ignition. your Cruise Control
set speed memory
is erased.
Headlamps and Vehicle Lighting
Your park/headlamp
switch is on the
driver's side of your
instrument panel.
Rotate the switch knob clockwise to the park lamp symbol to
turn on:
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Clearance Lamps (if you have them)
Taillamps
License Plate L.amps
Instrument Panel Lamps
Transfer Case Shift Indicator Light (four-wheel drive vehicles)
Rotate the switch knob clockwise again to the master lighting symbol to
turn on all the lamps and lights listed above as well as the headlamps.
Rotate the switch counterclockwise to the off symbol to turn off your lamps
and lights.
Rotate the thumb wheel next to the switch knob up
to adjust instrument
panel lamps. Rotate
the thumb wheel up to the first notch to return the radio
display and gearshift indicator
LED display to full intensity when the
headlamps or parklamps are
on.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beam by pulling on the
turn signal/high beam lever.
A circuit breaker protects your headlamps. If you have an electrical
overload, your headlamps will flicker on and off. Have your headlamp
wiring checked right away if this happens.
2-48
ProCarManuals.com

Headlamps-On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your hedamps are turned on and your ignition
is
in OFF, LOCK or ACC. If you need to use your headlamps when the
ignition switch is
in OFF, LOCK or ACC, the buzzer can be turned off by
turning the thumb wheel next to the park/headlamp switch all the way
down.
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp switch is on the lower edge of your instrument panel.
Press the top, ribbed part
of the switch to turn the thg lamps on, and press
the bottom of the switch to
turn them off. A light will glow in the switch
when the
fog lamps are on.
Remember, fog lamps alone will not give off as much light as your
headlalnps.
Never
use your fog lamps in the dark without turning on your headlamps.
Fog
lamps will go off whenever your high beam headlamps come on. When
the high
beams go off. the fog lamps will come on again.
2-49
ProCarManuals.com