1995 GMC SIERRA parking brake

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission Models
Only)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine
running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever
is
not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. If you
have four-wheel drive with a manual transfer case shift lever
and your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be
free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK
(P). So be sure the
transfer case
is in a drive gear - not in NEUTRAL (N). And, if
you leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P) position, hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then. see
if you can move the shift lever away
from PARK (P) without first pulling
it toward you.
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transmission into PARK
(P) 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 PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock,
set the parking brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you
leave the driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the
Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) 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 PARK (P).
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Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission
Models Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual transmission in
REVERSE (R), turn off the engine, and firmly apply the parking brake.
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case is in a drive gear.
Your vehicle could roll if it isn't.
If you are parking on
a hill, or if your pulling a trailer, see "Parking on
Hills" or '"Towing a Trailer" in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
1 A CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust parts under your \
vehicle and ignite. Don't park over papers, leaves, dry grass
or
other things that can burn.
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A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air system control off could allow
dangerous exhaust into your vehicle (see the earlier Caution
under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly carbon monoxide
~ (CO) into your vehicle even if the fan switch is at the highest
setting. One place this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
- with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a garage with the
engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard. (See “Blizzard” in the
Index.)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is
not fully in PARK
(P) with the parking brake firmly set. Your
vehicle can roll. Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be
sure your vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly level
ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever
to PARK
(P).
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is in NEUTRAL (N),
your vehicle
will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in NEUTRAL (N). Always
set your parking brake. Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle
won’t move. See “Shifting Into PARK
(P)“ in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer. see ”Towing a Trailer“ in the Index.
Four- Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your engine‘s driving
power
to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the most satisfaction out
of four-wheel drive, you must be familiar with it’s operation. Read the part
that follows before using four-wheel drive.
You should use 2-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) for most normal driving conditions.
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Daytime nunning Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light
If your vehicle was
first sold. when new,
in Canada, you will
have this light on the
instrument panel.
It goes on whenever the Daytime Running Lamps are on.
When
it begins to get dark, the DRL indicator light is a reminder to turn on
your headlanlps.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day. DRL can be helpfL11
in many different
driving conditions. but they
can be especially hclpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when
you need it.
The DRL system will make your high-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When the
DRL are on, only your high-beam headlamps will be on. The
taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won‘t be on. Your instrument panel
won’t be
lit up either.
When
it begins to get dark, your DRL indicator light is a reminder to turn
your headlamp switch on. The other lamps that come on with your
headlamps
will also come on.
When you
turn the headlamp switch off, the regular lamps will go off, and
your high-beam headlamps will change
to the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking brake. The DRL will
stay off until you release the parking brake.
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instrument Panel
18 17 16 15
1. Dome Lamp Switch
2. Lamp and Light Controls
3. Air Vents
4. Multifunction Lever
5. Instrument Cluster
6. Gearshift Lever
7. Audio System
8. Comfort Control System
9. Glove
Box
14 13
instrument Cluster
12 1' 3 3
IO. Storage Tray
1 I. IP Cupholder
12. Ashtray, Auxiliary Outlets
I 3. Storage Area or Optional
Cassette Tape Player
14. Rear Window Defogger Switch
IS. Tilt Lever
16. Parking Brake Release Handle
17. Hood Release
18. Fuse
Block
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your
vehicle is running. You'll
know how fast you're going, about how much
fuel you have and many other things you'll need to know to drive safely and
economically.
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The brake system warning light will also come on when you set your
parking brake, and
it will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI-
LOCK
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on when you start your
engine and may stay on for several seconds. That‘s normal.
If the light
doesn’t come on, have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light stays on. or comes on when you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn‘t on, you still have
brakes, but you don‘t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system
warning light is
also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
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A CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed can cause an
accident. There could be a drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be seriously injured
or killed. As you
near the top
of a hill, slow down and stay alert.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I
A: If this happens, there are some things you should do, and there are
some things you must not do. First, here’s what you
shoclld do:
can’t make it up the hill?
0 Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down the
hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL
(N) if your vehicle
has a manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then, shift
to
reverse, release the parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight
as possible in reverse.
0 As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll be able to tell if your
wheels are straight and maneuver
as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the
wheel too far to the left or right will
increase the possibility
of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must mt do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going
up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into NEUTRAL (N) (or
depressing the clutch,
if you have a manual transmission) to ”rev-up”
the engine and regain forward momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of
control.
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Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release
the parking brake, and slowly back straight
down.
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall when going up a
hill.
If the hill is steep enough to stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to
cause you to roll over if
you turn around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the hill and decide I just
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in PARK (P) (or the
can’t do it. What should I do?
manual transmission in first gear) , and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill side and stay clear
of
the path the vehicle would take if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the
transfer case
to NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear,
I A CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can cause your
vehicle to roll even
if the transmission is in PARK (P) (or, if you
have the manual transmission, even if you’re in gear), This is
because the
NEUTRAL (N) position on the transfer case
overrides the transmission.
If you are going to leave your
vehicle, set the parking brake and shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, put your manual transmission in first gear). But
do not shift the transfer case to the NEUTRAL (N) position.
Leave the transfer case in the
2 Wheel, 4 High or 4 Low position.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to consider a number of
things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surfxe like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
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