
These symbols are on some of your controls: 
uu 
Windshield Wiper  Windshield 
Washer 
I I 
Windshield Defroster 
Ventilating Fan 
These symbols are used on  warning and  indicator lights: 
Engine  Coolant 
Temperature 
~~ 
Battery  Charging 
System 
BRAKE 
Brake 
ANTI- 
LOCK 
4 Wheel 
Anti-Lock 
I 1 
Rear  Window 
Defogger 
Fuel 
Parking Brake 
Release 
Engine Oil 
Pressure 
SHIFT 
Shift  Lighf 
Vlll . .. 
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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. 
2. MmLwl ~I-~~CZ.SI~~~.YS~~CZ: Move your shift lever to NEUTRAL (N) 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 wlay down - that's a safety 
feature. 
Turn  your  ignition  key to 
RUN. 
Observe  the GLOW  PLUGS  light.  (This light may not come  on if the 
engine  is hot.) 
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. As soon as the GLOW  PLUGS light goes off. IMMEDIATELY turn the 
ignition  key 
to START.  When  the  engine starts. let go of the  key.  (The 
longer  you  wait  to  start after the  light goes 
off, the harder it will be to 
start  the engine.) 
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. 
4. If the engine  does  not start after IS 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. follocv  the 
steps 
in "Running  Out of Fuel"  (see "Diesel  Fuel  Requirements  and  Fuel 
System" 
in the  Index). 
When 
YOLI~ 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. 
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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 IOW-30 oil  when  the outside temperature  drops below  freezing. 
When the outside temperature  drops below 
0°F (-1 floc), 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 (-I SOC), 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: 
A CAUTION: 
Plugging  the  cord  into  an  ungrounded  outlet  could  cause  an 
electrical  shock.  Also, the  wrong  kind  of extension  cord  could 
overheat  and  cause 
a fire.  You could  be seriously  injured.  Plug 
the  cord  into  a  properly  grounded  three-prong  110-volt outlet. 
If the  cord  won’t reach,  use a heavy-duty  three-prong  extension 
cord  rated  for 
at least 15 amps. 
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. 
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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. 
Viscosity/ 
Oil Grade 
SAE 
1 OW-30 
SAE 
15W-40 
32°F to 0°F 
(0°C to -18°C) 
Not 
Required 
Not 
Required 
0°F to -10°F 
(-18OC 
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. 
See  “Diesel Fuel  Requirements  and Fuel System’’ 
in the Index  for 
information 
on what fuel to  use in cold weather. 
If 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  IMMEDIATELY  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. 
If the light  comes on and  then  goes off and you  know  your batteries  are 
charged,  but your engine still won’t  start, your vehicle needs  service. 
If the light does not come on when the engine  is cold,  your vehicle needs 
service. 
If  your batteries  don‘t have enough  charge to start  your  engine, see 
“Battery” 
in the Index. 
Be  sure  you have the right  oil for  your  engine,  and that you’ve changed the 
oil  at the  proper  times. If you  use the wrong 
oil, your  engine  may  be  harder 
to  start. 
If  the  engine  starts,  runs a  short  time,  then stops,  your vehicle  needs service. 
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NOTICE: 
After  you’ve  used  the  coolant  heater, be  sure  to  store  the  cord  as 
it  was  before  to keep 
it away from moving  engine  parts.  If  you 
don’t, 
it could  be  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. 
Inste.ad  of  trying 
to list everything  here, we ask  that  you  contact your GM 
dealer in the area  where  you‘ll be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give 
you  the  best  advice  for that particular  area. 
Automatic  Transmission 
There  are several different positions  for your  shift lever. 
If your vehicle  is equipped with an  automatic  transmission, it now  features 
an  electronic  shift position  indicator 
within the instrument cluster.  This 
display  must  be  powered  anytime the shift lever is  capable 
of being moved 
out  of  the 
PARK (P) position.  This means that if your  key  is in the OFF 
position, but  not locked,  there will be a small current drain on your battery 
which  could discharge your battery  over 
a period  of time. If you  have  a need 
to  leave  your key 
in the ignition in the OFF position  for an extended  period 
for  any  reason, 
it is recommended  that you disconnect  the battery  cable 
from  the battery  to prevent  discharging  your battery. 
PARK  (P) -This  locks your rear wheels.  It’s  the best position to use 
when  you start  your  engine  because your vehicle can’t move easily. 
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ProCarManuals.com 

NOTICE: 
If you keep driving  your  vehicle  with  this  light  on,  after  a while 
the  emission  controls 
won’t work  as  well,  your  fuel  economy 
won’t 
be as good,  and  your  engine  may  not  run  as smoothly. 
This  could  lead 
to costly  repairs  not  covered by your  warranty. 
Check  Gages  Light 
This  orange  light will come on briefly  when  you  are starting the engine. If 
the  light comes on and stays on while you are driving, it could indicate  a 
problem  with your  vehicle. 
It could be a problem  with your oil pressure. 
coolant  temperature,  or  some  other  problem.  Check  your various  gages 
to 
see if they are in the warning  zones. If they are, have your vehicle serviced 
right  away. 
Daytime  Running Lamps (DRL)  Indicator  Light 
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ProCarManuals.com 

Oil Pressure Gage 
The oil pressure  gage  shows the engine oil pressure in psi (pounds  per 
square  inch)  when  the engine is running. Canadian  vehicles  indicate 
pressure 
in kPa (kilopascals). Oil pressure  may  vary with engine  speed, 
outside  temperature  and  oil viscosity,  but readings  above the 
low pressure 
zone indicate  the norn~al  opcrating  ranse. 
A reading in the low pressure zone may bc caused by a dangemusly  low oil 
level or  other  problem  causing low oil pressure.  Check  your oil as soon as 
possible. 
A CAUTION: 
Don’t keep  driving  if the  oil pressure is low. If you do, your 
engine  can  become 
so hot  that  it  catches  fire. You or others  could 
be  burned.  Check  your  oil 
as soon as possible and  have  your 
vehicle  serviced. 
NOTICE: 
Damage  to  your  engine  from  neglected  oil problems  can  be 
costly  and is not  covered  by your  warranty. 
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When you want to leave  the freeway,  move to the  proper  lane  well  in 
advance.  If 
you miss your exit  do not,  under any  circumstances,  stop  and 
back  up. Drive  on 
to the next exit. 
The  exit ramp can  be curved,  sometimes  quite sharply. 
The 
exit speed is usually posted. 
Reduce  your speed according to your speedometer,  not to your sense 
of 
motion.  After driving  for any  distance  at higher  speeds,  you  may  tend to 
think  you are going  slower than you actually  are. 
Before  Leaving  on a Long  Trip 
Make sure you’re  ready.  Try to be well rested. If  you must start when  you’re 
not  fresh 
- such as after a day’s work - don’t  plan to make  too many 
miles that  first part 
of the journey.  Wear comfortable  clothing  and shoes  you 
can  easily drive 
in. 
Is your  vehicle ready for a long trip‘? If you keep it serviced  and maintained, 
it’s ready  to go. 
If it needs  service,  have it done before starting  out. Of 
course,  you’ll find experienced and able service  experts 
in GM dealers all 
across North America. They’ll be ready  and willing to help if you need it. 
Here  are  some  things you can check  before  a trip: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
a 
0 
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir  full? Are all windows  clean 
inside  and outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are they in good shape? 
FueZ,  Engine  Oil,  Other  Fluids: Have you checked all levels? 
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses  clean? 
Tires: They are vitally important to  a  safe, trouble-free  trip. Is the tread 
good enough  for long-distance  driving? Are 
the tires all inflated to the 
recommended  pressure? 
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather  outlook along your  route? 
Should 
you delay your trip a short time to avoid  a major  storm  system? 
Maps: Do you have  up-to-date  maps? 
Highway  Hypnosis 
Is there  actually  such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?  Or  is  it just  plain 
falling  asleep  at the wheel? Call it highway  hypnosis, lack  of awareness,  or 
whatever. 
There 
is something  about an easy stretch  of road  with  the  same scenery, 
along  with the 
hum of the tires  on the road, the  drone of the engine,  and the 
rush 
of the wind against the vehicle that can make  you sleepy. Don’t  let  it 
happen 
to you! If it does,  your vehicle can leave the road  in less than a 
second, and  you could crash and  be injured. 
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