1996 GMC SIERRA engine overheat

The 1996 GMC Sierra Owner’s Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the “SIR” system.
Features and Controls .................................................................. 2-1
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 3-1
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your
audio system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about
the road and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what to do if you have
a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated
engine, etc.
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to use.
This section tells you how to contact
GMC Truck for assistance and how to get service and owner
publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects’’ on page 8-8.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
Service and Appearance Care ............................................................ 6-1
MaintenanceSchedule......... ......................................................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................ 8-1
Index ........................................................................\
........ 9-1
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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
AC outlet. If the cord won't reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
3. 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 outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead 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 dea1e.r can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
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, rather than the
LOCK position, there will be a small current drain on
your battery which could discharge your battery over
a period of time. If you have to leave your key in the
ignition
in the OFF position for an extended period, it is
recommended that you disconnect the battery cable from
the battery
to prevent discharging your battery.
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NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle. Always check to be
sure your parking brake is fully released before
you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
If you have a 3500 HD model, it is recommended that
the propshaft mounted parking brake be burnished as
part of the new vehicle break-in. The parking brake will
work best after it has been burnished following these
instructions.
Make
10 stops, using the parking brake foot pedal, from
20 mph (32 km/h) about 2 1/2 miles (4 km) apart. In
between stops, drive the vehicle at 20 mph (32 km/h).
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Trawrission
Models Only)
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.
If you have 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, use
the steps that follow. 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). If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’
in the Index.
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
I 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 the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After you
move the shift lever into PARK (P), 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 puIl the shift
lever out
of PARK (P).
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ANTI -
LOCK
Qnti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
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 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.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
I This gage shows the engine
~ coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During a majority of the operation, the gage
will read 210°F
(100°C) or less. If you are pulling a
load or going up hills, it is normal for the temperature to
fluctuate and approach the 260°F ( 125 “C) mark. If the
gage reaches the 260°F
(I 25 “C) mark, it indicates that
the cooling system is working beyond its capacity.
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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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 surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Logs? Boulders?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
What’s at the bottom of the hill‘? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom
with large rocks?
If you decide YOU can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do all
the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times,
’ A CAUTION:
-
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending
a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
Are there some things
I should not do when
driving down a hill?
At Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0 When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline
of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift, This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear be~m you start
down
a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down,
you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and
no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use
THIRD
(3) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when
towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in THIRD
(3)
when towing a trailer will minimize heat build-up and
extend
the life of your transmission
If
you have a manual transmission and you are towing a
trailer,
it’s better not to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you turn
your engine off‘ immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine
run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission
in PARK (P) (or the
manual transmission out
of gear and the parking brake
applied) for a few minutes before turning
the engine off.
If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating’’
in the Index.
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Engine Overheating
(Gasoline Engine)
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel.
If your vehicle has a
diesel engine, see “Engine Overheating” in the Diesel
Engine Supplement.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see
or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign
of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch
fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
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