1996 GMC SIERRA Owners Manual

Winds1 . :Id Wipers
You control the windshield
wipers by turning the knob
with the wiper symbol on it.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the knob 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
knob 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 knob to choose the delay time. The
closer to LOW, the shorter the delay. For steady wiping
at
low speed, turn the knob to the
LOW position. For high-speed wiping, turn the knob
further,
to HIGH. To stop the wipers. move the knob to
the OFF position.
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.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the lever,
there’s a paddle with
the word
PUSH on it.
To spray washer tluid
on the windshield, push
Washer fluid will spray as long as you push the paddle.
When you
let go of the paddle, the wipers will continue
to wipe for a few seconds and then either stop or return
to the preset speed.
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Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous. A
bad mud splash can block your vision. You could hit
another vehicle or go off the road. Check your washer
fluid
level often.
A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, y6u Cgn
maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kdh) or more
without keeping your
foot
on the accelerator. This can
really help on
long trips.
Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads
or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you
could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery yoads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Resuming a Set Speed
Setting Cruise Control
A CAUT’3N:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
OFF until you want to use it
1. Move the cruise switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the SET button
at the end
of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal Suppose
you set your cruise control
at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 kndh) or nwre,
you can move the cruise
switch from
ON to R/A
(Resull7e/Accelerate)
for
about a I /2 second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
Remember,
if you hold the switch at R/A longer than
a
1/2 second, the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the switch or apply the brake. You could be
startled and e\len lose control.
So unless you want to go
faster, don’t hold the switch at R/A.
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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button at the end
of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll now
cruise at
the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up
to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
(To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A for less
than a
1/2 second. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 kmh) faster.)
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want,
then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, press the
button for less than- a
1/2 second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go 1 mph (1.6 kmh) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep
hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
If the steepness
of the
hill causes the vehicle speed to drop more than
15 mph (24 kmh) below the set speed, your cruise control
will automatically disengage. When going downhill,
you
may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. Of course, applying
the brake takes you out
of cruise control. Many drivers find this to be too much
trouble and don’t use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal: or
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory
is erased.
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Lamps
Your parking lamp and
headlamp switch is on the
driver's side of your
instrument panel.
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Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Clearance Lamps
(If So Equipped)
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps Instrument Panel Lights
Transfer Case Shift Indicator Light
(Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles) Rotate the knob clockwise again
to the master lamp
symbol to turn on all the lamps listed as well as
the headlamps.
Rotate the knob counterclockwise to
OFF to turn off
your, lamps.
Rotate the thumb wheel next
to the knob up 'to adjust
instrument panel lights. 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 parking lamps are on.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beams
by pulling on the
turn signalhigh-beam lever.
Headlamps On Reminder
A buzzer will sound when your headlamps are turned on
and the key is turned to the
OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY position.
If you need to use your
headlamps when the key is turned to
OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY, the buzzer can be turned off by turning
the thumb wheel next to the parking lampheadlamp
knob all the way down.
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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 helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The
DRL system will make your 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 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 off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off, and your 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.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when
you need it.
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Fog Lam1 Underhood Reel Lamp
If you have fog lamps. use them for better vision in foggy
or misty conditions. Your parking lamps andor low-beam
headlamps must
be on for your fog lamps to work.
The
fog lamp switch is on
the lower edge of your
instrument panel.
Press the ribbed top part
of the switch to turn the fog
lamps on. 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 headlamps. 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.
If you have an underhood reel lamp, it is located inside
the engine compartment on the rear passenger side
of
the engine compartment. You can use it as a flashlight.
To use the lamp, pull LIP on the lever beside it and pull
the lamp
out. The cord will unreel as you pull the lamp.
When you are done using
the lamp, reel the cord back
into the housing
by turning the handle.
Then,
slide the lamp into the holder. Press PUSH on the
lever to hook the lamp into the holder.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
The instrument panel intensity control is located to the
right of the headlamp switch.
Rotate the thumb wheel up to adjust instrument panel
lights. 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 parking
lamps are
on. To turn on the dome lamps (with the
vehicle doors closed) rotate the thumb wheel up to the
second notch position.
Illuminated Entry
Your vehicle may be equipped with an illuminated
entry feature.
When the doors are opened, the dome lamps will come
on if the dome lamp button
is out. When all the doors
are closed, or the dome lamp button
is pressed in, the
lamps
will stay on for a short period of time and will
then
go out.
Front Reading Lamps (Option)
If your vehicle has reading
lamps, press the button next
to the lamp
to turn the lamp
on. The lamps can be
adjusted to point
in the
direction you want.
Press the button again
to turn the lamp off.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open the doors.
You can also turn the dome lamps on by rotating the
thumb wheel, located next
to the parking/headlamps
knob, all the way up to
the second notch. In this
position, the dome lamps will remain
on whether the
doors are opened or closed.
You can use the dome lamp button, located below the
parking/headlamp knob,
to set the
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