1996 GMC SIERRA key

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help
you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal
that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save
you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be
or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come
on briefly when you start the
engine just
to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when
you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people
to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
-
The safety belt light will
on for about 20 seconds,
also
come
on and stay
then
it will flash for about
belt is already buckled,
55 seconds. If the driver’s
neither the tone nor
the
light will come on.
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Brake System Warning Light r
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come
on briefly when
you turn
the ignition key to
RUN.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be
ready to
warn you if there’s
a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If
the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
I! CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on after you’ve
pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light 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.
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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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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains
on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains
on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle
to your dealer or
qualified service center for service.
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel
into your vehicle?
If so7 reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will
usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make
sure to install the fuel cap properly. it
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving
is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are
the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, some
18,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the
adult population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so
they never drive after drinking. For persons under 2 1,
it’s against the law in every US. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what
if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans to drive? It’s
a lot less than many might
think. Although
it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
0 The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to
the American Medical Association, a
180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same
BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (I 20 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had I - 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One
of the best ways to control your
vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
you approach things faster and you have less time to
you have less time to react.
scm
the terrain
for obstacles.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different
kinds of terrain.
You need to be familiar with the
terrain and its many different features. Here are some
things to consider.
Surface Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud,
snow
or ice. Each of these surfxes affects the steering,
acceleration and braking
of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface
you are
on, you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel
spinning, delayed acceleration, poor traction and
longer braking distances.
Swfuce Obsrdes. Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can
startle you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even
the rise and fall
of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surfxe texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have
a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps
will flash on and off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking.
Press the button at the top
of the steering column all
the way down to make your
front and rear
turn signal
lamps flash
on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
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/A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0
0
e
0
0
0
0
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe
or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing a vehicle.
For pickups (except cab chassis models),
use T-hooks on front of vehicle, J-hooks
on rear.
For cab chassis models, use J-hooks on
front and rear of vehicle.
I A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
When your vehicle
is being towed, have the ignition
key in the OFF position. The steering wheel should be
clamped in a straight-ahead position,
with a clamping
device designed
for towing service. Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
and transfer case,
if you have one, should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the drive wheels
unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section or your transmission will
be damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then
the drive wheels have to be supported on
a dolly.
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