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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e3
TURN
WARNING
A
HAZARD
FLASHER
These symbols are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY POWER
WINDOW RUNNING
0
DAYTIME -
LAMPS '*'
FOG LAMPS # 0
VENTILATING
FAN
1
-3
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE HORN
)tr
SPEAKER v
FUEL B
V
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i
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t
survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. .In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast
as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle.
Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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Page 30 of 404

Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag system:
A CAUTION:
-
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt -- even if you
have an air bag. Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. The air
bag is only
a “supplemental restraint.” That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
Air bags are designed to work only in moderate to
severe crashes where the front of your vehicle hits
something. They aren’t designed to inflate
at all in
rollover, rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear a safety belt properly
-- whether or
not there’s an air bag for that person.
A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position for
an air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with
an air bag, and sit as far back as you can
while still maintaining control
of your vehicle.
AIR
BAG
’ There is an air bag
readiness light
on the
instrument panel, which
shows
AIR BAG.
The system checks
the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in
the Index
for more information.
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Page 60 of 404

Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint SI ~tems
If the vehicle‘s safety belt will hsten around you, you
should use
it.
But ifa safety belt isn’t long enough to Faten, your
dealer will order
you an extender. It’s free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender
will
be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt. Now
and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look ,for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts.
If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may
not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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Page 65 of 404
To remove the tailgate:
1. Raise the tailgate
slightly and release both
retaining cable clips.
To
release the cable clips,
lift the cable
so it points
straight
out and push the
cable clips forward.
2. With the tailgate at a
slight upward angle,
pull back on the tailgate
at the right edge and
then move the tailgate
to the right to release the
left edge.
Reverse the above procedure
to re-install. Make sure the
tailgate is secure.
Third Door (Option)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a third door that
allows easier access
to the rear area of an extended cab.
To open the door, first open the passenger side front
door. Then, use
the handle located on the front edge of
the rear door.
You must close and latch the third door before you can
close the front passenger
door.
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Page 70 of 404

Parking at Night New Vehicle “Break-In”
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put
them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best
to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
glove
box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver‘s.
NOTICE:
Your modern vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it
will perform better in the long
run
if you follow these guidelines:
0
0
0
0
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the
first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
See “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index for
more information.
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Page 82 of 404

If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the
engine
is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly
or for
good performance.
If you have a five-speed manual transmission with low
gear (RPO MW3), the following charts show when to
shift to the
next higher gear for best fuel economy.
Acceleration Shift Speeds
VIN Code 2 to 3 3 to 4
4.3L V6 (W) 15 mph 40 mph
(24 km/h) (64 km/h)
Cruise Shift Speeds
4 to 5
SO mph
(80 km/h)
4.3L V6 (W) 15 rnph 25-40 mph 45-SO mph
(24 hdh) (40-64 kdh) (72-80 km/h)
Shift Light
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transmission, you may have
a SHIFT light. This light
will show
you when to shift
to the next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
When this light comes
on, you can shift to the next
higher gear
if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While
you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go
on and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the
SHIFT light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and is equipped
with
a manual transmission, disregard the SHIFT light
when
the transfer case is in 4L.
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Page 83 of 404

Locking Rear Axle (Option)
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the locking feature will allow the wheel with traction to
move the
vehicle.
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 its operation. Read the
part that follows before using four-wheel drive. You
should use
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) for most normal
driving conditions.
NOTICE:
Driving in the 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
4-WHEEL LOW (4L) positions for a long
time on
dry or wet pavement could shorten
the life
of your vehicle's drivetrain.
Front Axle Locking Feature
The front axle locks and unlocks automatically when
you shift the transfer case. Some delay for the axle to
lock or unlock is normal. If the outside temperature
is very
hot, or the vehicle has been used under hard
driving conditions. there may be a slight delay
for the
axle
to unlock.
Manual Transfer Case
The transfer case shift lever is on the floor to the right of
the driver. Use this lever to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
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