1996 GMC SIERRA mirror

dome lamps to come on automatically when the doors
are open,
or remain off. To turn the lamps off, press the
button once. With the button
in this position, the dome
lamps will remain
off when the doors are open. To
return the lamps to automatic operation, press the button
again and return
it to the “out” position. With the button
in this position, the dome lamps will come on when you
open the door.
Cargo Lamp
Press the ribbed top part of
the switch to turn the cargo
lamp
on. Press the bottom
of the switch to turn it off.
The dome lamp switch must be on or one of the doors
open for the cargo lamp
to work.
Mirrors
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
Press or pull the tab under the mirror to reduce glare
from headlamps behind
you after dark.
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Electrochromic Inside Rearview Mirror
with Compass (Option)
Your vehicle may have an electrochromic inside
rearview mirror.
When on, the mirror automatically dims to the proper
level
to minimize glare from lights behind you after dark.
The mirror also includes an eight point compass
display
in the upper right
corner of the mirror face.
When
on, the compass
automatically calibrates
as the vehicle
is driven.
To use the electrochromic mirror only, move the switch
at the bottom
of the mirror to the M position. To use the
electrochromic mirror
as well as the compass. move the
switch to the
C/M position. To turn both features off,
move the switch to the
OFF position. When
the ignition is on and the mirror switch is
in the
CIM position, the compass display'will show two
character boxes for approximately two seconds. If, after
two seconds, the display does
not show a compass
heading
(N for North, for example), there may be a
strong magnetic field interfering with the compass. Such
interference may include magnetic antenna mounts,
a
magnetic note pad holder, or a similar magnetic item. If
removing these items does not correct the condition, see
your
GM dealer for assistance.
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened
with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror
as that may cause
liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing.
Compass Varia~ 3
Under certain circumstances, as during a long distance
cross-country trip,
it will be necessary to adjust the
compass
to compensate for compass variance. Compass
variance
is the difference between earth's magnetic
north and true geographic north.
If not adjusted to
account for compass variance, your compass
could give
hlse readings.
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To adjust for compass variance:
I. Use the CAL switch located at the bottom of the
mirror housing near the
on/off switch. A safety pin
or paper clip
can be used to press in the button. Press
and hold the
CAL switch for five seconds until a
zone number appears
in the display.
2. Find your current location and variance zone number
on the following zone map.
3. Press the CAL switch on the bottom of the mirror
until the new zone number appears in the display.
After
you stop pressing the button in, the display will
show a compass direction within a few seconds.
Outside Manual Adjust Mirror
Adjust your outside mirrors so you can just see the side
of your vehicle and have a clear view of objects behind
you. Some mirrors can be folded
in to enter narrow
doorways
.
Power Remote Control Mirror (Option)
Select the mirror you want
to move by moving
the
center of the switch, located
on the driver’s door armrest,
to
R (right) or L (left).
Then, adjust the mirror angle
by pressing the outer
arrows
on the switch until the mirror is ad-justed where
you want it.
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Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror may be convex. A convex
mirror’s surface
is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your inside mirror
or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Your vehicle has a variety of storage compartments
designed to store
small items.
Center Overhead Console (Option)
Your vehicle may have an overhead console. It has
storage compartments inside
it.
Installing a Garage Door Opener
If you have a gamge door opener, the front overhead
compartment can be used
to conveniently store the opener.
To install the garage
door opener,
first open
the compartment door by
pressing the release
button forward.
Glove Box
To open your glove box, move the button toward the
passenger side and pull the door open.
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Accessory Power Outlets
Two auxiliary power outlets are located near the
cigarette lighter. Use these outlets to power mobile
telephones or other devices designed
to operate with
vehicle electrical systems.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them out to help block glare at the front
and side windows.
Your visor may have a strap
to hold small items, such
as maps.
Some visors have an
extender on the inside
edge. When the visor is
down, pull the extender
out for extra glare coverage
at the front or side.
Some visors have mirrors with lamps. If the mirror has
lamps, they will come on when
you lift the mirror cover.
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@ Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start
your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal
and
move back into the right lane. (Remember that if
your right outside mirror
is convex, the vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing,
it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a
little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where
the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route
or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited
to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions.
But skids are always
possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In t.he braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for
a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a lower
gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road
to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember:
Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid
only the braking skid.
Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn’t drive off-road unless you’re on a level,
solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have
some definite hazards.
The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left
the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are
no road signs.
Surfxes can
be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that
you read this guide. You’ll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These
will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from he.adlamps behind
you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
ght Vis- -
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light
to see the
same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you
do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses.
Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting
to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take
a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down
a little. Avoid staring
directly
into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass
can build up
a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light
up far less of a
roadway when
you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should
be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware
of it.
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