1996 GMC SIERRA transmission fluid

0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires. cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine
do some of the
slowing down. Shift
to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on
a steep downhill slope.
0
0
0
0
~h CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do
all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Know
how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area’or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things
that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each of these is covered
in this
manual, and the Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
A seven-wire harness is stored under the rear end of
your vehicle. between the frame rails. An electrical
connector
will need to be installed at the trailer end of
the harness, by a qualified electrical technician. For
additional trailer wiring and towing information please
consult your
GM dealer. Securely attach the harness to
the trailer, then tape or strap it to your vehicle’s frame
rail.
Be sure you leave it loose enough so the wiring
won’t bind or break when turning with the trailer, but
not so loose that it drags on the ground. Store the
harness in its original position. Wrap the harness
together and tie
it neatly so it won’t be damaged. If you
tow a trailer, your Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL) may not be properly visible from behind.
You should select a trailer with
a CHMSL on it or, if
one is not available, have one installed. See your GM
dealer about how to connect your vehicle’s wiring to
a trailer CHMSL.
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A. Battery
B. Air Cleaner
C. Radiator Cap
D. Coolant Recovery Tmk
E. Air Filter Restriction Indicator
E Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Automatic Transmission Dipstick
H. Fan
I. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
J. Engine Oil Fill
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir
L. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
M. FuseIRelay Center
N. Storage Compartment
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“VORTEC” 7400 Engine
I
A. Battery
B. Coolant Recovery Tank
C. Air Cleaner
D. Radiator Cap
E. Air Filter Restriction Indicator
E Engine Oil Dipstick K. Brake Fluid Reservoir
G. Automatic Transmission Dipstick L. Storage Compartment
H. Engine Oil Fill M. Windshield Washer
I. Fan Fluid
Reservoir
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir Ne Fuse/RelaY Center
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Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check a1 C’ -ge
A good time to check your auromarlc transmission fluid
level
is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle’s GVWR is over 8,600 or
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If your vehicle’s GVWR is not over 8,600 and you do
not use your vehicle under any of these conditions, the
fluid and filter
do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services’’
in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your GM dealership
Service Department. If
you do it yourself,
be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or
you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
i the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
~ parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which
is 180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93°C).
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Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), drive the
vehicle
in DRIVE (D) until the engine temperature
gage moves and then remains steady for
10 minutes.
Then
follow the hot check procedures.
Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used
only
as a reference. Let the engine run at idle for five
minutes
if outside temperatures are 50°F (10°C) or
more. If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should
the fluid level be low
during a cold check, you nwst perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give you
a more accurate
reading
of the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
-,
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about three
seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The red transmission dipstick handle
is located at the
rear
of the engine compartment, on the passenger side.
I. Flip the handle up and then pull out the dipstick and
wipe
it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull
it back out again.
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How to Add Fluid
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluid
level must be in the COLD area for a
cold check or
in the HOT area or cross-hatched area
for a hot check.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back
in all the way; then flip the handle
down
to lock the dipstick in place. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine what
kind
of transmission fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants’’
in the Index.
Add fluid
only after checking the transmission fluid
HOT. (A COLD check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than a
pint
(-0.5 L). Don’t overjill. We recommend you use only
fluid labeled DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that
label is made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-I11 is
not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
0 After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
0 When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then flip the handle
down to lock
the dipstick in place.
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Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine
oil
is changed. However, the fluid in your manual
transmission doesn’t require changing.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your GM dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get
a false reading.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire.
Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
II
Check the fluid level only when your engine is off, the
vehicle
is parked on a level place and the transmission
is cool enough for you to rest your fingers on the
transmission case.
Then, follow these steps:
1. Remove the filler plug.
2. Check that the lubricant level is up to the bottom of
the filler plug hole.
3. If the fluid level is good, install the plug and be sure
it is fully seated. If the fluid level is low, add more
fluid as described in the next steps.
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