1997 GMC JIMMY Owner's Manual

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 kdh) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) should not be used
when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load. driving on
steep hills, or for off-road driving. Select DRIVE
(D)
when operating the vehicle under any of these conditions.
DRIVE (D): This position is also used for normal
driving, however
it offers Inore power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@). You
should use DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, driving on steep hills or winding roads or
for off-road driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on. You
can
also LIS~ SECOND (2) for starting your vehicle
from
a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever
is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is
moving forward. the transmission won’t shift into
FIRST
( I) until thc vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a
hill.
2-20

Manual Transmission Operation
5-Speed
This is your shift pattern. Here’s how to
operate your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(I). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1 ) when you‘re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard
to shift into FIRST ( 1 ): put the shift
lever
in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1 ).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH (3,4 and 5): Shift
into THIRD
(3). FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same
way you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let
up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal. and shift to NEUTRAL
(N).
2-21

NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press the clutch pedal, wait
about six seconds, then shift into
REVERSE (R). Then
let
up on the clutch pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped. Shifting to REVERSE
(R) while
your vehicle
is moving could damage
your transmission.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake. for
parking your vehicle.
Shift Light
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transmission. you 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.
2-22

If’ you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t shift
down more than one gear when
you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and is equipped
with a manual transmission. disregard the shift light
wlxn the transfer case is in 4LO.
Locking Rear Axle
If you have this feature. your rear axle can give you
additional traction
on sno\v, mud. ice, sand 01- gra~~l. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but when
one of the rear nhxls has
no traction and the other does,
the locking feature
will allow the wheel with traction to
~nove the vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive (If Equipped)
If your \:chicle has all-wheel drive, your engine’s
driving power is sent to all four wheels for extra
traction. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is
no
lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle.
It is fully automatic and adjwts itself as needed for
mid conditions.
Four-wheel Drive (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power
to all four wheels for extra
traction.
To shift out of two-wheel drive and into
four-wheel drive, move the transfer case shift lever to
4HI or 4LO. You should use ?HI for most normal
driving conditions.
1 NOTICE:
~~ ~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~
Driving in the 4HI or 41,O positions for a long
time on
dry or wet pavement could shorten the
life of your vehicle’s drivetrain.
2-23

Manual Transfer Case
If your four-wheel-drive vehicle has the manual transfer
case, the transfer case shift lever is on the floor next to
the driver. Use this lever to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive. An indicator light near the lever shows
you the transfer
case settings:
2HI
4HI
0 N SET PARK BRAKE
0 4LO
2-24
I I

The front axle portion of the diagram on the indicator
will light up when you shift
into four-wheel drive. A
slight delay between shifting and the pattern's lighting is
normal. If the pattern does not light up, or if the front
axle lights
do not go out after you shift out of
four-wheel drive, have your dealer check your system.
Turn
the INT LIGHTS switch located to the right of
your headlamp switch to dim your transfer case
indicator light when your headlamps or parking lamps
are on. This
will also cause your instrument p.anel lights
to dim.
2HI: This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situat.ions. Your front axle
is not engaged in
two-wheel drive.
4HI: This setting engages your front axle to help
drive
your vehicle. Use 4H1 when you need extra
traction. such
as on snowy or icy roads. or in most
off-road situations.
N SET PARK BRAKE: Shift to this neutral setting
only when your vehicle needs to be towed.
4LO: This setting also engages your front axle to give
you extra traction and provides extra gear reduction.
YOLI may never need 4LO. It sends the maximum power
to all four wheels. You might choose 4L0 if you were
driving off-road
in sand, mud or deep snow and
climbing or descending steep hills.
You can shift from
2HI to 4H1 or from 4HI to 2HI while
the vehicle
is moving. Do not press the transfer case
shift lever button when shifting from
2HI to ;CHI or
from
4HI to 2HI.
To shift your transfer case into N SET PARK BRAKE:
1. Stop the vehicle and shift your transmission into
NEUTRAL
(N).
2. Set the parking brake. Your vehicle can roll unless
the brakes are applied.
3. Pull the transfer case shift lever into N SET
PARK BRAKE.
2-25

To shift into or out of 4LO:
1. The vehicle must be moving less than 3 mph
(4.8 km/h) with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N)
for an automatic transmission. For a manual
transmission, the clutch pedal must be engaged.
The preferred method
for shifting into or out of 4LO
is to have your vehicle moving I to 2 tnph (I .6 to
3.2 km/h).
2. Press the transfer case shift button and shift in one
continuous motion.
Don’t pause
in N SET PARK BRAKE as you shift into
or out of
4L0, or your gears could clash.
Remember that driving
in 4HI or 4LO may reduce fuel
economy. Also, driving in four-wheel drive on dry
pavement could cause your tires to wear faster and
make your transfer case harder to
shift and reduce
powertrain longevity.
Electronic Transfer Case (If Equipped)
If your four-wheel-drive
vehicle has the electronic
transfer case, the transfer
case switches are above
the radio controls.
Use these switches to shift into and out
of four-wheel
drive.
You can choose among three driving settings:
2HI: This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situations. Your front axle is not engaged
in
two-wheel drive. When this lamp is lit, it is about
one-half
as bright as the others.
4HI: This setting engages your front axle to help drive
your vehicle. Use
4HI when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads. 01- in most off-road situations.
2-26

4LO: This setting also engages your front axle to give
you extra traction. You may never need 4LO. It sends
the maximum power to all
four wheels. You might
choose 4LO
if you were driving off-road in sand, mud
or deep snow and climbing or descending steep hills.
Indicator lights
in the switches show you which setting
you are
in. The indicator lights will come on briefly when
you turn on
the ignition and one will stay on. If the lights
do not come
on, you should take your vehicle in for
service.
An indicator light will flash while shifting. It will
remain illuminated when the shift is completed.
Shifting from 2HI to 4HI
Press and release the 4HI switch. This can be done at
any speed. and the front axle will lock automatically.
Shifting from 4HI to 2HI
Press and release the 2HI switch. This can be done at
any speed. and the. front axle will unlock automatically.
Shifting from 2HI or 4HI to 4LO
To
shift from 2HI or .CHI to 4LO. the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than
3 rnph (4.8 k~nh) with the
transmission
in NEUTRAL (N) in vehicles equipped with an
automatic transmission or the clutch pedal engaged
in
vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The
preferred method for shifting into 4LO is to have your
vehicle moving
1 to 2 mph (I .6 to 3.2 kmh). Press
and release
the 4LO switch. You must wait for the
4LO indicator light to stop flashing and remain
illuminated before shifting your transmission into
gear or releasing
the clutch pedal.
If the 4L0 switch is pressed when your vehicle is
in
gear and/or moving, the 4LO indicator light will flash
for
30 seconds and not complete the shift unless your
vehicle is moving slower than
3 tnph (4.8 km/h) and
the transmission
is in NEUTRAL (N) or the clutch
pedal engaged.
On automatic transmission equipped vehicles,
if your
transfer case does
not shift into 4LO. your transmission
indicator switch may reyuire adjustment. With
your
transmission in NEUTRAL (N)! press and release the
4L0 switch. While the 4LO indicator light is flashing.
shift yo~lr transmission into PARK (P). Wait unlil the
4L0 indicator light remains illuminated before shifting
your trrmstnission
into gear. This will get you into 4LO.
but you should take
your vehicle in for service to restore
normal operation.