1997 GMC JIMMY fuel

If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer. reduce the anlount 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 t.o flash, when it is safe to do so.
stop the \?el?ic&~. Find a safe place to park your vehiclc.
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.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making s111-e to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can cleter~nine
if the fuel cap
has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap
will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed 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.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
I1 so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with cpality fuel (see
“Fuel”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to
r11n as e,fficiently as designed. You may
notice this
as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle
into gear, mistlring, hesitation on acceleration
or
stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected
by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use.
It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light. turn off.
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic
tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problcnls that may have developed.

Shift Light
SHIFT
You have the shift light
if you
have a manual
transmission. This light
comes on very briefly as a
bulb check when you start
the engine. Shilting when
the indicator light is
on wi 11
help you get the best fuel
economy. See "Shift Light"
in the Index.
Check Gages Light
1 The CHECK GAGES light
1 will come on briefly when
you are starting the enlrine.
CHECK
GAGES
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
This light is on the
instrument panel.
It goes on
whenever the DRL are on,
the ignition is on. the
headlamp switch is
off
and the parking brake is :*.:(-J
-e released.
2-80

Gate Ajar Light
GATE
AJAR
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting
the engine. If' it
stays on, your liftgate is
ajar.
Try closing the liftgate
again. Never drive
with the
liftgate even partially open.
Fuel Gage
E-
When the ignition is on,
the fuel
gage tells you
about how much fuel you
11ave remaining.
0 It takes a little more or less file1 to fill up than the gage
inclicated. For example. the gage may have indicated
the tank was
half full, but it actually took a little more
or
less than half the tank's capacity to fill the tank.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.

If the water isn't too deep, then drive through it slowly.
At fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system
and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can dso occur if you
tailpipe is under water, yo~l*II never be able to start your
engine. When
you go through water. remember that
when your brakes get
wet. it nay take you longer
to stop.
2 wt your tailpipe under water. And. as long as your
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous. Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and
you and your passengers could drown. If it's
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don't drive
through rushing water.
After Off-Road Driving
Relmove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody. chassis or 11nder the hood. These
accumulations CUI be a fire hazard.
After operation
in mud or sand. have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can C~LIS~
glazing and 1111even braking. Check the body structure.
steering. suspension. wheels, tires and exlxwst system
for damage.
Also. check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your
vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
4-27

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When
you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle. and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way
to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold.
But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and
do some hirly vigorous exercises
every half
hour or so until help comes.
4-40

Recreational Vehicle Towing (Except Four-wheel Drive With
Manual Shift Transfer Case) Loading Your Vehicle
Vehicles with
two-wheel drive or the optional electronic
shift transfer case require special modifications before
they can be towed
in this manner. Please contact your
dealer for the towing information that
is appropriate for
your particular vehicle.
Vehicles
with all-wheel drive (AWD) can not be towed
in this manner.
The Certification/Tire label is found on the driver’s door
edge, above the door latch. The label shows the size
of
your original tires and the inflation pressures needed to
obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is
called the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The
GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel, cargo and trailer tongue weight,
if pulling a trailer.
4-42

Towing a Trailer
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer
is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously in.jured.
Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the
steps in this section.
Ask your GR/I dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer with vour vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your
GM dealer
for important information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
Every vehicle
is ready for some trailer towing. If yours
was built
with trailering options, as many are. it‘s ready
for heavier trailers.
But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In
it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
4-45

Engine Fan Noise If a Tire Goes Flat
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When
the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide
more air to cool the engine.
In most everyday driving
conditions, the clutch
is not engaged. This improves
fuel economy and reduces
fan noise. Under heavy
vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or high outside
temperatures, the
fan speed increases when the clutch
engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan noise. This
is normal and should not be mistaken as the
transmission slipping
or making extra shifts. It is merely
the cooling system functioning properly. The fan will
slow down when additional cooling is not required and
the clutch disengages.
You
may also hear this fan noise when you start he
engine.
It will go away as the fan clutch disengages. It's
unusual
for a tire to "blow out" while you're driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of
a tire, it's muc11 more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a "blowout." here are a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to ~naintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout. particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you'd use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove yo~~r foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the c.ehicle under control
by
steering the way ~OLI want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy
and noisy. but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop -- well off the road if possible.
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