1997 GMC JIMMY warning

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you zet the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam. the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get
a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades" in the Index.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute
or so:
2. T~11-11 on yo~~r heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam. shift to NEUTRAL (N):
otherwise, shift to the highest gear \vhile
driving -- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ((33) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
If you no longer have the overheat warning. you
can drive. Just
to be safe. drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on.
you can drive norrnally.
If the warning continues. pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam. push the accelerator until
the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle
speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes. Now see
if the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the warning, rum ogtlw
eugine
c~l got el?er;\.olw out oftlw \vl~iclc. until it
cools down.
You
may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right
away.
5-13

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven't found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn't at the
ADD mark, add a SO/SO mixture of d~ctrz
,twtur (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL'@
(silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank.
(See "Engine Coolant" in the Index for more
information.
)
_s I
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix
will. Your vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn't get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL" coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
5-16

Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift
lever in PARK
(P) or shift a manual
transmission to FIRST
(1) or
REVERSE (R).
CAUTIQN: iContinued) .~
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle
with a manual transfer case shift lever,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Put the wheel blocks at the front and
rear
of the tire farthest away from the
one being changed. That would be the
tire on the other side of the vehicle,
at
the opposite end.
5-23

Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle
for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and the DEX-COOL@ coolant
for your vehicle will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 OF ( 129 O C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
8
they should.
NOTICE:
When .adding coolant, it is important that you use
only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core
or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs
first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t damage aluminum parts. If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
6-23

Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix, your engine
could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mix can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling
system.
I NOTICE:
If you use the proper coolant, you don’t have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to improve the system. These can be harmful.
6-24

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
If you have the all-wheel drive option, your vehicle has
four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn
and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or
be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except when
you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
I A CAUTION: I
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't
work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning
sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong
with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake
pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Your rear
drum brakes don't have wear indicators,
but
if you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise: have
the rear brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake
drums should be removed and inspected each time the
tires are removed
for rotation or changing. When you
have the front brake pads replaced. have the rear brakes
inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
"Brake System Inspection" in Section 7 of this manual
under
Part C "Periodic Maintenance Inspections."
6-31

Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst
into flame it' you strike a
match or get then? on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous
if ~OLI breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you
LIS~ anything from a container to clean your
vehicle. be sure to
follow the manufacturer's warnings
and instructions. And
always open your doors or
windows when you're cleaning the inside.
Newr use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint 'Thinner
Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous -- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle. too. Don't
LM any of these
unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
0 Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
6 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe
vinyl or leather with a clean. damp cloth.
Your GM dealer has two cleaners, a solvent-type spot
lifter and a foam-type powdered cleaner. They will clean
normal spots and stains very
well. Do not use them on
vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
1. Always
read the instructions on the cleaner Iabei.
2. Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
3. Use a clean cloth or sponge. and change to a clean
area often.
A soft brush may be used if stains
are stubborn.
4. Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
5. If a ring fornls after spot cleaning, clean the entire
only.
If you use
them. don't saturate the stained area.
area immediately or
it will set.
6-49

Section 9 Index
Accessory Power Outlcts ........................ 2-03
Adding Sound Equipment ........................ 3-20
Air Bag ....................................... 1-20
Adding Equipment ............................ 1-25
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-23
HowitWorks ................................ 1-22
Location .................................... 1-22
Readiness Light ......................... 1-2 1. 2-73
Servicing
................................... 1-25
What Makes
it Inflate .......................... 1-23
What You See After it Inflates ................... 1-24
When Should it Intlate ......................... 1-23
Air Cleaner .................................... 6- 13
Air Conditioning ................................ 3-3
Refrigerants ................................. 6-64
All-Wheel Drive
.......................... 2.23. 6.21
Aluminum Wheels. Clcaning ...................... 6-55
Antenna . Fixed ................................. 3-2 I
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light ......... 2-76. 4-7
Appeararlce CXC
............................... 6-49
Materials ..................................... 6-57
Adding Equipment
to the Outside of Your Vehicle
...... 6-3
Add-on Equipment
............................. 4-44
Alignment
and Balance . Tire ...................... 6-46 Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-9
Armrest.
Storage ............................... 2-56
Audio Systems
.................................. 3-6
Automatic Overdrive
............................ 2-20
Automatic Transmission
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-61
Check ...................................... 7-47
Fluid
....................................... 6-14
Operation ................................... 2-18
Park Mechanism Check ........................ 7-49
Shifting
..................................... 2-18
Starting Your Engine .......................... 2-15
Front
....................................... 6-22
Rear
..................................... 6-20
Axle
Backglass Wipers. BM~ Replacement ............. 6-40
Battery
....................................... 6-32
Chargc Light ................................ 2-73
Jump Starting ................................. 5-3
Replaccment. Keyless Entry ...................... ?-7
Warnings
................................ 5.3. 5.5
BBB Auto Line ................................. 8-9
Better Business Bureau Mediation ................... 8-9
9-1