1997 GMC JIMMY tow

c A -T-l[BN:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0
0
0
0
0
0
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safety chains on each
side when towing
a vehicle.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
I
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequatelJT secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should
he tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted
in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They
will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
5-8

When your vehicle is being towed. have the ignition key
turned to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be cla111ped
in a straight-alwad position with a clamping
device designed for towing service. Do not use the
vehicle's steering column lock for this. The transmission
should be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case, if you
have one. should be in 2HI. The parking brake should
be released.
If your vehicle 11as a floor mounted shifter and no
electrical power, the electrical solenoid lock must be
overridden to shift from PARK (P) to NEUTRAL (N).
Follow these steps:
1. Push the base of the shift lever boot forward \%7ith
your tlwmb.
2. Lift the boot and find the white solenoid lever.
3.
4.
5.
Move the solenoid lever toward the driver's side to
unlock
it.
While holding the solenoid lever in the ~~nlock
position. press the shift lever button and shift into
NEUTRAL (N).
5-9

NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascia/fog lamp damage
will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-10

NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage
will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
Unless you have all-wheel drive, to help avoid
damage, install
a towing dolly and raise the
vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or ,J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted
in
the T-hook slots.
5-11

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

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.
5-22

L
The following steps will tell you how to use thc jack and
change
a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The jacking equipment you'll need is stored r~long the
driver's rex
wall. In some cases, you may ha\:e to
remove the spare tire in order to reach the jack. Your
vehicle is also equipped with work gloves and a plastic
ground mat
lo assist in the changing of a flat tire.
To remove your jack cover,
pull
up on the latch at the
end
of the cover. near the
endgate and the latch
on the
top of the cover. Remove
the whecl blocks, jack
and
wheel wrench.
NOTICE:
Never remove or restow a tire from/to a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle
is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire fully
against the underside of the vehicle when
restowing.
5-24

6. Remo\:e any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts.
mounting surfr~ces and
spare wheel.
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it
is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after
a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust
or
dirt off.
1
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
8. Put the nuts on by
hand. Make SLIK the
cone-shaped end
is
toward the wheel.
Tighten
each nut by
hand until the wheel is
held against the hub.
If ;I nut can't be turned
by hand.
LIS~ the
wheel
wrench and see
your dealer
as soon
as possible.
5-30