1997 GMC JIMMY weight

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenlJ
if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. If you have four-wheel
drive with
a manual transfer case shift lever and
your transfer case
is in NEUTRAL (N), your
vehicle will
be free to roll, even if your shift lever
is in
PARK (P). So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N). And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in PARK (P) and yo~~r parking brake
is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you've moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or pressing the
button on
a console shift lever). If YOLI can, it means that
the shift lever wasn't fully locked
into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). This is called "torque lock." To
prevent torque lock, set the parking br'ke and then shift
into PARK
(P) properly before you leave the driver's seat.
To find out how, see "Shifting Into PARK (P)" in
the Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) kc$~w you release the parking brake.
IF torque lock does occur. you may need to have another
vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from
the parking pawl in the transmission, so
~OLI can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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NOTICE:
Loading cargo that weighs more than 200 lbs.
(91 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage your
vehicle. When you carry large things, never let
them hang over the rear
or the sides of your
vehicle. Load your cargo
so that it rests on the
slats and does not scratch or damage the vehicle.
Put the cargo against the side rails and fasten it
securely to the luggage carrier. Put the main
weight as far forward
as you can.
Don't exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading. see "Loading Your Vehicle"
in
the Index.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo as you're driving.
check now and then to make sure the luggage carrier and
cargo are still securely fastened.
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
To use the lighter, press it in all the way, and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it
is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overload, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
The front ashtray must be completely pulled
out to the
open position before the ashtray cover opens
and
smoking material can be deposited.
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Drunken Driving
0 Vision
Many adults
-- by some estimates. nearly half the adult
population
-- cl~oose never to drink alcohol. so they
never dri\:e after drinking.
For persons under 2 1. it's
against c the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are
good medical, psychological and
developmental
I-~~SOIIS for these laws.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends
upon fcwr thinp:
0 The drinker's body weight
has taken the drinker to
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want
it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
314 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight
of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

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.
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The CertificatiodTire label also tells you the maximum
weights far the front and rear
axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR).
To find out the actual loads on
your front and rear axles, you need to go to
a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with this. Be sure to spread out your load equally on
both sides of the centerline.
Never exceed the
GVWR for your vehicle, or the
GAWR for either the front or rear axle.
If you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different
GVWRs
and payloads. Please note your vehick's
CertificatiodTire label or consult your dealer for
additional details.
A CAUTION:
Do not load yuurvehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break,
or
it can change the way your vehicle handles. These
could cause you to
lose control. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask
your dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else
-- they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly,
or
if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and
injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
Try
to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops
of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
There’s
also important loading information for off-road
driving
in this manual. See “Loading Your Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving” in the Index.
Payload
The payload capacity is shown on the Certification/Tire
label. This
is the maxjInum load capacity that your
vehicle can carry.
Be sure to include the weight of the
occupants
as part of your load. If you added any
accessories
or equipment after your vehicle left the
factory. remelnber to subtract the weight of these things
from the payload. Your dealer can help you with this.
Add-on Equipment
When you carry rernovable items, yo11 may need to put a
limit 011 how many people you carry inside your vehicle.
Be sure to weigh your vehicle before you buy and install
the new equipment.
NOTICE:
Your warranty doesn’t cover parts or
components that fail because
of overloading.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig
will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control
if your trailer will
weigh
2,000 lbs. (900 kg) or less. You should always
use a sway control
if your trailer will weigh more
than
2,000 lbs. (900 kg). You can ask a hitch dealer
about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t nuke starts at
full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
If you have an automatic transmission, you can use
DRIVE
(D) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when
towing
a trailer. Operating your vehicle in
DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer will minimize heat
buildup and extend the life
of your transmission. If
you have a manual transmission and you are towing
a trailer, it‘s better not to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just
drive
in FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a
lower gear).
Three important considerations have to do
with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
0 the weight of the trailer tongue
and the weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And,
it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
The following chart shows how much your trailer can
weigh, based upon your vehicle model and options.
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