1997 GMC SIERRA coolant level

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs
on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down,
you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating. If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow
in
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a). You
may want to
shift the transmission to THIRD
(3) or, if necessary, a
lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often
(e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).
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).
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you turn
your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in
PARK (P) (or the
manual transmission out of gear and the parking brake
applied) for a few minutes before turning the engine
off.
If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating”
in the Index.
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I A CAUTION:
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the auxiliary
electric fan under the hood can start
up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it
cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above
the COLD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in
the cooling system.
I
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
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If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if the fan speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing
the accelerator pedal down. If it doesn’t, your
vehicle needs service. Turn off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank -- Gasoline Engines
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
(silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant’’
in the Index for more information.)
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.
CAUTION: (Continued) 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.
I NOTICE:
r
~~
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.
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i 'I
I
I
I
6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the 1
' upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine fan(s).
I 7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches the
base
of the filler neck.
f:
8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to
flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on the pressure cap line up like this.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how
to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-
3
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6-8
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6-2 1
6-25
6-26
6-26 6-27
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6-32
6-32 Service
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuels
in Foreign Countries - - Gasoline
Engines
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Noise Control System
Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine)
Air Cleaner Filter (Gasoline Engines)
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual Transmission Fluid
Hydraulic Clutch
Rear Axle
Four-wheel Drive
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap (Gasoline Engine)
Thermostat 6-33
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6-68
6-69
6-70 6-75
6-76
6-78 Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade
R
Tires
Appearance Care .eplacement
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning
the Outside of Your Vehicle
Appearance Care Materials
Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Specifications
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If the differential is at operating temperature (warm),
add enough lubricant to raise the level to the bottom of
the filler plug hole.
If the differential is cold, add enough lubricant to raise
the level to 1/2 inch (12 mm) below the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants” in the Index.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
new 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 proper coolant for
your vehicle will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (1 29°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning gages work as 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.
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Checking Coolant
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Checking
Coolant”
in the Diesel Engine Supplement. Adding Coolant
If you need more
coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture
at the coolant recovery tank.
The coolant recovery tank is located on the passenger’s
side at the rear corner
of the engine compartment.
When your engine is cold,
the coolant level should be at
the
COLD mark, or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level should be up to the HOT mark, or a
little higher.
A CAUTION:
Turning the radiator pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam and
scalding liquids to blow out and burn you badly.
With the coolant recovery tank, you will almost
never have to add coolant at the radiator.
Never turn the radiator pressure cap
-- even a
little -- when the engine and radiator are hot.
Add coolant mixture at the recovery tank, but be careful
not to spill
it.
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
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Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed below are owner checks and services which
should be performed at the intervals specified
to help
ensure the safety, dependability and emission control
performance
of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added
to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones,
as shown
in Part
D.
At the First 100, 1,000 and 6,000 Miles
(160,1600 and 10 000 km)
For vehicles with dual wheels, check dual wheel nut
torque. For proper torque, see “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or ~1 service station attendant to
per$orm these underhood
checks ut eachjbtelfiE1.
Engine Oil Level Check Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the
engine coolant level and add the proper
coolant mix if necessary. See “Engine Coolant’’ in the
Index for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the
windshield washer tank and add
the proper fluid if
necessary. See “Windshield Washer Fluid”
in the Index
for further details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inflation Check
Make sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures. See
“Tires”
in the Index for further details.
Cassette Deck Service
Clean cassette deck. Cleaning should be done every
50 hours of tape play. See “Audio Systems” in the Index
for further details.
Check
the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary. See “Engine Oil” in the Index for
further details.
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