1997 GMC SIERRA tow

Ignition Positions
You can use your key to turn your ignition switch to five
different positions.
A E
ACCESSORY (A): ACCESSORY lets you use things
like the radio, power windows and the windshield
wipers when the engine
is off. Push in the key and turn
it towards you. Your steering wheel will remain locked,
just as it was before you inserted the key.
LOCK (B): This position locks your ignition, steering
wheel and transmission. It’s
a theft-deterrent feature.
You will only be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to
LOCK.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn’t lock the steering
wheel like
LOCK. Use OFF if you must have your
vehicle
in motion while the engine is off (for example,
your vehicle
is being pushed).
RUN (D): This is the position for driving.
START (E): This starts your engine.
I-
-
I A CAUTIO1.;
if
On manual transmission vehicles, turning the key
to
LOCK will lock the steering column and result
in
a loss of ability to steer the vehicle. This could
cause
a collision. If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle is moving, turn the key only
to
OFF. Don’t press the key release button while
the vehicle is moving.
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2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five more
seconds, or until
it starts.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F
(- 18°C) or colder, the
.A engine coolant heater
can help.
You’ll get easier starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater should be
plugged in a minimum of four hours prior to starting
your vehicle.
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If your vehcle is equipped with an automatic transmission,
it now features an electronic shift position indicator within
the instrument cluster. This display must be powered
anytime the
shift lever is capable of being moved out of
PARK (P). This means that if your key is in OFF, rather
than
LOCK, there will be a small current drain on your
battery which could discharge your battery over
a period
of time. If you have to leave your key in the
ignition
in OFF for an extended period, it is recommended
that you disconnect the battery cable from the battery to
prevent discharging your battery.
PARK
(P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground,
always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle
will be free to roll -- even if your shift lever
is in PARK
(P) -- if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL
(N). So, be sure the transfer case is in
a drive gear, two-wheel high
(2H) or four-wheel
high
(4H) or four-wheel low (4L) -- not in
NEUTRAL
(N). See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
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REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
~OTICE:
r
~~
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow”
in the Index.
NEUTRAL
(N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect
with the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed. Shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing, and
you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all
the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a) can be used when
towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep
hills or for off-road driving.
You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD
(3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower
fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a).
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want
to use
your brakes
off and on.
If you manually select SECOND (2)’ the transmission will
drive in
second gear. You may use this feature for reducing torque to the rear wheels when you are trying
to start your
vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is
put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is
moving forward,
the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
~ ~~
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
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$-Wheel High (4H): This setting engages your front
axle
to help drive your vehicle. Use 4H when you need
extra traction, such as on wet or icy roads, or in most
off-road situations.
Neutral (N): Shift to this setting only when your vehicle
needs to be towed or when using a power take-off.
4-Wheel Low (4L): This setting also engages your front
axle to give you extra power and also gives you a higher
driveline ratio. It should
be used only for off-road driving.
You can shift from 2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) to 4-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or from 4-WHEEL HIGH
(4H) to
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) while the vehicle is moving.
Your front axle will engage faster if
you take your foot
off of the accelerator for a few seconds after you shift.
In extremely cold weather, it may be necessary
to stop
or slow the vehicle
to shift into 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H). To
shift into or out of 4-WHEEL LOW (4L) or
NEUTRAL
(N):
1. Slow the vehicle to a roll, about 1 to 3 mph (2 to
5 kmh) and shift an automatic transmission into
NEUTRAL (N), or with a manual transmission,
press the clutch pedal.
2. Shift the transfer case shift lever in one continuous motion.
Don’t pause in NEUTRAL
(N) as you shift the transfer
case into 4-WHEEL LOW (4L), or your gears
could clash.
Remember that driving in 4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
4-WHEEL LOW (4L) may reduce fuel economy.
Also,
driving in four-wheel drive on dry pavement could
cause your tires to wear faster and make your transfer
case harder to shift and run noisier.
When your headlamps or parking lamps are on,
rotate the thumb wheel next to the headlamp switch
up to brighten or down
to dim your transfer case
indicator light.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go
off.
I NOTICE:
I
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle. Always check to be sure
your parking brake is fully released before
you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing
a Trailer’’ in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
If you have
a 3500 HD model, it is recommended that
the propshaft mounted parking brake be burnished as
part of the new vehicle break-in. The parking brake
will work best after
it has been burnished following
these instructions.
Make
10 stops, using the parking brake foot pedal, from
20 mph (32 kmh) about 2 112 miles (4 km) apart. In
between stops, drive the vehicle at
20 mph (32 kmk).
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Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
It can be danL *ous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you have four-wheel drive 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). If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer”
in the Index.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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