1998 GMC ENVOY warning

Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it
means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push.
Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
it fixed so it will be ready
to warn you if there’s
a problem.
(0) (8> doesn’t come on then, have
BRAKE
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay
on
for several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is
also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See
“Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into
the
red area, your engine is
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off
the engine as soon as possible.
The “Problems on the Road” section
of this manual
shows you what to do. See “Engine Overheating”
in
the Index.
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I A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
Security Warning Light
SECURITY
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key toward START. The
light will stay on until the
engine starts.
If the light flashes, the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode.
If the vehicle fails to start, see “Passlock”
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays
on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
This light should also flash as you open
the door (if your
ignition is off).
This is a reminder to activate the
theft-deterrent system. See “Content Theft-Deterrent” in
the Index for more information.
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Service 4WD Light
SERVICE
4WD
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on the
ignition, as a check to show
you it is working.
The
SERVICE 4WD light comes on to indicate that
there may be a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage
to the vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
CHECK
GAGES
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil pressure
gages
to see if they are in the warning zones.
Gate Ajar Light
GATE
AJAR
This light will come on
briefly when
you are
starting the engine.
If it stays on, your liftgate
is ajar. Try closing the liftgate
again. Never drive with the liftgate even partially open.
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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.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out rnucit faster
if you
do a lot of heavy braking.
If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you
will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. Th, ti t means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops,
you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder
to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
;1 braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system
will check itself. You may
hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light
will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
in
the Index.
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for
a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is
on the road. For safety, you‘ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfxes because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surfxe
with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surfdce is slippery
until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow
down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only
the braking skid.
Driving Gu idelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a
utility vehicle in Consumer Information Regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) of
the United States
Department of Transportation. Utility vehicles have
higher ground clearance and a narrower track to make
them capable of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteristics give them a
higher center of gravity than ordinary cars. An
advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems.
They are not designed for cornering at
the same speeds
as conventional two-wheel-drive vehicles any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed to perform
satisfxtorily under off-road conditions.
If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers. As with
other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle
correctly
may result in loss of control or
vehicle rollover.
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City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them.
You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety
in city driving:
0 Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country trip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time and energy. (See the
next part, "Freeway Driving.")
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner
is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area
or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are solne tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
Tnclude an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles.
And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a
piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure
you properly secure these
your vehicle.
items
in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires
road probably have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your t
the road, you can have a very slippery situation meet the
ires and . You’ll
have a lot less traction or “,I-ip” and will need to be
very careful. -- -
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