
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on
an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BAlTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
ACID COULD
&
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used
on
warning and
indicator
lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING l=l
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may
see:
FUSE -%-
P
LIGHTER m
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V
ProCarManuals.com

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2-2
2-4 2-6
2-9
2- 15
2- 16
2- 17
2- 17
2- 18
2-20 2-2
1
2-24 2-25
2-28 2-29
2-29 Keys
Door Locks
Keyless Entry System
(If Equipped)
Your Doors and How They Work
Theft Passlock’
New Vehicle “Break-In’,
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Gasoline Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
Automatic Transmission Operation
Parking Brake Shifting Into PARK (P)
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust 2-30
2-30
2-3 1
2-33
2-34
2-34
2-40 2-43
2-45
2-48 2-48
2-49
2-50
2-5 1
2-53 Running
Your Engine While You’re Parked
Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped)
Windows
Horn
Tilt Wheel (Option)
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
Exterior
Lamps
Interior Lamps Mirrors Storage Compartments
Cigarette LightedAshtray
Sun Visors
Instrument Panel
Instrument Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
2-1
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NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you are stuck in very
deep sand or mud or are 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.
Parking Br ke
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.
Pull the handle, located just above the
parking brake pedal, marked BRAKE RELEASE to
release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
2-24
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Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
0 To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half
a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills. When
going up steep hills,
you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. If the
steepness of the hill causes the vehicle speed to drop
more than
15 mph (24 kmh) below the set speed, your
cruise control will automatically disengage. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed
down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; or
0 Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-39
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The DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When the DRL are
on, only your headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When it begins
to get dark, your DRL indicator light is
a reminder
to turn your headlamp switch on. The other
lamps that come
on with your headlamps will also
come
on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off, and your headlamps will change to
the reduced brightness of
DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the engine on and the DRL off,
set the parking brake. The DRL will stay off until you
release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
Your vehicle’s center high-mounted stoplamp is located
above the rear doors at the center of the vehicle.
If items are loaded on the roof of the vehicle, as in a
luggage carrier, care should be taken
not to block or
damage the center high-mounted stoplamp unit.
If you tow a trailer that is equipped with provisions for a
center high-mounted stoplamp, see your
GM dealer for
instructions
on how to make it operate with your
vehicle’s electrical system.
As with any electrical system
modification, have the work performed by a qualified
electrical service person.
2-42
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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.
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.
BRAKE
United States
Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a 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.)
A CAUTION:
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.
2-56
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
United States Canada
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
gage pointer moves into
the red area your engine is
coolant temperature.
If the
260 too
hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
operating 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 what
to do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
2-57
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Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a 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.
ANTI -
LOCK
United States
Canada
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. Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road
is wet.
You’re driving
safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam
on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
4-7
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