1998 GMC SIERRA Owners Manual

Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking
brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the
floor and start the engine. YOLU vehicle won‘t start if the
clutch pedal is not all the way
down -- that‘s a
safety feature.
How to Start the Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal. turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts: let
engine
gets warm.
z (TO of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
I NOTICE:
Holding your key in SrI‘,4KT for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor. 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.
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Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 1 SOC) or colder, the 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.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The engine coolant heater electrical cord
is located
on the driver’s side
of the engine compartment, near
the power steering reservoir.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord
as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don‘t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of
oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer
in the area where you‘ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
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Automatic Transmission Operation
I
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
If your vehicle 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.
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.
I NOTICE:
~~~____ ~ ~___
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 (Nj only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
' A CAUTION:
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 kndh), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 rnph (56 kndh) or more. push the
accelerator
all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) can be used when
towing
a trailer. carrying a heavy load, driving on steep
hills or for off-road driving. You may want
to shif’t 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 norrnal
driving, however
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
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 clown 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
rex wheels when you are trying to start your
vehicle from
a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even Inore power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
LIS~ it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put
in FIRST (1 j while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into first
E war 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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Manual Transmission Operation
5-Speed (MW3 Transmission with
Low Gear) (If Equipped)
Here’s how to operate
your transmission.
FIRST
(1) is intended only for heavy loads and is not
recommended for normal driving.
During the first
500 miles (805 km) of vehicle use, start
your vehicle moving in
FIRST (1). This allows clutch
components to break-in properly.
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal. Shift into FIRST (1)
only when the vehicle is below 5 rnph (8 kdh). If you try to
shift down into
FIRST (1) at excessive vehicle
speeds, the shift lever
will not move into the FIRST ( 1 )
position until vehicle speed is reduced.
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
SECOND
(2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into SECOND
(2) when you‘re going less
than
20 mph (32 kndh). If you’ve come to a complete stop
and it’s hard to shift into SECOND
(2), put the shift lever
into NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back clown. Then shift into SECOND
(2). If
you try to downshift into SECOND (2) at excessive
vehicle speeds, the shift lever will not move into
the
SECOND (2) position until the vehicle speed is reduced.
THIRD (3): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
THIRD (3). Then, slowly let LIP on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5): Shift into the higher
forward gears the same way you do for THIRD
(3).
Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
To stop, let
up on the accelerator pedal and press the brake
pedal. Just before the vehicle stops. press the clutch pedal
and the brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL (N).
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NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, first press down the clutch
pedal. Wait about five seconds for the internal parts to stop
spinning and then, shift into REVERSE (R).
Let up on the
clutch pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting
to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage
your transmission.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
when turning off your engine and parking your vehicle.
5-Speed (MG5M50 Transmission without
Low Gear) (If Equipped)
Here’s how to operate your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal. You
can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and
it’s hard to shift into FIRST (l), put the shift
lever into NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(I).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD
(3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and
press the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops,
press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, first press down the clutch
pedal. Wait about five seconds
for the internal parts to stop
spinning and then, shift
into REVERSE (R). Let up on the
clutch pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
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NOTICE:
Up Shift Light
4l
If you have a manual
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is transmission, you may have
a SHIFT light. This light
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transmission. will show you when to shift
best fuel economy.
to the next higher gear for
SHIFT
AI - - , use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
when turning
off your engine and parking your vehicle.
Shift Speeds
I JOU skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others. Don’t shift
down more than one gear when you downshift.
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 kmh), or if the
engine
is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance. When
this light comes on,
you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While
you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and
off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the
SHIFT light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and
is equipped
with a manual transmission, disregard the SHIFT light
when
the transfer case is in 4-Wheel Low.
I
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