1998 GMC SIERRA brake light

To idle your vehicle with 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.
Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
If you have fog lamps, use them for better vision in
foggy or misty conditions.
Your parking lamps and/or
low-beam headlamps must be on for your fog lamps
to work.
The fog lamp switch is on
the lower edge of your
instrument panel.
Press the ribbed top part of the switch to turn the fog
lamps on. Press
the bottom of the switch to turn them
off.
A light will glow in the switch when the fog lamps
are on. Remember,
fog lamps alone will not give off as much
light as your headlamps. Never use your fog lamps in
the dark without turning on your headlamps.
Fog lamps will go off whenever your high-beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go
off, the
fog lamps will come on again.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
The instrument panel intensity control is located to the
right of the headlamp switch.
Rotate the thumb wheel up to adjust instrument panel
lights. Rotate the thumb wheel up to the first notch to
return the radio display and gearshift indicator LED
display to full intensity when the headlamps or parking
lamps are on. To turn on the dome lamps (with the
vehicle doors closed) rotate the thumb wheel up to the second notch position.
Illuminated Entry
Your vehicle is equipped with an illuminated
entry feature.
When the doors are opened, the dome lamps will come
on if the dome lamp button is out. When all the doors
are closed, or the dome lamp button is pressed in, the
lamps will stay on for
a short period of time and will
then go out.
2-43
ProCarManuals.com

After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the generator
drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light
is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light on, it
helps to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and the
air conditioner.
Voltmeter
19
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
in RUN, this gage shows
your battery’s state of
charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range. Readings
in the low warning zone may occur when a
large number
of electrical accessories are operating in
the vehicle and the engine is left at an idle for an
extended period.. This condition is normal since the
charging system
is not able to provide full power at
engine idle. As engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds
allow the charging system to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading in
either warning zone. If you must drive, turn off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
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.
2-67
ProCarManuals.com

If the warning light comes on, there co11ld be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
(a) (@)
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. BRAKE
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 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.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system,
this light will
come on when you start
ANTI -
LOCK
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That’s normal.
2-68
ProCarManuals.com

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
1
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During a majority of the operation, the gage
will read
210°F (100°C) or less. If you are pulling a
load or going up hills, it is normal for the temperature to
fluctuate and approach the
260°F (1 25 “C) mark. If the
gage reaches the
260°F (125°C) mark, it indicates that
the cooling system is working beyond its capacity.
The “Problems on
the Road,” section of this manual shows
what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service
Engine
Soon Light) (Gasoline Engine)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
2-69
ProCarManuals.com

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 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 -
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
I LOCK I 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
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider
a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth‘? Rough‘? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surfxe obstacles’? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill‘? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even
a river bottom with large rocks‘?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could cause
loss of control and a serious accident. Apply the
brakes lightly when descending a hill and use a
low
gear to keep vehicle speed under control.
Are there some things
I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you
0
0
ignore them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the
hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could
roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never
go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes
will have to do all the work and could
overheat
and fade.
4-22
ProCarManuals.com

__ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ . _~_
Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before
you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles or
exhaust pipe, don’t try it
-- you probably won’t get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly. \
At
fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur
if you get
your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never
be able to start your engine.
When you
go through water, remember that when your
brakes get wet,
it may take you longer to stop.
.
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown. If it’s
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drive
through rushing water.
See “Driving Through Water’’ in the Index for more
information on driving through water.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
4-26
ProCarManuals.com

J L
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you’re
going
fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or
more
is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds, There
just
isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
c
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.)
4-30
ProCarManuals.com