1999 GMC SIERRA four wheel drive

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2-30
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the Brake
-Transmission Shift Interlock system
fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission Only)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission in REVERSE (R), turn off the engine, and
firmly apply the parking brake.
If you have four
-wheel-drive, be sure your transfer case
is in a drive gear. Your vehicle could roll if it isn't.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you are pulling a
trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the manual
transmission is in gear. You or someone else could
be seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking
brake before placing the transfer case in
NEUTRAL (N). See ªParking Brakeº in the Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

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CAUTION:
It can be 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've 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).
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the transfer case in
NEUTRAL (N) will allow the vehicle 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). Always
set your parking brake. Follow the proper steps to be
sure your vehicle won't move. See ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, your locking rear axle can give
you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or
gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the time,
but when one of the rear wheels has no traction and the
other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
Windows
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door to raise or lower
manual windows.

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2-41
Exterior Lamps
Your parking lamp and headlamp switch is on the
driver's side of your instrument panel.
Turn the knob clockwise, to the parking lamp symbol, to
turn on:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Clearance Lamps (If Equipped)

Taillamps
License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights

Transfer Case Shift Indicator Light
(Four
-Wheel-Drive Vehicles)
Turn the knob clockwise again to the master lighting
symbol to turn on all the lamps listed as well as
the headlamps.
Turn the knob counterclockwise, to OFF, to turn off
your lamps.
Rotate the thumb wheel next to the knob 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.
You can switch your headlamps from high to low beams
by pulling on the turn signal/multifunction lever.
Headlamps On Reminder
A tone will sound when your headlamps are turned on
and the key is turned to the OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY position. If you need to use your
headlamps when the key is turned to OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY, the buzzer can be turned off by turning
the thumb wheel next to the parking lamp/headlamp
knob all the way down.

4-
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4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We've also
included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-5 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Steering
4
-11 Off-Road Recovery
4
-11 Passing
4
-13 Loss of Control
4
-14 Off-Road Driving with Your
Four
-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
4
-27 Driving at Night
4
-28 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads4
-31 City Driving
4
-32 Freeway Driving
4
-33 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-33 Highway Hypnosis
4
-34 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-36 Winter Driving
4
-41 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-43 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-48 Camper Wiring Harness (If Equipped)
4
-48 Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab
4
-49 Towing a Trailer

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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.Remember: Anti
-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel the
brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal. On vehicles with four
-wheel drive, your
anti
-lock brakes work at all times -- whether you are
in two
-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.

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Off-Road Driving with Your
Four
-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four
-wheel drive.
Also, see ªAnti
-Lock Brakesº in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn't have four
-wheel drive, you
shouldn't drive off
-road unless you're on a level,
solid surface.
Off
-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some
definite hazards. The greatest of these is the terrain itself.
ªOff
-roadingº means you've left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren't
marked. Curves aren't banked. There are no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you've gone right back to nature.
Off
-road driving involves some new skills. And that's
why it's very important that you read this guide. You'll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off
-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check to make sure all underbody
shields (if so equipped) are properly attached.
Be sure you read all the information about your
four
-wheel-drive vehicle in this manual. Is there enough
fuel? Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels
up where they should be? What are the local laws that
apply to off
-roading where you'll be driving? If you
don't know, you should check with law enforcement
people in the area. Will you be on someone's private
land? If so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.

The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.

Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off
-road terrain doesn't toss things around.

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Recreational Vehicle Towing
There may be times when you want to tow your vehicle
behind another vehicle for use at your destination. Be
sure to use the proper towing equipment designed for
recreational vehicle towing. Follow the instructions for
the towing equipment.
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Tw o-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
all four wheels on the ground. Two
-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed. To properly tow these vehicles, they
should be placed on a platform trailer with all four
wheels off the ground.
In rare cases when it's unavoidable that a
two
-wheel-drive vehicle is to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground, the propeller shaft to axle yoke
orientation should be marked and the propeller shaft
removed following the applicable service manual
removal/installation procedure.
Dust or dirt can enter the back of the transmission
through the opening created by removing the propeller
shaft if proper protection is not provided. Also, check
the transmission fluid level before driving the truck.

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4-42 Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK (P), for an automatic transmission, or
if your vehicle is in gear, for a manual
transmission. You or others could be injured.
Make sure the parking brake is firmly set before
you shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL (N).
Vehicles equipped with the electronic transfer case
cannot be towed with all four wheels on the ground.
Use the following procedure to correctly tow your
vehicle on all four wheels with a manual transfer case:
1. Firmly set the parking brake.
2. Place the transmission in PARK (P) or a manual
transmission in FIRST (1).
3. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the
tow vehicle.
4. With the engine running, shift the transfer case to
NEUTRAL (N). See ªFour
-Wheel Driveº in the
Index for the proper procedure to select the neutral
position for your vehicle.
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is firmly attached to the towing vehicle.
6. Turn the ignition to OFF. The OFF position unlocks
the steering column and reduces battery drain.
Unlocking the steering column will allow the proper
movement of the front wheels and tires during towing.