2001 GMC SIERRA seats

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Q:What if I add a snow plow? Will it keep the
air bags from working properly?
A:We've designed our air bag systems to work
properly under a wide range of conditions,
including snow plowing with vehicles equipped
with the optional Snow Plow Prep Package
(RPO VYU). But don't change or defeat the
snow plow's ªtripping mechanism.º If you do,
it can damage your snow plow and your vehicle,
and it may cause an air bag inflation.
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.
When you sit in a center seating position, you have a
lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt
longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.

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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
If your vehicle has a rear seat, your vehicle has
shoulder belt comfort guides. This feature will
provide added safety belt comfort for older children
who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults.
When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide
better positions the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position in
the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here's how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the
interior body.

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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint
for the child's body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T
-shaped or shelf-like shields.
A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle's safety belt system.
Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner,
and some high
-back booster seats have a five-point
harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out
the window.

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Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward
-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on when
you have turned off the air bag, it means that
something may be wrong with the air bag system.
The right front passenger's air bag could inflate
even though the switch is off.
If your vehicle is a regular cab pickup and
this ever happens, don't let anyone whom the
national government has identified as a member
of a passenger air bag risk group sit in the right
front passenger's position (for example, don't
secure a rear
-facing child restraint in your
vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced.
See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
If your vehicle is an extended cab pickup and
this ever happens, don't let anyone whom the
national government has identified as a member
of a passenger air bag risk group sit in the right
front passenger's position (for example, don't
secure a rear
-facing child restraint in the right
front passenger's seat) until you have your vehicle
serviced. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in the Index.
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
part about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger's air bag.
If your vehicle is a regular cab or an extended cab
and you are using a rear
-facing child restraint in this
seat, make sure the air bag is turned off. See ªAir
Bag Off Switchº in the Index. If your child restraint
is forward
-facing, always move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing it in this seat.
See ªSeatsº in the Index.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.

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Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window so the child can wear a lap
-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap
-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should
not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit
snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the
thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen,
which could cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.

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Center Console Storage Area (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a console compartment between
the bucket seats.
To open it, insert the console key into the lock and
unlock the console. Press the button and swing the
console lid open. The console has a place to store
tissues, pens and a clip to hold business cards.Your console may have a cupholder that swings down
for the rear seat passengers to use. The front cupholder
pulls out and swivels 180
to provide clearance between
tall beverage containers and the manual transmission
shift lever (if equipped).
Your vehicle may have a compact disc holder in
the console.
Armrest Storage Compartment
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a center armrest storage
compartment in the front bench seat.
To open it, fold down the armrest and press the latch
handle located at the front of the armrest. Then, let the
lid pop up and swing open.
The storage compartment has a cassette/compact disc holder.
The holder will store up to six compact disc cases and
five cassette tape cases or a total of 11 cassette tape cases.
If not used to store cassette or compact disc cases, the
storage area can be used to store a laptop computer.
To use the writing table, pull the latch at the rear of the
table and swing the writing table forward. Use it to hold
a pad of paper and a pen.

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Your vehicle has air
outlets in the center and
on the sides of your
instrument panel.
You can turn the outlets from side
-to-side or up
and down to direct the flow of air. The left driver
and passenger outlets on vehicles equipped with air
conditioning have shut off knobs. Turn the knob to the
left to shut off air flow or to the right to allow air flow.
When you close an outlet, it will increase the flow of air
coming out of any outlets that are open. The center
outlet does not completely shut off airflow.Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan knob all the way to the right for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts of
snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.

The use of hood air deflectors may adversely
affect the performance of the heating and air
conditioning system.

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CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your vehicle.
Your warranty does not cover parts or components that
fail because of overloading.
This will help you decide how much cargo and installed
equipment your truck can carry.
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask
your dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
If you put things inside your vehicle
-- like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else
-- they go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.

Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle.
Try to spread the weight evenly.

Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.

Don't leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.

When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.

Don't leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
There's also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See ªLoading Your Vehicle for
Off
-Road Drivingº in the Index.