2001 GMC SIERRA ignition

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Parking Brake
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
flash. A chime will activate when the parking brake is
applied and the vehicle is moved at least 3 mph (5 km/h)
for at least three seconds.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located
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.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear
-- not
in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission Only)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. If you have
four
-wheel drive with a manual transfer
case shift lever and your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL, your vehicle will be free 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. And, if you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, it could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have to.

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If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you
move the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver's seat.
To find out how, see ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Only)
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system, you have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transmissionº in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way up
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application.
Then, move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to the OFF ignition position.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the vehicle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the system fixed as soon as you can.

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Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission Models Only)
CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL 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. See ªParking Brakeº in the Index.
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever
into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition
key to OFF, remove the key and release the clutch.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you are pulling a
trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº 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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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You'll
now cruise at the higher speed.

Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A briefly.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control

Press and hold the SET button at the end of the lever
until you reach the lower speed you want, then
release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, press the
SET button briefly. Each time you do this, you'll go
about 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 want to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. 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 three ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal.

Step lightly on the clutch pedal (if equipped).

Move the cruise control switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.

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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 lamps symbol to
manually turn on the following:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel LightsTurn the knob clockwise to the master lamps symbol to
turn on all the lamps listed as well as the headlamps.
Turn the knob all the way counterclockwise to turn off
your lamps and put the system in auto headlamp mode.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, your automatic
headlamp system will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as the
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor located on
the top of the instrument panel in the defroster grille.
Be sure it is not covered, or the system will be on
whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.

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To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system off, set the parking brake while the ignition is
off. Then start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp
system will stay off until you release the parking brake.
You may be able to turn off your automatic headlamp
system. See ªDaytime Running Lamps (DRL)º later in
this section for more information.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder chime will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition
is in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY. To disable the
chime, turn the thumbwheel all the way down. In the
automatic mode, the headlamps turn off once the
ignition key is in OFF.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
Fully functional daytime running lights are required
on all vehicles first sold in Canada.The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:

the ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is in automatic headlamp mode,

the automatic transmission is not in PARK (P),

the light sensor determines it is daytime and

the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won't be on.
The instrument panel won't be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps or the
last chosen headlamp setting that was used.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the headlamps
will go off, and your DRL lamps will illuminate,
provided it is not dark outside.
To idle an automatic transmission equipped vehicle with
the DRL off, set the parking brake. Shifting the
transmission into PARK (P) will also allow you to idle
the vehicle with the DRL off. The DRL will stay off
until you release the parking brake or shift the
transmission out of PARK (P).

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To idle a manual transmission equipped vehicle with the
DRL off, set the parking brake. The DRL will stay off
until you release the parking brake.
The following procedure applies only to vehicles first
sold in the United States.
When necessary, you may turn off the Automatic
Headlamp System and the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) feature by following these steps:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN.
2. Press the DOME OVERRIDE button four times
within six seconds. After the fourth press of the
button, a chime will sound informing you the system
is off. The system will revert back to the automatic
mode when the ignition is turned off and on again.
3. To return to the automatic mode, push the DOME
OVERRIDE button four times within six seconds
(the chime will sound), or turn the ignition off
and on again.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has 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
located on the left side of
your instrument panel.
Press the switch to turn the fog lamps on. Press the
switch again to turn them off. An indicator 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 the fog lamps in the
dark without turning on the headlamps.
The fog lamps will go off whenever the high
-beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go off, the
fog lamps will come on again.