2002 GMC SIERRA steering wheel

2-54
OnStar
System (If Equipped)
OnStar is a vehicle communications system that offers a
variety of services and provides a one
-touch hands-free
communication link between you and the OnStar Center.
To receive OnStar services, a service subscription
agreement is required and an additional fee may be
required. Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. For more information, call 1
-888-ONSTAR-7
(1
-888-667-8277).
OnStar Services Button: Press this button once
to contact an advisor who will be able to assist you with
these services. If you are not quickly connected, the
system will automatically reset and redial. This ensures
connection to the center; there is no additional action
required. Press the Communication button to cancel the
automatic redial.
Emergency Button: In an emergency situation,
press the emergency service button. Upon receiving the
call, an advisor at the center will locate your vehicle and
assess the situation. If necessary, the advisor will alert
the nearest emergency service provider.
Communication Button: Press this button at
the end of a call. Also press this button to answer
a call from the center, or cancel a call if one of the
other buttons is accidentally pressed. This button is
also used to access OnStar Personal Calling and Virtual
Advisor services. See the OnStar owner package for
more information.
Volume Control: You can control the volume of
the OnStar System using either the volume control
knob on the radio or if equipped, the steering wheel
volume controls.
Telltale Light: This light will indicate the status of
the system. A solid green light will come on when you
start the vehicle to let you know that the system is on
and is ready to make or receive calls.
If the light blinks green it means that an incoming or
outgoing call is in progress. Press the Communication
button if you notice the light blinking and you are
not on a call.

2-61
The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Dome Lamp Override Button
B. Exterior Lamp Control
C. Air Outlets
D. Storage Compartment
E. Multifunction Lever
F. Instrument Panel Cluster
G. Shift Lever
H. Tow/Haul Selector Switch
I. Audio System
J. Comfort Control System
K. Instrument Panel Fuse BlockL. Hood Release
M. Audio Steering Wheel Controls
N. Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block
O. Tilt Lever
P. Parking Brake Release
Q. Secondary Information Center (SIC)
R. Rear Window Defogger Button
S. Compact Disc Changer
T. Ashtray
U. Accessory Power Outlet
V. Air Bag Off Switch and 4
-Wheel Steer Button
W. Glovebox

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-4 Air Conditioning
3
-5 Heating
3
-5 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-6 Rear Window Defogger
3
-7 Ventilation System
3
-8 Audio Systems
3
-8 Setting the Clock for Systems with HR and
MIN Buttons
3
-9AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player and
Automatic Tone Control3
-13 Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
3
-16 Compact Disc Changer
3
-19 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-21 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
-22 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-22 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-23 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-24 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-24 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-24 Fixed Mast Antenna

3-21 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
You can control certain radio functions using the buttons
on your steering wheel.
PROG (Program): Press this button to play a station
you have programmed on the radio preset buttons on the
selected band. If a cassette tape is playing, press this
button to play the other side of the tape. If a compact
disc is playing in the CD changer, press this button to go
to the next available CD.
SEEK : Press the up or down arrow to seek to the
next or previous radio station and stay there. If a cassette
tape or compact disc is playing, the player will advance
with the up arrow and reverse with the down arrow.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again to turn on the sound.
VOL (Volume): Press the up or down arrow to
increase or decrease volume.

4-
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
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Steering
4
-11 Off-Road Recovery
4
-12 Passing
4
-13 Loss of Control
4
-14 Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off
Paved Roads
4
-28 Driving at Night4
-30 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-33 City Driving
4
-34 Freeway Driving
4
-35 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-36 Highway Hypnosis
4
-36 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-38 Winter Driving
4
-42 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-42 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-48 Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab
4
-49 Towing a Trailer

4-9
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.
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.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you're in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.

4-10
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available.

4-11
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one
-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.