Page 144 of 372

Notice:Modi®cations made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modi®cations to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
·Light FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
·Reducing vehicle speed.
·Avoiding hard accelerations.
·Avoiding steep uphill grades.
·If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ¯ashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the
Light Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still ¯ashing,
follow the previous steps, and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
3-32
Page 145 of 372

If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See
Filling Your Tank on page 5-6. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, mis®ring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration.
(These conditions may go away once the engine is
warmed up.) This will be detected by the system and
cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ®x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
3-33
Page 148 of 372

Power Indicator Light
This light comes on when
the power mode selector
switch, if equipped, is
turned to P (power) with
the ignition switch in
the ON position.
This light comes on as a check for about ®ve seconds
when the ignition key is turned to ON or START.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows
about how much fuel is
in your tank. When the
gage ®rst indicates
E (empty), you still have
about one or two gallons
(4 to 8 L) of fuel left in your
tank, but you need to get
more right away.Here are four concerns some owners have had about
the fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
·At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads F (full).
·It takes more (or less) fuel to ®ll up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it
took more (or less) than half of the tank's
capacity to ®ll it.
·The gage moves a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.
·When you turn the engine off, the gage doesn't go
back to E (empty).
·It takes several minutes for the gage to read F (full)
after ®lling the tank.
3-36
Page 172 of 372

Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive.
Also, see
Braking on page 4-7.
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 de®nite 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 ®nd 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 in¯ated? Are the ¯uid
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 ¯oor 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.
4-16
Page 186 of 372
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 ®re 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,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust
system for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and
cooling system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
for additional information.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired Ð by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
4-30
Page 193 of 372

When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit,
do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up.
Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh Ð such as after a day's
work Ð don't plan to make too many miles that ®rst
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll ®nd experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They'll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.Here are some things you can check before a trip:
·Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
·Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
·Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
·Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
·Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all in¯ated
to the recommended pressure?
·Weather Forecasts:What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
·Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-37
Page 199 of 372

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-43
Page 207 of 372
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The tire-loading information
label found on the driver's door lock pillar tells you the
proper size and recommended in¯ation pressures for the
tires on your vehicle.The other label is the certi®cation label, also found on
the driver's door lock pillar. It tells you the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never
exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
4-51