2003 GMC SIERRA DENALI steering

REDUCED BRAKE POWER
If your vehicle has vacuum assist power brakes, this
message will be displayed and you may notice that the
brake pedal is harder to push and it will take longer
to stop. You may also hear a motor running and feel a
slight vibration in the brake pedal or steering wheel
when you apply or release the brake pedal even
if your
foot is not on the brake pedal. This indicates that the
Supplemental Brake Assist system is working to
maintain braking power.
If you are braking lightly, you
may not notice any difference in the operation
of
your brakes.
This message may also be displayed for brief periods
if
you are driving at higher elevations and are pumping
your brakes or braking hard. The message may
clear after you’ve lifted your foot from the accelerator
pedal an allowed the vehicle to coast
in gear or after you
have driven down to a lower elevation. This is a
normal operation of your brake system and does not
require that the brake system be serviced. However,
if
the message does not clear, your brake system
needs service. While the message is displayed you will
notice that the brake pedal is harder to push and
it
will take longer to stop. See Brake System Warning
Light
on page 3-34.
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the REDUCED BRAKE POWER
message is displayed. If this message comes
on and stays on while driving, pull
off the road
and stop carefully. The brake pedal will be
harder to push and
it will take longer to stop.
If the message is no longer displayed after you
have pulled
off the road and stopped, you can
continue driving.
However, if the message is still displayed, or if
it comes on again when you are driving, there
is a problem with your brake system. If you
continue to drive with this message displayed
it can lead to an accident. You should have the
vehicle towed for service. Also, see Brake
System Warning Light in the Index.
3-57

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK@ is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning
a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If
the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOCKED will be displayed.
When the radio and vehicle are turned
off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK@ is armed.
With THEFTLOCK@ activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
You can control certain radio functions using the buttons
on your steering wheel.
((17 (OnStarNoice Recognition): If your vehicle has
Onstar@, you can press this button to interact with
the Onstar@ system. See the Onstar@ manual provided
with your vehicle for more information.
IF your vehicle does not have Onstar@, pressing this
button will mute the audio system.
PROG (Program): Press this button to play a station
you have programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons
on the selected band.
If a cassette tape is playing,
press this button to play the other side of the tape. If a
CD is playing, press this button to go to the next
available
CD.
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Section Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle .......... 4-2
Drunken Driving
............................................. 4-2
Control
of a Vehicle ........................................ 4-5
Defensive Driving
........................................... 4.2
Braking
......................................................... 4-6
Locking Rear Axle
.......................................... 4-8
Steering
........................................................ 4-9
Off -Road Recovery ....................................... 4-13
Passing
....................................................... 4-14
Loss
of Control ............................................. 4-15
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
Off
Paved Roads ............................................ 4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
................. -4-30
QUADRASTEERTM
....................................... 4-10
Driving at Night
................................ ..... 4-29
City Driving
.................................................. 4-33
Freeway Driving
........................................... 4-34 Before Leaving
on a Long
Trip ....................... 4-35
Hill and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-36
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Highway Hypnosis
........................................ 4.36
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4-38
Ice or Snow
.............................................. 4-42
Towing
.......................................................... 4-45
Towing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-45
Recreational Vehicle Towing
........................... 4-45
Loading Your Vehicle
................................... -4-45
Truck-Camper Loading Information
.................. 4-48
Trailer Recommendations
.................. ...... 4-50
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab
............................................. 4-50
Towing a Trailer
........................................... 4-51
4- 1

There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who
has been drinking
- driver or passenger - is in a
crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had
not been drinking.
Drinmnn,,d and then driving
is verb ..angerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgement can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious-or
even fatal-collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home
in a
~ cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a
i driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control
of your vehicle.
4-5

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. This can help you 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.
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.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has 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.
4-8

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 “driver lost control” 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. 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 “drive” 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.
4-9

Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
See
Braking on page 4-6. 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.
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.
QUADRASTEERTM
The QUADRASTEERTM System has a control and
diagnostic module that monitors and records current
system status and operational information.
If your vehicle is equipped with the 4 Wheel Steer
system it has the ability to steer the vehicle with all four
wheels.
Once the
4 Wheel Steer mode is selected, it is
recommended
to leave the vehicle in this mode at all
times, and during all driving and weather conditions.
You can select this mode at any speed, however,
if you
are turning the system will not engage until the turn
is complete.
The 4 Wheel Steer system is equipped with three
different driving modes:
Two wheel steering (2)
Four wheel steering (4)
Four wheel steering with a trailer mode (q )
4-1 0

The switch is located on the instrument panel.
2: In this mode the vehicle will operate like any other
vehicle with two wheel steering. If you want to use
2 wheel steering and your vehicle is not in this mode,
press the button until the
2 indicator, located to the right
of the
4 Wheel Steer button, lights up. If the 2 indicator
is flashing you will have to center the steering wheel
by turning it
to the left or right.
Your vehicle will return to
2 (two wheel steering) when
the transmission is shifted into NEUTRAL, for
example when entering a car wash.
4: In this mode all four wheels will help steer the
vehicle.
If you want to use 4 wheel steering, and your
vehicle is not in this mode, press the button, until
the
4 indicator, located to the right of the 4 Wheel Steer
button, lights up.
If the 4 indicator is flashing you will
have to center the steering wheel by turning it to the left
or right.
I
I
Slower Speeds (below 40 m.p.h./64 km/h)
At slower speeds the front and rear wheels will turn in
opposite directions. This helps the vehicle make
tighter turns, such as during parking, cornering and
turning into tight spaces.
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