2003 GMC SIERRA mirror

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don’t get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move
into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you
will have a“running start”that more than makes
up for the distance you would lose by dropping
back. And if something happens to cause you to
cancel your pass, you need only slow down
and drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder
and check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its frontin your inside mirror, activate your right lane change
signal and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that if your right outside mirror is
convex, the vehicle you just passed may seem to
be farther away from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are notashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
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2003 - Sierra Denali

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving”those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues—such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a“mirrored surface”—and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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2003 - Sierra Denali

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean—inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up alm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle andash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness—the inability to see in dim light—and
aren’t even aware of it.
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2003 - Sierra Denali

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth trafficow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to
the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as
you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to blend with theow. Try to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal,
check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the
trafficow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in
your“blind”spot.
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2003 - Sierra Denali

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as“highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road inless than a second,and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving inat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. SeeOperating
Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on
page 4-18for information about driving off-road.
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Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
While towing a trailer or when exposed to long periods
of sunshine, theoor of the truck bed may become
very warm. Avoid putting items in the truck bed
that might be affected by high ambient temperatures.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Your vehicle is equipped with four-wheel steering and if
you use it while backing your trailer the same rules
apply. However, with four-wheel steering your rig will
respond more quickly and it may take additional practice
to get used to backing up with four-wheel steering.
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Care of (cont.)
Your CD Player...........................................3-78
Your CDs ...................................................3-78
Cargo Lamp...................................................3-14
CARGO LAMP ON .........................................3-54
Cassette Tape Messages.................................3-67
Cassette Tape Player Service...........................6-10
CD Adapter Kits.............................................3-68
CD Changer...................................................3-73
CD Functions.................................................3-74
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-39
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
and Cargo Lamp.........................................5-52
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block..................5-94
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts.............1-21
Chains, Tires..................................................5-64
CHANGE ENGINE OIL ....................................3-52
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-37
Check Engine Light.........................................3-37
CHECK OIL LEVEL .........................................3-54
CHECK WASHER FLUID .................................3-54
Checking Brake Fluid......................................5-37
Checking Coolant............................................5-24
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-13
Checking Things Under the Hood
......................5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems
......................1-71
Chemical Paint Spotting
...................................5-88
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems
...............................1-35Child Restraints (cont.)
Infants and Young Children...........................1-31
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)..........................1-42
Older Children.............................................1-29
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear
Seat Position...........................................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position...........................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position...........................................1-49
Top Strap...................................................1-39
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-40
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-38
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-17
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-83
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-85
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-87
Weatherstrips..............................................5-85
Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.....5-87
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-85
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-83
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-84
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
.................5-84
Cleaning Leather
............................................5-83
Cleaning the Mirror
.........................................2-30
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
...........5-84
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2003 - Sierra Denali

Driving (cont.)
Drunken....................................................... 4-2
Freeway.....................................................4-36
Hill and Mountain Roads..............................4-38
In Rain and on Wet Roads...........................4-32
Winter........................................................4-40
Driving Across an Incline..................................4-27
Driving Downhill..............................................4-25
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice....................4-28
Driving in Water..............................................4-29
Driving On Grades..........................................4-59
Driving on Off-Road Hills.................................4-23
Driving on Snow or Ice....................................4-40
Driving Through Deep Standing Water...............4-34
Driving Through Flowing Water.........................4-34
Driving Uphill..................................................4-24
Driving with a Trailer.......................................4-58
Dual Automatic Climate Control System.............3-18
E
Easy Exit Seat...............................................2-42
Electrical System
Add-On Equipment......................................5-91
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................5-91
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-91
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-91
Electrochromic Mirror Operation........................2-28
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs...................................................3-39Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
.........................................5-18
Battery
.......................................................5-39
Check and Service Engine Soon Light
............3-37
Compartment Overview
................................5-12
Coolant
......................................................5-23
Coolant Heater
............................................2-18
Coolant Temperature Gage
...........................3-36
Cooling System Inspection
............................6-14
Exhaust
.....................................................2-26
Fan Noise
..................................................5-34
Oil
.............................................................5-13
Overheating
................................................5-26
Starting
......................................................2-17
ENGINE COOLANT HOT
.................................3-52
Engine Coolant Level Check
.............................6-10
Engine Hour Meter Display
...............................3-26
Engine Oil Additives
........................................5-16
Engine Oil Level Check
...................................6-10
ENGINE OVERHEATED
..................................3-52
Entry Lighting
.................................................3-15
Environmental Concerns
..................................4-20
Erasing HomeLink
®Buttons
..............................2-38
Exit Lighting
...................................................3-15
Express-Down Windows
...................................2-12
Extender, Safety Belt
.......................................1-28
Exterior Lamps
...............................................3-11
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2003 - Sierra Denali