2004 GMC ENVOY four wheel drive

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{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 rmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll – even if your lever is in PARK
(P) – if your transfer case is in NEUTRAL.
So be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear – not NEUTRAL. See “Four-Wheel Drive
(Automatic Transfer Case)” in the Index.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have to.If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is rmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved 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 rst
pressing the button on the console shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
PARK (P).
Torque Lock
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 nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque
lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To nd out how, seeShifting Into Park
(P) on page 2-31.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)beforeyou 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).
2-32

{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, always set
your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
{CAUTION:
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll — even if your shift lever is in
PARK (P) — if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear — not in NEUTRAL. SeeFour-Wheel
Drive on page 2-26.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will not
move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-31.
If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-55.
2-35

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-15
Interior Lamps..............................................3-17
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-19
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-20
Climate Controls............................................3-20
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-20
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-24
Rear Climate Control System.........................3-28
Climate Controls Personalization.....................3-31
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-32
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-33
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-34
Tachometer.................................................3-35
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-35Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-35
Charging System Light..................................3-36
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-37
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-38
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-39
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-39
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-40
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-44
Change Engine Oil Light................................3-45
Security Light...............................................3-45
Cruise Control Light......................................3-46
Reduced Engine Power Light.........................3-46
Service Four-Wheel Drive Warning Light..........3-47
Check Gages Warning Light...........................3-47
Gate Ajar Light.............................................3-48
Fuel Gage...................................................3-48
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-49
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-50
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-50
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-59
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of your instrument panel are the
following:
A. Exterior Lamp Controls. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-15.
B. Air Outlets. See “Outlet Adjustment” underDual
Climate Control System on page 3-20.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. OnStar and Audio Steering Wheel Controls. See
Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-116.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-33.
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls. SeeAudio Steering
Wheel Controls on page 3-116.
G. Ignition Switch. SeeIgnition Positions on page 2-20.
H. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-63.
I. Climate Controls. SeeDual Climate Control
System on page 3-20.
J. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-10.K. Driver Information Center (DIC) Steering Wheel
Controls. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-50.
L. Transfer Case Controls. See “Automatic Transfer
Case” underFour-Wheel Drive on page 2-26.
M. Shift Lever. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-31.
N. Lighter. SeeAshtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-20.
O. Accessory Power Outlets. SeeAccessory Power
Outlets on page 3-19.
P. Parking Brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-30.
Q. Rear Window Washer/Wiper. See “Rear Window
Washer/Wiper” underTurn Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-7.
R. Rear Window Defogger. See “Rear Window
Defogger” underDual Climate Control System on
page 3-20.
S. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-45.
3-5

Service Four-Wheel Drive
Warning Light
This light should come on briey when you turn on the
ignition, as a check to show you it is working.
The SERVICE 4WD light comes on to indicate that
there may be a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage to the vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
Check Gages Warning Light
The CHECK GAGES light will come on briey when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil
pressure gages to see if they are in the warning zones. United StatesCanada
United StatesCanada
3-47

Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle may have this feature. The DIC display
is located on the instrument panel cluster above
the steering wheel. The DIC can display information
such as the trip odometer, fuel economy and
personalization features. The DIC buttons are located
on the steering wheel.
A.Trip Information:Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometer and the timer.
B.Fuel Information:Press this button to display the
current range, average fuel economy, instant
fuel economy and engine oil life.C.Personalization:Press this button to change
personal settings for some of the options on your
vehicle.
D.Select:Press this button to reset certain functions
and turn off or acknowledge messages on the DIC.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay the DIC will display the current driver and the
information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Pressing the trip stem will acknowledge
any warning or service messages. Pressing any of
the DIC steering wheel buttons (Trip Information, Fuel
Information, Personalization or Select button) will
also acknowledge any warnings or service messages.
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four buttons on the DIC. These buttons
are trip information, fuel information, personalization and
select. The button functions are detailed following.
3-50

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-8
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-13
Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle...........................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-28
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-30City Driving..................................................4-33
Freeway Driving...........................................4-34
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-35
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-36
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-36
Winter Driving..............................................4-38
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-42
Towing..........................................................4-43
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-43
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-44
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-48
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-55
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-55
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive. Also, seeBraking on page 4-6. If your vehicle
does not have four-wheel drive, you should not
drive off-road unless you are on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some
denite hazards. The greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this guide. You
will 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 inated?
Are the uid levels up where they should be? What are
the local laws that apply to off-roading where you
will be driving? If you do not 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.
4-15