2004 GMC SIERRA mirror

Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
your rearview mirror will have a passenger air bag status
indicator.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN or START, the
passenger air bag status indicator will light ON and
OFF, or the symbol for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. Then, after several more seconds,the status indicator will light either ON or OFF, or either
the on or off symbol to let you know the status of the
right front passenger's frontal air bag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
air bag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger's frontal air bag is enabled (may in¯ate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have a
rear-facing child restraint installed in the right
front passenger's seat, it means that the
passenger sensing system has not turned off
the passenger's frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger's air
bag in¯ates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the in¯ating air bag. Don't use a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger's seat
unless the air bag has been turned off. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ± United States
Passenger Air Bag
Status Indicator
± Canada
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Headlamps On At Exit
Press the personalization button until HEADLAMPS ON
AT EXIT appears in the display. To select your
personalization for how long the headlamps will stay on
when you turn off the vehicle, press the select button
while HEADLAMPS ON AT EXIT is displayed on
the DIC. Pressing the select button will scroll through
the following choices:
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 10 SEC (default)
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 20 SEC
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 40 SEC
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 60 SEC
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 120 SEC
·HEADLAMP DELAY: 180 SEC
·HEADLAMP DELAY OFF
The amount of time you choose will be the amount of
time that the headlamps stay on after you turn off
the vehicle. If you choose off, the headlamps will turn
off as soon as you turn off the vehicle.
Choose one of the seven options and press the
personalization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature.
Curb View Assist
Press the personalization button until CURB VIEW
ASSIST appears in the display. To select your
personalization for curb view assist, press the select
button while CURB VIEW ASSIST is displayed on
the DIC. Pressing the select button will scroll through
the following choices:
CURB VIEW: OFF (default):Neither outside mirror will
be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted into
REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: PASSENGER:The passenger's outside
mirror will be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted
into REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: DRIVER:The driver's outside mirror will
be tilted down when the vehicle is shifted into
REVERSE (R).
CURB VIEW: BOTH:The driver's and passenger's
outside mirror will be tilted down when the vehicle
is shifted into REVERSE (R).
Choose one of the four options and press the
personalization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature. For more
information on tilt mirror in reverse see
Outside Curb
View Assist Mirrors on page 2-63.
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·Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you are following a larger
vehicle. Also, you will not 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
do not 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 ªrunning startº 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 is not
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 front
in your inside mirror, activate your right lanechange 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.
·Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ¯ashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
·If you are 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 us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
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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
ªoverdrivingº 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
are not 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 you have the Traction Assist System, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have
this system, or if the system is off, then an acceleration
skid is also 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 will 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 Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð 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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Here are some tips on night driving.
·Drive defensively.
·Do not drink and drive.
·Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
·Since you can not 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 are 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
are driving, do not 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 does not 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 Ð inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a ®lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ¯ash 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 is 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 Ð the inability to see in dim light Ð and
are not even aware of it.
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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 traffic ¯ow.
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
the ¯ow. 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 traffic ¯ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is 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 is not another vehicle in
your ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to
move slightly slower at night.
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.
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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 in ¯at or rolling terrain.
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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 all trailer hitch parts 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, the ¯oor 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.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you're turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won't strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
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