2004 GMC SONOMA check engine light

Security Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key toward START.
The light will stay on until
the engine starts.
If the light flashes, the Passlock
®system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to start, seePasslock®
on page 2-16.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
®
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock®,
and you should see your dealer.
Also, seeContent Theft-Deterrent on page 2-14for
additional information regarding the SECURITY light.
Service Four-Wheel Drive
Warning Light
If you have this light, it
should come on briefly
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 four-wheel 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.
3-33

Check Gages Warning Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the
engine.
If this light comes 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.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have remaining.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
•At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
•It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but it actually took a little more or
less than half the tank’s capacity to fill the tank.
•The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
•The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
United StatesCanada
3-34

Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on briefly
when you start your
engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn if off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFilling Your
Tank on page 5-7.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle – like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio – be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it’s very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine,
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added
improperly.So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it first. Figure out which radio you have in your vehicle,
find out what your audio system can do and how to
operate all of its controls to be sure you’re getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your audio
system even after the ignition is turned off. See
“Retained Accessory Power (RAP)” underIgnition
Positions on page 2-17.Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS)
Press and hold HR until the correct hour appears on the
display. Press and hold MIN until the correct minute
appears on the display. To display the time with
the ignition off, press RCL, HR, or MIN and the time will
appear on the display for a few seconds. There is an
initial two-second delay before the clock goes into
time-set mode.
3-35

Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-28.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your “blind” 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.
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 are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
first 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 is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you
will find experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They will 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?
4-34

{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.
4-41

C
California Fuel.................................................. 5-5
Canada........................................................... 7-4
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Canadian Roadside Assistance........................... 7-7
Capacities and Specifications..........................5-101
Carbon Monoxide...................4-38, 4-55, 2-11, 2-29
Care of
Safety Belts................................................5-89
Your Cassette Tape Player............................3-74
Your CD Player...........................................3-76
Your CDs ...................................................3-75
Cassette Tape Messages.................................3-56
Cassette Tape Player Service...........................6-25
CD Adapter Kits.............................................3-56
CD Messages................................3-48, 3-58, 3-73
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)...........5-52
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts.............1-21
Certification/Tire Label.....................................4-49
Chains, Tires..................................................5-74
Charging System Light....................................3-26
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-29
Gages Warning Light...................................3-34
Checking Brake Fluid......................................5-38
Checking Coolant............................................5-25
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-13
Checking the Automatic Transmission
Fluid Level.................................................5-21Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Checking Your Restraint Systems......................1-53
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-92
Child Restraints
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-33
Infants and Young Children...........................1-29
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)..........................1-39
Older Children.............................................1-27
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System...................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position...........................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position...............................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position...................................1-44
Top Strap...................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-38
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-36
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-17
Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-86
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-89
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-92
Weatherstrips..............................................5-89
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels..............................5-91
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-90
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-86
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-88
3

Driving (cont.)
Hill and Mountain Roads..............................4-36
In Rain and on Wet Roads...........................4-29
Winter........................................................4-38
Driving Across an Incline..................................4-22
Driving Downhill..............................................4-21
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice....................4-25
Driving in Water..............................................4-26
Driving On Grades..........................................4-62
Driving on Off-Road Hills.................................4-18
Driving on Snow or Ice....................................4-39
Driving Through Deep Standing Water...............4-31
Driving Through Flowing Water.........................4-31
Driving Uphill..................................................4-19
Driving with a Trailer.......................................4-60
E
Electrical System
Add-On Equipment......................................5-94
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................5-95
Headlamps.................................................5-95
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-95
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-95
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs.................................3-31Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter.........................................5-18
Battery.......................................................5-40
Check and Service Engine Soon Light............3-29
Coolant......................................................5-23
Coolant Heater............................................2-19
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-28
Cooling System Inspection............................6-30
Drive Belt Routing.......................................6-35
Engine Compartment Overview......................5-12
Exhaust.....................................................2-29
Fan Noise..................................................5-35
Oil .............................................................5-13
Overheating................................................5-26
Starting......................................................2-18
Engine Compartment Fuse Block......................5-98
Engine Coolant Level Check.............................6-25
Engine Oil Additives........................................5-16
Engine Oil Level Check...................................6-25
Engine Speed Control.....................................2-19
Entry Lighting.................................................3-15
Environmental Concerns..................................4-15
Event Data Records (EDR)................................ 7-9
Exit Lighting...................................................3-15
Express Down Window....................................2-13
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-26
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-11
5