2004 GMC SONOMA oil temperature

Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly.
Engine Speed Control
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine overspeed
control that shuts the fuel off when the engine reaches
5,600 rpm.
Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with this feature.
In very cold weather, 0°F (–18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle. At
temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located in the engine compartment behind the
underhood fuse block on the driver’s side of the
vehicle.3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110–volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-4
Other Warning Devices...................................3-5
Horn.............................................................3-5
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-5
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-6
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-11
Interior Lamps..............................................3-15
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-17
Climate Controls............................................3-18
Climate Control System.................................3-18
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-21
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-22
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-24
Trip Odometer..............................................3-24
Tachometer.................................................3-24
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-24
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-25
Charging System Light..................................3-26
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-26
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-27
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-28
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-28Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-29
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-32
Security Light...............................................3-33
Service Four-Wheel Drive Warning Light..........3-33
Check Gages Warning Light...........................3-34
Fuel Gage...................................................3-34
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-35
Audio System(s).............................................3-35
Setting the Time for Radios without Radio
Data Systems (RDS)..................................3-35
Setting the Time for Radios with Radio
Data Systems (RDS)..................................3-36
AM-FM Radio...............................................3-36
Radio with CD..............................................3-39
Radio with Cassette and CD..........................3-49
Radio with Six-Disc CD.................................3-59
Theft-Deterrent Feature (Non-RDS Radios).......3-73
Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios).............3-73
Understanding Radio Reception......................3-74
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player.................3-74
Care of Your CDs.........................................3-75
Care of Your CD Player................................3-76
Fixed Mast Antenna......................................3-76
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System
(48 Contiguous US States).........................3-76
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure in
psi (pounds per square inch) when the engine is
running. Canadian vehicles indicate pressure in
kPa (kilopascals).
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused
by a dangerously low oil level or other problems causing
low oil pressure. United States
Canada
3-32

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

When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
You should use THIRD (3) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in THIRD (3) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life of
your transmission.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) (or
the manual transmission out of gear and the parking
brake applied) for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If you do get the overheat warning,
seeEngine Overheating on page 5-26.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet, or into gear for a manual
transmission. When parking uphill, turn your wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill, turn
your wheels into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4-62

Notice:Use only engine oil identied as meeting
GM Standard GM6094M and showing the American
Petroleum Institute Certied For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench
®oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below−20°F (−29°C), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE 0W-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Do not add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol that meet GM Standard
GM6094M are all you will need for good performance
and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short trip/city
maintenance schedule:
•Most trips are less than 5 miles (8 km). This is
particularly important when outside temperatures
are below freezing.
•Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
•You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
•The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every 3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months — whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long trip/highway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months — whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine
under highway conditions will cause engine oil to
break down slower.
5-16

{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ame if the engine backres. If it is not
there and the engine backres, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be careful
working on the engine with the air cleaner/
lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/lter is off, a backre can
cause a damaging engine re. And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/lter in place when you
are driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change the
Automatic Transmission Fluid
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every 15,000 miles
(25 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
•In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
•In hilly or mountainous terrain.
•When doing frequent trailer towing.
•Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km).
SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
5-19

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
•Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
•Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
•Protect against rust and corrosion.
•Help keep the proper engine temperature.
•Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-23