
Key In the Ignition
Never leave your vehicle with the keys inside, as it
is an easy target for joy riders or thieves. If you
leave the key in the ignition and park your vehicle,
a chime will sound, when you open the driver’s
door. Always remember to remove your key from
the ignition and take it with you. This will lock
your ignition and transaxle. Also, always remember
to lock the doors.
The battery could be drained if you leave the key
in the ignition while your vehicle is parked.
You may not be able to start your vehicle after it
has been parked for an extended period of time.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
The Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature will
allow certain features on your vehicle to continue
to work for up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned to LOCK or until one of the doors is
opened.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the proper gear.
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N). Your engine will not start in
any other position -- this is a safety feature.
To restart when you are already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could
damage the transmission. Shift to PARK (P)
only when your vehicle is stopped.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn
the ignition key to START. When the engine
starts, let go of the key. The idle speed will go
down as your engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and transmission gently to
allow the oil to warm up and lubricate all
moving parts.
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Your vehicle has a Computer-Controlled
Cranking System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects components.
If the ignition key is turned to the START
position, and then released when the engine
begins cranking, the engine will continue
cranking for a few seconds or until the vehicle
starts. If the engine does not start and the
key is held in START for many seconds,
cranking will be stopped after 15 seconds to
prevent cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also prevents
cranking if the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped by turning the
ignition switch to the ACCESSORY or LOCK
position.
Notice:Cranking the engine for long periods
of time, by returning the key to the START
position immediately after cranking has ended,
can overheat and damage the cranking
motor, and drain the battery. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow
the cranking motor to cool down.2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F
or−18°C), it could be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and holding it
there as you hold the key in START for up to
a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and accelerator.
If the vehicle starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after starting it. Operate
the engine and transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all moving parts.
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. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranty.
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Fuel Regulator
Your vehicle has a fuel regulator that shuts the
fuel off when the engine reaches 5,600 rpm.
Engine Coolant Heater
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the
engine coolant heater can help. You will 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. Your
vehicle may also have an internal thermostat in the
plug end of the cord. This will prevent operation of
the engine coolant heater when the temperature is
at or above 0°F (−18°C) as noted on the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord for the engine coolant heater is
located on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment and is attached to the hose for
the power steering reservoir.
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 do
not, 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 will be parking your vehicle. The dealer
can give you the best advice for that particular area.
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Voltmeter Gage......................................... 175
Brake System Warning Light..................... 175
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light...... 176
StabiliTrak
®Not Ready Light...................... 177
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light......................... 177
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage............ 178
Malfunction Indicator Lamp........................ 178
Oil Pressure Gage..................................... 182
Change Engine Oil Light........................... 183
Security Light............................................ 183
Cruise Control Light.................................. 184
Reduced Engine Power Light.................... 184
Highbeam On Light................................... 185
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Indicator Light........................................ 185
Tow/Haul Mode Light................................ 185
Check Gages Warning Light...................... 185
Fuel Gage................................................. 186Audio System(s)......................................... 187
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS).................... 188
Setting the Time for Radios with
Radio Data Systems (RDS).................... 189
AM-FM Radio............................................ 189
Radio with CD........................................... 192
Radio with Cassette and CD..................... 198
Radio with Six-Disc CD............................. 211
Theft-Deterrent Feature
(Non-RDS Radios)................................. 223
Theft-Deterrent Feature (RDS Radios)....... 223
Radio Reception........................................ 224
Care of the Cassette Tape Player............. 224
Care of Your CDs..................................... 226
Care of the CD Player.............................. 226
Fixed Mast Antenna.................................. 226
Chime Level Adjustment............................ 226
Section 3 Instrument Panel
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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).
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
problem causing low oil pressure. Check your oil
as soon as possible.
{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.
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Change Engine Oil Light
This light is displayed
when your vehicle
needs to be serviced.
If your vehicle has a V8 engine and this light is
flashing, it indicates that the oil level is low.
When this light is on steady, your vehicle needs to
be serviced. SeeScheduled Maintenance
(Gasoline Engine) on page 399for more
information.
Once the engine oil has been changed, the
change engine oil light must be reset. Until it is
reset, the light will stay on for a while each time the
engine is started. For more information on
resetting the system, see “How to Reset the
Engine Oil Life System” underEngine Oil
Life System (Gasoline Engine) on page 300.
Security Light
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 119.
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
GM dealer.
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183

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.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage, when the ignition is on, tells you
about how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will first indicate empty before you
are out of fuel, and you should get more fuel as
soon as possible.Listed are four situations you may experience with
your fuel gage:
•At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
•It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than
the fuel 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.
None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
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186

Radio Messages
CAL (Calibration):The audio system has been
calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If
CAL appears on the display it means that the radio
has not been configured properly for your vehicle
and must be returned to the dealer for service.
LOC (Locked):This message is displayed when
the THEFTLOCK
®system has locked up. Take
the vehicle to the dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer.
Playing a CD
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up.
The player pulls it in and the CD should begin
playing. CD appears on the display. If you want to
insert a CD with the ignition off, first press the
eject button or the RCL knob.
If you insert a CD with the radio off and the
ignition on, it starts to play.If the ignition or radio is turned off, with a CD in the
player, it stays in the player. When the ignition or
radio is turned on, the CD starts playing where it
stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
As each new track starts to play, the track number
appears on the display.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm)
single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and
the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be
reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of
recording, the quality of the music that has been
recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled.
There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in
finding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom
surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is
damaged, such as cracked, broken, or scratched,
the CD will not play properly. If the surface of the
CD is soiled, seeCare of Your CDs on page 226for
more information.
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