Chevrolet 1996 C/K Pickup User manual

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The 1996 Chevrolet C/K Pickup Owner’s Manual
Seatsand Restraint Systems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SIR” system.
FeaturesandControls .................................................................. 2-1
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
ComfortControlsandAudio Systems ..................................................... 3-1
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about
the road and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what todo
if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tireor overheated
engine, etc.
Here the manual tells
you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
This section tells you when
to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
This section tells
you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get service and owner
publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-8.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4- 1
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 6-1
Maintenanceschedule.. ................................................................ 7-1
CustomerAssistanceInformation ........................................................ 8-1
Index ................................................................................ 9-1
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the
name CWPICKUP are registered trademarks
of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information
at the time it
was printed.We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet
Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual
in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need
it when you’re on the road. If you
sell
the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new
owner can use
it.
Litho in U.S.A.
C9604 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer
un exemplaire de ce guide enfraqais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T IC7
@Copyright General Motors Corporation
1995
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you
do this, it
will help you learn about the features and
controls
for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and
words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index
in the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of
all that’s in the manual, and the page number where
you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and ‘Symbols
You will finda number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word
CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt
you if you were to ignore
the warning.
A CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what to doto help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or
others could be
hurt.
iii

You will also finda circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do
this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
-c__ ~. ~
In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your
vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals,
you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used
on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING Q
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARKOR ,111,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for
you and
your passengers
whenever
your
vehicle is
driven:
UNLOCK lzjl
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have to do
with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
RUNNING a 0
DAYTIME * rn
LAMPS .*'
FOGLAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning
and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE -%-
LIGHTER n
HORN b
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V

Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Regular
Cab Pickup
I
Extended Cab Pickup
vi
Crew Cab
Chassis Cab
-1 3500 HD Chassis Cab
c

Section 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
Hereyou’llfindinformationabout the seats in your If yourvehicle has a manual
vehicle andhowtouseyoursafetybeltsproperly. You bucket,splitbenchor full
canalsolearnaboutsomethingsyoushould not do with benchseat,youcanadjust it
airbags,andsafetybelts. with thislever at thefront
Seats and Seat Controls
of the seat.
This section tells you about the seats
-- how to adjust
them, and fold them up and down. It also tells you about
reclining front seatbacks and head restraints.
Manual Front Seat
I A CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you tryto
adjusta manual driver’sseat while the vehicle
is
moving. The sudden movement couldstartleand
1 confuseyou, or make you push a pedal when you
don’t want to. Adjust thedriver’sseatonly when
the vehicle isnot moving.
LY
Slide the leverat thefront of the seat toward the
passenger’s side to unlock
it. Using your body, slide the
seat to where you want
it. Then, release the lever and try
to move the seat
with your body in order to make sure
the seat is locked
in place.
1-1

Power Driver’s Seat (Option)
If your vehicle has a powerseat on thedriver’sside, you can
adjust
it with these controlsat the outsideedge of the seat.
You can use the round center knob
to move the seat
where
you want it. To raise the seat, move the knob up.
To lower the seat, move the knob down. To move the
seat forward, move the knob toward the front
of the
vehicle.
To move the seat rearward, move the knob
toward
the rear of the vehicle.
You can also raise and lower the front and rear of the
seat.
To raise the front of the seat, move the front
lever up.
To lower the front of the seat, move the front
lever down.
To raise the rear of the seat, move the rear
lever
up. To lower the rear of the seat, move the rear
lever down.
Power Lumbar Control
If you have power lumbar
adjustment, you can
increase ordecrease
lumbar support
in an area
of the lower seatback.
To increase support,press and hold the front of the
rocker switch. Let
go of the switch when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
To decrease support, press and hold the rear of the
rocker switch. Let
go of the switch when the lower
seatback reaches
the desired level of support.
1-2

Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicle will have one of these reclining
seatback controls.
To adjust a seatback with this lever, move the lever
rearward. Release the lever
to lock the seatback where
you want
it. Move the lever again rearward and the
seatback
will go to an upright position.
To adjust a seatbackwith
this lever,
lift the front of
the lever.
Release
the lever to lock the
seatbackwhere you
want it.
Pull up on the front of the
lever and the seatback will
go to an upright position.
1-3

But don’thave a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in a reclined position whenyour vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their jobwhen
you’re reclined likethis.
The shoulder belt can’t do itsjobbecause it
won’t beagainstyour body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In
a crash you could go intoit,
receiving neckorother injuries.
The lap belt can’t do itsjob either. In a crash the
belt could goup over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould bethere, not atyour pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For properprotection when the vehicle isin
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
I 1-4

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint
is closest to the top of your ears. Thisposition
reduces the chance of a neck injury in
a crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatbackof the base level bench seat folds
forward
to let you access the rear of the cab. Your
seatback will move back and forth freely, wless
you
come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock in place. If you
have a Crew Cab, your front seatbackis designed not to
fold forward. Access to the rear of the cab is available
by using the rear doors.
The front seatbackof all seats exceptthe base level
bench seat foldsforward
to let you access the rear of the
cab. If you have a Crew Cab, your front seatback is
designed not to foldforward. Access to the rear of the
cab
is available by using the rear doors.
To fold a seatback forward
on all seats exceptthe base
level bench
seat, pull this
lever forward and fold the
seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position, justpush
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the
seatback toits upright position, pull the seatback
forward to make sure
it is locked.
The rear seatback of a rear bench seat without a center
armrest can be folded forward
to let you reach the
area behind it. Your seatback will move back and forth
freely, unless
you come to a sudden stop.Then, it will
lock
into place.
The Crew Cab rear seatback with a centerarmrest folds
forward to
let you access the area behind it.
1 -5

1
To fold a seatback forward,
pull
this lever forward and
fold the seatback forward.
To return the seatback to the upright position,
just push
the seatback rearward
until it latches. After returning the
seatback to its upright position, pull the seatback
forward to make sure
it is locked.
r
CA 'JTION:
If the seatback isn't locl I, it could move forward
in a sudden stopor crash. That could cause injury
to the person sitting there. Always press rearward
on the seatback to
be sure it is locked.
Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab Only)
The driver and passengerfront bucket seat and the 60140
split bench seat of your vehicle has an easy entry feature.
This makes
it easy to get in and out of the rear seat.
To operate the seat,pull
forward
on the top of this
lever and tilt the back
forward toward the front
of
the vehicle.
When you do,
the seat bottom will release. Just pull or
push the seat forward until it stops.
To return the seat to its regular position, return the
seatback to its upright position,
then push the whole seat
rearward
until it latches.
1-6

After returning theseat to its regular position, try to
move the seat with your body
in order to make sure the
seat is locked into place.
;1 CAUTION:
- -
If any easy entry seatisn’t locked,it canmove. In
a sudden stopor crash, the person sitting there
could beinjured. And, even if there is no crash or
sudden stop, adriver sitting
in an unlocked easy
entry seatcould be startledby the sudden
movement and hit thewrong control or pedal,
causing
an accident. After you’ve used it, be sure
to push rearward on anyeasy entry seat tobe
sure
it is locked.
Rear Seat (Extended Cab)
Folding the Rear Seat
The extended cab may have a rear folding seat
which can be folded open for more seating space.
To
use the seat:
I. Pull the entire seat forward until it is flat.
2. Then pull forward on the
RELEASE lever under
the seat cushion, on the
passenger’s side of the
rear seat. Push the
seatbackrearward until
it latches.
3. After pushing the seatback upright into position, pull
the seatback forward
to make sure it is locked.
1-7

The extended cab’s rear seat can also be folded up to
provide more cargo space.
To fold the seat:
1. Pull forward on the RELEASE lever at the side of
the
seat cushion, behind the passenger’s side front
seat. Fold the seatback forward until
it latches with
the seat cushion.
2. Lift the entire seat
and push it rearward
into place.
3. Make surethe seat is secure.
Rear Seat (Crew Cab)
You can adjust the seat by slidingthe lever at the front
of the seat toward the seat support to unlock it. Then,
slide the seat to where you want
it. Release the lever and
try
to move the seat with your body in order to make
sure
the seat is locked into place.
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly.It also
tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains
the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR), or air bag system.
-
m--
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he orshe can’t wear
a safetybelt properly. If you
are in a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safetybelt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things insidethe
vehicle orbe ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled.
In the same crash, you might
not be if you arebuckled up. Alwaysfasten your
safetybelt, and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properly too.
1-8

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. (See“Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work..
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you dohave a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes aremild, and some crashes can be
so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t
survive.But most crashes’are in between. Inmany
of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts areclear. In most crashes buckling
up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast
as itgoes.
Take the simplestvehicle. Suppose it’s justa seat
on wheels.

Put someone on it.
. ..
Get it up to speed.Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
1-10

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it couldbe the windshield ...
or the instrument panel ...
1-11

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop.You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
Q; Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearinga safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But
you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle hasair bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most
of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems
only; so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for salehas required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not
only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-12