GMC 1995 Sonoma User manual

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Table of Contents
Introduction - How to Use this Manual
This section tells you how to use your manual and includes safety
and vehicle damage warningsand symbols.
Section 1 - Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seatsand safety belts
properly. It also explains the air bag system.
Section 2 - Features & Controls
This section explains how to start and operate yourvehicle.
Section 3 - Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
This sectiontells you how to adjust theventilation and comfort
controls andhow to operate your audio system.
Section 4 - Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and
how
to drive under different conditions.
Section 5 - Problems on the Road
This section tells you what to doif you have a problem while
driving, such asa flat tireor engine overheating, etc.
Section 6- Service & Appearance Care
Here the manualtells you how to keepyour vehicle running
properly and looking
good.
Section 7 - Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenanceand
what fluids and lubricants
to use.
Section 8 - Customer Assistance Information
This sectiontells you how to contact GM for assistanceand how to
get service publications.It also gives you information on
“Reporting Safety Defects” on page 84.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listingof almost every subjectin this
manual. You can
use it to quickly find somethingyou want to read.
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Introduction
1995 GMC Sonoma Owner’s Manual
Welcome
This manual was prepared to acquaint you with the operation and
maintenance of your 1995GMC Sonomaand
to provide important safety
information. There is also a GMCTruck Warranty and OwnerAssistance
Information booklet. In some vehicles, there can be information manuals
from other manufacturers like body builders or special equipment
companies. We urge you to review all these publications carefully. This will
help you enjoy safe and trouble-free operation of
your vehicle.
When
it comes to service, keep in mind that your GMC Truck dealer knows
your vehicle best and is interested
in your complete satisfaction. Your dealer
invites you to return for all of your service needs both during and after the
warranty period.
Remember,
if you have a concern and need help handling it to your
satisfixtion, seethe procedure
in the GMC Truck Warranty andOwner
Assistance Information booklet.
Thanks for choosing a GMCTruck product. We value you
as a memberof
the GMC Truck fdmily.We want
to assure you of our continuing interest in
your pleasure and satisfaction with your vehicle.
GMC Truck Division
General Motors Corporation
Pontiac, Michigan
@Copyright
1994 General Motors Corporation, GMCTruck Division.
All Rights Reserved
Second Edition
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Printed in U.S.A.

Important Notes to Owners and Drivers
About This Manual
Please keep thismanual in your vehicle so it will be there if you ever need it
when you’re onthe road.
If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in
it
so the new owner canuse it.
This manual includes the latest information at the timeit was printed. We
reserve the right to make changes
in the product after that time without
further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitutethe name
“General Motors of Canada Limited” for GMCTruck Division whenever it
appears
in this manual.
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language
Manual:
Aux proprie‘tnires cunudiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de
ce guide en franpischez votre concessionaire ou au DGN Marketing
Services Ltd.,
1500 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1 C7.
GMCTRUCK
General Motors,GM and the GM Emblem, GMCTruck and the GMC
Truck Emblem, SONOMAand the SONOMA Emblem areregistered
trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
111
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How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning to end when they
first receivetheir new vehicle. This will help you learn about the features
and controls foryour 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 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 find anumber of safety cautions in this book. We use a box with
gray background and the word CAUTION to
tell you about things that could
hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
A CAUTION: I
These mean there is something that could hurt you or other
people.
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In the gray caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Thenwe tell you
what to doto helpavoid orreduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If
you don’t,
you or others couldbe hurt.
You will also find a circlewith
a slash through it in this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’ “Don’t do this,”
or “Don’t let this happen.’’
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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
I NOTICE:
These mean that there is something that could damage your
vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about somethingthat can damage your
vehicle. Many times, this damagewould not be covered by your warranty,
and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to helpavoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals,
you might see CAUTIONand NOTICE
warnings in different colorsor
in different words.
You’ll also see warning labelson your vehicle. They use yellow for
cautions, blue fornotices and the words CAUTIONor NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
These are someof the symbols you will find on your vehicle. For example,
these symbols areused
on an original battery:
Caufron
Protect Eyes
Possible Injury
by Shielding Caustic BatteryAcid
CouldCauseBums Spark or FlameCould
ExplodeBattery
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Avoid Sparks
or Flames
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These symbols are important foryou and your passengers whenever your
vehicle
is driven:
FastenSafety Door lock/Unlock
Belts
These symbols have to do with your lights:
Master Lighting
Switch
Parking Lights
Turn Signal
Direction
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Hazard Warning
Flasher
Daytime
RunningLights
Fog Lights
Headlight
High Beam
Headlight
Low Beam
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These symbols are on some of your controls:
Windshield
Washer
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Witxishield
Defroster
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Windshield
Wiper
Ventilating
Fan
These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
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Battery Charging
System
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Fuel
SHIFT
Brake Shift LightAnti-Lock Brake
0
Off
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EngineOil
Pressure
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Here are someother symbols you may see:
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fuse
u
Hood Release
A-
LighterHorn
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Speaker
Vlll
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Seats & Restraint Systems
Section
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle andhow to use
your safety belts properly.
You can also learn about some thingsyou should
not do with air bags and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tellsyou about theseats-how to adjust them, and foldthem up
and down.
Front Seat (Except Easy Entry)
1-1

Front Seat (Easy EntryOnly)
Move the lever under
the front of the seat
towards the driver's
door to unlock it.
Slide theseat to where
you want it. Then
release the lever and
try to move the seat
with your body to
make sure the seat is
locked into place.
Move the lever under
'he front
of the seat up
to unlock it. Slidethe-
seat to where you
want it. Then release
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the lever and try to
move the seat with
your body tomake
t sure the seat is locked
into place.
Lumbar Adjustment
If you have this
feature,there will be a
knob on the outside
of
the driver and
passenger bucket
seats.
1-2
Turn the top of the
knob forward to
increase lumbar
support or rearward to
decrease lumbar
support.

Reclining Front Seatbacks (Bucket Seatsor 60/40
Bench)
To adjust the seatback,
lift the lever on the
outer side
of the seat.
Release the leverto
lock the seatback
where you want it.
Pull up on the lever
and the seatwill go to
an upright position.
But don’t have a seatback reclinedif your vehicle is moving.
1-3

Front Seatback Latches
The front seatback folds forward to let people get into the back seat or reach
the storage areabehind the seat. Your seatback will move back and forth
freely, unless you come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock in place.
There’s one time the seatback may not fold without some help from you.
That’s if your vehicle is parked going down a fairly steep hill.
To fold a front
seatback forward,
push the seatback
toward the rear as
you
lift this latch. Then the
seatback will fold
forward. The latch
must be down for the
seat to work properly.
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Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab)
. .,.
The outside front
passenger bucket or
split-bench
seat of
your vehicle makes it
easy
to get in and out
of the rear vehicle
area.
When you tilt the outside front passenger seatback fully forward, the
whole seatwill slide forward.
After someone gets into the rear seat area, move the seatback toits
original position. Then move the seat rearward until it locks.
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If an easy entry right front seat isn’t locked, it can move. In a
sudden stop
or crash, the person sitting there could be injured.
After you’ve used it, be sure to push rearwardonan easy entry
seattobesure
it islocked. ..... ..
.-
.,.. ..
....
...
..
To get out,again tilt the seatback fully forward.
1-5

Jump Seat (Extended Cab Models)
Stored Position Folded-Down Position
Your extended cabpickup has jump seats in the rear area. To fold thejump
seat down, pull down
on the handle on the bottom of the seat until the seat is
in place, then move the seatback to a vertical position. To store the seat,fold
the seatbackdown on the cushion, then push the entire seat up until it is
flush with the trim panels.
Don't let the safety belts be damaged by the hinges
or the latches. Safety
belts should be folded and stored between the seat cushion and seatback.
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, or "air bag" system.
A CAUTION:
Don't let anyoneride where heorshecan't wear a safety belt
properly.
If you arein a crash and you're not wearing a safety
belt, your injuries can be much worse.You can hit things inside
the vehicle
or be ejected from it. You can be seriouslyinjured or
killed. Inthe samecrash, you might not beif you arebuckled
up. Alwaysfasten your safety belt,and check that your
passengers' belts arefastened properly too.
1-6

Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See
“Safety Belt Reminder Light” in the Index.)
In many 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 do have a crash, you don’t
know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild,and some crashes canDe so serious that even
buckled up aperson wouldn’t survive. But most crashes arein between.
In
many of them, people whobuckle 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 bucklingup does matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as i
t goes.
Take
the simplest
vehicle. Suppose it’s
just
a seat on wheels.
1-7

Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed.
Then stop the vehicle.
The rider doesn't stop.
The person keeps
going
until stopped by
something.
In a real vehicle, it
could be the
windshield
...
1-8

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
Won’t I be trappedin the vehicle afteran accident if I’m wearing a
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,
soyou can
unbuckle and get out,is much greater if you are belted.
1-9

0: Why don ’t theyjust putin air bags so people won’t have to wear
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in more 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 airbags, you still have
to buckle up to getthe most protection.
That’s true not
only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and
other collisions.
safety belts?
Q t If I’m a good driver, and I never drivefar fromhome, why should I
wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an accident - even
one that
isn’t your fault - you and your passengers can be hurt. Being
a good driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your control,
such asbad drivers.
Most accidents occurwithin
25 miles (40 km) of home. And the
greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occurat speedsof less
than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be awarethat there are special things to know about safety belts and
children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a
child will be riding in your vehicle, see the part
of this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rules
for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want
to know which restraint systemsyour vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driverhas a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
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