GMC SIERRA 1997 User manual

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';.

The 1997 GMC Sierra Owner’s Manual
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9-1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SIR’ system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operateyour vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operateyour audiosystem.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road andhow to drive under differentconditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem whiledriving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact GMC for assistanceand how to get serviceand owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8- 10.
Index
Here’s an alphabeticallisting of almost everysubject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
somethingyou want to read.

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC,
the GMC Emblem and the name
SIERRA areregistered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed.We reserve the rightto 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 GMC
whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle,
so it will be
there if
you ever needit when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, pleaseleave this manual in it so the new
owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
X9704 B First Edition
ii
p!l CERTIFIED
F
We support voluntary
technician certification.
-
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION
THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
c
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriktaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer
un exemplaire de ceguide en frangaischez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5T 1 C7
@Copyright General Motors Corporation
1996
All Rights Reserved

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when theyfirst receive their new vehicle.If you
dothis, it will help
you learn about thefeatures and
controls for your vehicle. In this
manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work togetherto 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
what’s in the manual, and the page number where
you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a 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 wereto ignore
the warning.
A L AUTION: I
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the cautionarea, we tell you what the hazardis. Then
we tell you what
to do to help avoid orreduce the
hazard. Please read thesecautions. If you don’t, you or
others could be
hurt.
iii
-- . -.

You will also finda circle
with a slash through itin
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 willfind these notices:
I NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area,we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times,this damage would
not be coveredby 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 mightsee
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in differentcolors or
in different words.
You’ll
also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words,
CAUTION or NOTICE.
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
EYESBY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BAllERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR qJ/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BAllERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to
do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
WARNING
A
HAZARD
FLASHER
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME -
LAMPS **'
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on
some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
c
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
e
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL la
V

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

Section 1 SeatsandRestraint Systems
Here you’ll findinformationabout the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safetybelts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should
nut do with airbags and safetybelts.
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1-23
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Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts:They’re for Everyone
Here AreQuestionsMany People Ask About
Safety Belts
- - and the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
SafetyBelt UseDuring Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
SupplementalInflatableRestraint System
Center Passenger Position
1-34
1-40 Rear SeatPassengers Rear Safety Belt ComfortGuides for Children
and SmallerAdults
1-43 Children
1-45Child Restraints
1-62 Larger Children
1-65SafetyBeltExtender
1-65 CheckingYour Restraint Systems
1-65 ReplacingRestraint SystemPartsAfter
a Crash

Seats and Seat Controls
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
A CAUTION:
-
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you
push a pedal when you
don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
If your vehicle hasa manual
bucket, splitbench
or full
bench seat,you can adjustit
with this lever at the front
of the seat.
Slidethe lever at thefront
of the seat toward the
passenger’s sideto unlock it. Using yourbody, slidethe
seat to where
you want it. Then, release thelever and try
to movethe seat with your body in order to make sure
the seatis locked into place.
1-2

Power Driver’s Seat (Option)
You can use the round center knob to move the seat to
where
you want it. To raise the seat,move the knob up.
To lower the seat,move the knobdown. To move the
seatforward,move the knob towardthe front
of the
vehicle.
To move the seat rearward,move theknob
toward the rear
of the vehicle.
You can also raise and lower thefront and rear of
the seat. To raise the front of the seat,move thefront
lever
up. To lower the front of the seat, move the front
lever down.
To raise the rearof the seat, move the rear
lever
up. To lower the rearof the seat, move the rear
leverdown.
If your vehicle has a power seaton the driver’s side, you
can adjust it with these controls at the outsideedge of
the seat.
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Power Lumbar Control
If you have power lumbar
adjustment, you can
increase or decrease lumbar
support in an areaof the
lower seatback.
Reclining Seatbacks
To increase support, press and hold thefront of the
rocker switch. Letgo
of the switch when the lower
seatback reaches the desiredlevel
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 levelof support.
To adjust thefront seatback, move the lever rearward.
Release theleverto lock the seatback where you want it.
Move the lever again rearward and the seatback will
go
to an upright position.
1-4

But don’t havea seatbackreclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in
a reclined position when yourvehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Evenif you buckle
up,
your safety belts can’t dotheir job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its jobbecause it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, itwill be in
front of you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neckor other injuries.
The lap beltcan’t do its jobeither.
In a crash the
belt couldgo up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternal injuries.
For proper protectionwhen the vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraintup or down so that the topof the
restraintis closest
to the top of your ears.This position
reduces the chanceof a neck injury ina crash.
Seatback Latches
The front seatback of the base levelbench seatfolds
forward tolet you accessthe rear of the cab.Your
seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you
come toa sudden stop. Then it will lockintoplace. If
you have
a Crew Cab, your front seatback is designed
not to fold forward. Access to the rear of the cab is
availableby using therear doors.
Thefront seatback
of splitbench seat and bucketseats
fold forward to letyou access the rearof the cab.
To fold a front splitbench
or bucket seatbackforward,
pull thisleverforward and
fold the seatbackforward.
To return the seatback to the upright position,just push
the seatback rearward until itlatches.After returning the
seatback toits upright position, pull
the seatback
forward to make sure
it is locked.
The rear seatbackof a rear benchseat without a center
armrest canbe folded forwardto let you reach the
area behind
it. Your seatback will move back and forth
freely, unless you cometo
a sudden stop.Then, it will
lock intoplace.
The Crew Cab rear seatback
with a center armrest folds
forward to let you access
the area behind it.
1-6

To fold a seatbackforward,
pull this lever forward and
fold the seatbackforward.
To return the seatbackto the upright position,just push
the seatbackrearwarduntil it latches.After returning the
seatbackto its upright position,pull the seatback
forwardto make sureit is locked.
A CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or 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 manual driver and passengerfrontbucket seat and
the manual
60/40 splitbench seat of your vehicle have
an easy entryfeature.This makes it easy toget in
and out of the rear seat. On vehicles with
the power
driver’sseat,only thefrontpassenger’s seathas the
easy entryfeature.
I”
To operatethe seat,pull
forward on thetop
of this
lever and tilt the back
forward towardthe front
of the vehicle.
When youdo,the seatbottom willrelease.Just pull or
push the seat forwarduntil it stops.
1-7

To return the seat to its regularposition, return the
seatbackto its upright position, then pushthe whole seat
rearward until it latches.
After returning the seatto itsregular position, try to
move the seatwith your body
in order to make surethe
seat
is locked intoplace.
If any easyentryseatisn’t locked,it can move. In
a sudden stopor crash, the person sittingthere
could be injured. And, even
if there is no crash or
sudden stop,a driversittingin an unlocked
easy
entryseat could bestartledby the sudden
movement and hit the wrong controlor pedal,
causing an accident. Afteryou’ve usedit, be sure
to pushrearward
on any easy entryseat tobe
sureit is locked.
Rear Seat (Extended Cab)
Folding theRear Seat
The extended cab may have a rear folding seat
which can be folded openfor more seating space.
To use the seat:
1. Pull the entire seatforward until it is flat.
2. Then pull forward onthe
RELEASE leverunder
the seatcushion, onthe
passenger’s sideof the
rear seat.Push the
seatback rearward until
it latches.
3. After pushing the seatback uprightintoposition, pull
the seatback forwardto make sureit
is locked.
1-8
I

Theextended cab's rear seat canalso 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 thepassenger's side front
seat. Fold the seatbackforward
until it latches with
the seat cushion.
2. Lift the entire seat and
push
it rearward into
place.
3. Make sure the seat is secure.
Rear Seat (Crew Cab)
You can adjust the seat by sliding the leverat the front
of the seat toward theseat support to unlock it. Then,
slide the seat to where you want
it. Release the lever and
try to move theseat with your body
in order to make
surethe seat
is locked intoplace.
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. Italso tells you some things you should notdo
with safety belts.
And
it explainsthe SupplementalInflatableRestraint
system,or air bag system.
A CAUTION:
- -
Don't let anyoneride where heor she can't wear
a safety belt properly. Ifyou arein a crash and
you're not wearing
a safety belt, yourinjuries
can be much worse.You can hit things insidethe
vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the same crash,you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.
1-9

It is extremely dangerous to ridein acargo area,
inside
or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are morelikely
to be
seriously injured orkilled.
Do not allow people to
ride in any areaof your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safetybelts. Be sure
everyone inyour vehicle is in
a seat andusing a
safety belt properly.
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 saysto
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 knowif it will be a bad one.
A few crashesare mild, and some crashes can be so
seriousthat even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashesare in between. In many
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 factsare clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work
When youride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle.
Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.
Put someone on it.

Get it up to speed. Thenstop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
. .. . . . .
Theperson keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle,it could be the windshield ...
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