GMC 2005 T-Series User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-4
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-17
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-27
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-3
Windows .................................................. 2-4
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ............. 2-7
Mirrors .................................................... 2-27
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-28
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-17
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-21
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-39
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-32
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-14
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-47
Cab Tilting .............................................. 5-48
Noise Control System ............................... 5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-56
Other Service Items .................................. 5-57
Tires ...................................................... 5-59
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-69
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-77
Electrical System ...................................... 5-77
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-85
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-87
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-6
Index ................................................................ 1
2005 GMC T-Series Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, and
the GMC Truck Emblem 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
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for GM Medium Duty Truck Division
when it appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is
sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05GMCTSERIES A First Edition
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{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 do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell 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.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Bucket Seats .................................................1-2
Center Seat ...................................................1-3
Safety Belts .....................................................1-4
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-4
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ........1-8
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly ...................1-8
Driver Position ...............................................1-9
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-15
Right Passenger Position ...............................1-16
Center Passenger Position .............................1-16
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-17
Child Restraints .............................................1-17
Older Children ..............................................1-17
Infants and Young Children ............................1-20
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-22
Top Strap ....................................................1-25
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position ............................................1-25
Restraint System Check ..................................1-27
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-27
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash ...................................................1-27
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Bucket Seats
Your vehicle has bucket
seats. You can adjust the
driver’s seat with these
levers located at the front
of the seat.
Slide lever (A) to the left to unlock the seat and slide the
seat 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.
To adjust the lower seat cushion forward or backward,
pull up on lever (B) and slide the cushion to where
you want it. Then release the lever.
To tilt the seatback, turn
the backrest tilt knob. The
knob is located on the
lower cushion, on
the outboard side of the
driver’s seat and the
inboard side of the
passenger’s seat.
To get more support in the
lumbar area of your back,
turn the lumbar adjustment
knob. The knob is
located on the upper
cushion, on the inboard
side of the driver’s
seat and the outboard side
of the passenger’s seat.
1-2

{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving.
The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when
you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat
only when the vehicle is not moving.
Center Seat
Your vehicle may have a center seat.
To fold the seatback down, pull the lever, located on the
right side of the seat.
Then lower the seatback forward and push down firmly
to lock it in position.
Push the lever on the right side of the seat and pull on
the seatback when you are ready to raise it.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not 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.
1-3

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are 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.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are 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 seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-24.
In most states and all Canadian provinces, the law says
to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
1-4

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 can be so
serious that even buckled up a person would not
survive. But most crashes are 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 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
Q: Aren’t safety belts for kids?
A: Yes. And they are for adult truckers, and anyone
else who rides in your vehicle.
Here’s why: when your vehicle goes, say, 30 mph
(50 km/h), so do you and your passengers.
1-5

If the vehicle hits something, it stops – right then. But
nothing stops the people. They keep moving. Then something will stop them. It could be the windshield.
1-6

Or it could be the instrument panel.
Now, what if you and your passengers were to give that
big vehicle a chance to deal with the force of the
impact, instead of you?
With 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. Safety belts are for everyone.
1-7

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are 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.
Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that 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 Older Children on page 1-17
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-20. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
1-8

Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock
if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock
it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.
There is a clip on the lap portion of the lap-shoulder
belt. Make sure this clip is not too close to the
latch plate when you wear your safety belt, so you
can make the belt snug.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-17.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-9

5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less
likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the
belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of
the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-10

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should fit against your body.
1-11

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries. Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
1-12

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
1-13

Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you would not have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can work
properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.
1-14