The 1997 GMC Safari Owner's Manual 1-1 2- 1 3- 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 operate your vehicle. Comfort Controls and Audio Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation andcomfort controls and how to operate your audio system 4-1 Your Driving and the Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how drive under different conditions. to 5-1 6- 1 Problems on the Road This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, 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. 71 8- 1 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 assistance and how to get service and owner publications. It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-10. 9-1 Index Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. We support voluntary technician certification. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the GMC Emblem and the name SAFARI 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 GMC 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. National Institutefor AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian OwnersWho Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriktaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en fraqais chez votre concessionaire ou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, Ontario L5T IC7 Litho in U.S.A. X97 10 B First Edition @CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996 All Rights Reserved ii How to Use this Manual Many people read theirowner's manual from beginning to end when they first receivetheir new vehicle. If you do this, it 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. 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 were to ignore the warning. A 1 Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list what's of in themanual, and the page number where you'll find it. I & CAUTION: , These mean mere something thatcould hurt is 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 don't, you or others could be hurt. You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't," "Don't do this," or "Don't let thishappen." 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 seewarning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: I NOTICE: These mean thereis something that could damage your vehicle. 1 Vehicle Symbols These are some the symbolsyou may find on your vehicle. af For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING A & These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: These symbols have to do with your lamps: These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER COOLANT TEMP BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM I-1 FUSE LIGHTER t u 1 ~ CAUSTIC BATTERY ACID BURNS BRAKE (a) HORN t6. COOLANT AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES n 1 SPARKOR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY ,\I/, AIR BAG DAYTIME RUNNING * ' LAMPS ' ' - 0 VENTILATING FAN a (@) SPEAKER b ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES e , FUEL OJ4 P \ FOG LAMPS $0 l a Model Reference This manual covers these models: Cargo Van Passenger Van Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information aboutthe seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some thingsyou should not do with air bags and safety belts. 1-2 1-12 1-17 1-18 1-18 1-26 1-27 1-27 1-34 Seats and Seat Controls Safety Belts:They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts-- and the Answers How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly Driver Position Safety BeltUse During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Supplemental Inflatable Restraint(SIR) System Rear Seat Passengers 1-37 1-39 1-41 1-44 1-53 1-62 1-65 1-65 1-66 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Center Passenger Position (Bench Seat) Children Built-in Child Restraint (Option) Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, take them out and put them back in. It also tells you about bucket and bench seats, power seats and head restraints. 2-Way Front Seat The bucket seats can be adjusted forward or rearward bv the lever at the Manual Front Seats -_ . UTION: I 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 couldstartle and confuse you,or make you push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle isnot moving. Move the seat adjustment lever at the front of the seat toward the driver's door to unlock it. 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. Manual Lumbar Support(If Equipped) Power Seats(If Equipped) If you have this feature, there will be a control pad on the inboard sideof the driverand passenger bucket seats. If you have this feature, there will be a knob on the inboard side of the driver and passenger bucket seats. Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the vehicle to decrease lumbar support. The front control makes the front of the seat go up and down. The rear control makes the rear of the seat go up and down. The center control makes the whole seat go forward, rearward, up or down. 1-3 Reclining Seatbacks There is a lever the inside the seat to adjust the seatback. on of You can adjust the seatback by lifting the lever. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Pull up on the lever and the seat will go to an upright position. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. I Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle CAUTION: (Continued) 1-4 Head Restraints up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulderbelt can't do itsjob because it won't be against your body. Instead, itwill bein front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neckor otherinjuries. The lapbelt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest tothe top of your ears. Thisposition reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. Seatback Latches (Non-Touring Bench Seats) The seatback lever is on the right rear of your seat. To fold your non-touring seatback forward,pull up on the latch release leverwhile pulling the seatbacktoward the rear of the vehicle. Ia After the latch has been released, push the seatback toward the front of the vehicle until it locksin place. To raise theseatback, unlock the seatbacklatch by pushing up onthe lever whilepushing down on the upper edge of the seatback. Move the seatback into the upright position. Make sure the seatback is locked when it is back in the upright yqition. Rear Seats -- I A CAUTION: A seat that isn't locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could beinjured. Be sure tolock the seat into place properly when installing it. ---C-ULON: If the seatback isn't locked,it could move forward ina sudden stopor crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1 A CA TION: A safety belt that is twistedor not properly attached won't provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After installing the seat, always check to be sure that the safety beltsare not twisted and areproperly attached. Bucket Seats If you have rear bucket seats inyour vehicle, they will recline and adjust the same way as the frontmanual bucket seats. See "Reclining Seatbacks" earlier in this section or in the Index. ~ Bench Seats If you have bench seats in your vehicle, each seat can carry up to three passengers.They can also beremoved to increase storage space. center bench (if not equipped with a built-in child restraint) and rearbench seats canbe adjusted forward or rearward by the lever at the frontof the seat. I ne Move the seat adjustment lever at the frontof the seat toward the passenger's side to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then release the leverand try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. The non-touring center bench seat has a pivoting right armrest. The left armrest can also beused as a storage compartment. The optional touring bench seats come with moveable armrests, individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable headrests and a fold-down center console. To raise or lower the center console, press the button between the beverage holders. Only sit in the center seating position when the console is in an upright position. To adjust your seatback, pull up on the lever on the lower outside of the seat. The center bench seatbacks will recline further back than the rear bench seatbacks. For details about headrests, see "Head Restraints" in this section. 1-8 Removing the Rear Seats To remove the rear seats, do following: the 1. If you are removing the center seat,remove the right lap-shoulder belt. To do this, press the tip of a key into the release hole of the safety belt attachment while pulling up on the safetybelt. 2. If you have a safety belt guide on your seat, pull the safety belt all the way out through the guide. I TO DETACH BELTFOR SEAT REMOVAL \ \ 3. Pull up on the seatback latch on the right rear of the front seat.Push the seatback down until it locks in place (non-touring bench seats only). 4. Lift up on the left seat release lever, then the right. The latches are near the floor on the rear legsof the seat. 5. Lift up on the rear of the seat toremove the seat assembly from the rear latch pins. Then, pull back and lift the seat out of the vehicle. Your seat release latch leveris sprung with a two-stage mechanism. To fully release the latch, two levels of lift effort will be required. First, a low effort to overcome the first stage and then a moderate effort to fully release the latch. Replacing the Rear Seats To replace the rear seats,do the following: 2. Pull the seat down to latchthe rear retainers. Make is sure the seat locked in by pulling up and down on the seat. 1. Lower the seat into position. Make sure front the retainers are hooked onto theanchor pins. 3. To raise the seatback, unlock the seatback latch by pushing up on the latch release lever at theright rear of the seat, while ...