11 ';. The 1997 GMC Sierra Owner's Manual 1-1 2- 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. 3- 1 4- 1 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. Your Driving and the Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. 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 page8- 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. F p!l CERTIFIED We support voluntary technician certification. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATIONTHROUGH GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the GMC Emblem and the name SIERRA are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. c National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE 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, it will be so there if you ever need it when you're on the road.If you sell the vehicle, pleaseleave this manual in itso the new owner can use it. For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriktaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en frangais chez votre concessionaireou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, OntarioL5T 1C7 Litho in U.S.A. X9704 B First Edition 1996 @Copyright General Motors Corporation 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. you If do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In thismanual, you'll find that pictures and words work together explain to 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 tell you to you about things that could hurt if you were to ignore the warning. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index A LAUTION: These mean there something that could hurt is you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you whatto do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could behurt. I 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. iii You will also find a circle with a slash through itin this book. This safety symbol means "Don't,'' "Don't do this," or "Don't let this happen." In the notice area,we tell you about something thatcan damage your vehicle. Many times, damage would this 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 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. Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: I 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: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BAllERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS 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: Q qJ/, DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e COOLANT TEMP BAllERY CHARGING SYSTEM WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER I-1 FUSE LIGHTER e )cr FASTEN SEAT BELTS HAZARD WARNING FLASHER A - BRAKE (a) HORN COOLANT POWER WINDOW SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BAllERY DAYTIME RUNNING * LAMPS * * ' 0 WINDOW DEFOGGER ENGINE OIL PRESSURE VENTILATING FAN a () @ SPEAKER e, FUEL FOG LAMPS $0 l a V b c ANTI-LOCK BRAKES Model Reference This manual covers thesemodels: Crew Cab Regular Cab Pickup Chassis Cab Extended Cab Pickup 3500 HD Chassis Cab vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll findinformation about the seats in your vehicle and how use your safety belts properly. You can also to learn about some things you should nut do with air bags and safetybelts. 1-2 1-9 1-14 1-15 1-15 1-22 1-23 1-23 1-32 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 Belts Properly Driver Position Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System Center Passenger Position Rear Seat Passengers Rear Safety Belt ComfortGuides for Children and Smaller Adults 1-43 Children 1-45 Child Restraints 1-62 Larger Children 1-65 Belt SafetyExtender 1-65 Checking Your Restraint Systems 1-65 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1-34 1-40 Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, and fold themup and down. Italso tells you about reclining front seatbacks and head restraints. If your vehicle has manual a bucket, split bench or full bench seat, you can adjust it with this lever at the front of the seat. Manual Front Seat ACAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to is adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you a pedal when you push don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Slide the lever at the front of the seat towardthe passenger's sideto unlock it. Using your body, slide the seat to whereyou want it. Then, release the lever and try to move the seat with your body in order to make sure the seat is 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 seat forward, move the knob towardthe frontof the vehicle. To move the seat rearward, move the knob 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 the front 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 lever down. If your vehicle has a power seat on the driver's side, you can adjust it with these controls at the outside edge of the seat. 1-3 Power Lumbar Control If you have power lumbar adjustment, you can increase or decrease lumbar support in an area the of lower seatback. Reclining Seatbacks To increase support, press and hold the of the front rocker switch. Letgo of the switch when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of support. To decrease support, press and hold the rearthe of rocker switch. Letgo of the switch when the lower seatback reaches the desired level support. of To adjust thefront seatback, 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. 1-4 But don't have seatback reclined if your vehicle a is moving. vehicle is Sitting ina reclined position when your in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle their job when up, your safety belts can't do you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its because it job won't be against yourbody. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neckor other injuries. The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, notat your pelvic bones. This could cause seriousinternal 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 Slide the head restraint up or down so that the topof the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chanceof a neck injury ina crash. To fold a front split bench or bucket seatbackforward, pull this lever forward and fold the seatback forward. Seatback Latches The front seatback of the base level bench seat folds forward tolet you access the rear of the cab. Your seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock into place. If you have a Crew Cab, your front seatback is designed not to fold forward. Access to rear of the cab is the available by using the rear doors. The front seatback of split bench seat and bucketseats fold forward to let access the rearof the cab. you To return the seatback to the upright position, push just the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the seatback toits upright position, pullthe seatback forward to make sureit is locked. The rear seatback a rear bench seat without a center of armrest canbe folded forwardto let you reach the area behind it. Your seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you come a sudden stop. Then, it will to lock into place. The Crew Cab rear seatbackwith a center armrest folds forward to let you access the area behind it. 1-6 To fold a seatback forward, pull this lever forward and fold the seatback forward. Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab Only) The manual driver and passengerfront bucket seat and the manual 60/40 split bench seat of your vehicle have an easy entryfeature. This makes it easy to get in the and out of the rear seat. On vehicles with power driver's seat, only the front passenger's seat has the easy entry feature. To operate the seat, pull forward on thetop of this lever and tilt the back forward towardthe front of the vehicle. 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. I" A CAUTION: If the seatback isn't locked, could move it forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearwardon the seatback to be sure it is locked. When you do, the seat bottom will release. Just pull or push the seat forward until it stops. 1-7 To return the seat to its regular position, return the seatback to its upright position, then push whole seat the rearward until it latches. After returning the seat its regular position, try to to move the seat with your body in order to make sure the seat is locked into place. Rear Seat (Extended Cab) Folding theRear Seat The extended cab may have a rear folding seat which can be folded open more seating space. for To use the seat: 1. Pull the entire seat forward until it is flat. 2. Then pull forward on the RELEASE lever under the seat cushion, onthe passenger's sideof the rear seat. Push the seatback rearward until it latches. If any easyentry seat isn't locked,it can move. In a sudden stopor crash, the person sittingthere could be injured. And, eventhere is no crash or if sudden stop,a driver sitting in an unlocked easy entry seat could be startled by the sudden movement and hit the wrong control pedal, or causing an accident. Afteryou've used it, be sure to pushrearward on any easy entry seat tobe sure it is locked. 3. After pushing the seatback upright position, pull into the seatback forward make sure it is locked. to 1-8 The extended cab's rear seat canalso be folded up to provide more cargo space. To fold the seat: 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 notdo with safety belts. And it explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint system, or air bag system. 1. Pull forward on the RELEASE lever at the side ...