I 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 seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system. Section 2 - Features & Controls This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle. Section 3 - Comfort Controls & Audio Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how 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 tire or engine overheating, etc. Section 6 - Service & Appearance Care Here the manualtells you how to keep your 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 section tells you how to contact GM for assistance and how to get service publications.It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 4 . 8 Index Here's an alphabetical listingof almost every subjectin this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. i Introduction 1995 GMC Sonoma Owner's Manual Welcome This manual was prepared to acquaint you with the operation and maintenance of your 1995 GMC Sonoma and to provide important safety information. There is also a GMC Truck Warranty and Owner Assistance 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, see the procedure in the GMC Truck Warranty and Owner Assistance Information booklet. Thanks for choosing a GMC Truck product. We value you as a member of 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 Printed in U.S.A. 11 .. Important Notesto 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 on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. 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 Truck Division whenever it appears in this manual. W E SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian Owners Who Prefer French Language a 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, GMC Truck and the GMC Truck Emblem, SONOMA and the SONOMA Emblem areregistered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. 111 ... How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner's manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. This will help you learn about the features and controls for your 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 a number 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 something thatcould hurt you or other is people. In the gray 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 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.'' I iv Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: I NOTICE: These mean that there something that could damage your is vehicle. In the notice area, we tell you about something that 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 help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colorsor in different words. You'll also see warning labels your vehicle. They use yellow for on cautions, blue fornotices and the words CAUTIONor NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols These are some the symbols you will find on your vehicle. For example, of these symbols areused on an original battery: Caufron Possible Injury Protect Eyes by Shielding Caustic Battery Acid Could Cause Bums Spark or FlameCould Explode Battery I I Avoid Sparks or Flames V These symbols are important for and your passengers whenever your you vehicle is driven: Fasten Safety Belts Door lock/Unlock These symbols have to do with your lights: I Master Lighting Switch Turn Signal Direction Hazard Warning Flasher Headlight High Beam Parking Lights Daytime Running Lights Fog Lights Headlight Low Beam vi These symbols are on some of your controls: w I 0 I Windshield Washer Witxishield Defroster Windshield Wiper Off Ventilating Fan These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: I I I I Engine Coolant Temperature Battery Charging System Fuel Engine Oil Pressure SHIFT Brake Anti-Lock Shift Light Brake vii Here are someother symbols you may see: I Horn fuse ALighter I Speaker u Hood Release Vlll ... Seats & Restraint Systems Section Here you'll find information about the seats your vehicle andhow to use in You you your safety belts properly. can also learn about some things should not do with air bags and safety belts. Seats and Seat Controls This section tellsyou about the seats-how and down. to adjust them, and fold them up Front Seat(Except Easy Entry) 1-1 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. Front Seat (Easy EntryOnly) Move the lever under 'he front of the seat up to unlock it. Slide theseat to where you want it. Then release the lever and try to move the seat with your body tomake sure the seat is locked into place. t I Lumbar Adjustment If you have this feature, there will be a knob on the outside of the driver and passenger bucket seats. Turn the top of the knob forward to increase lumbar support or rearward to decrease lumbar support. 1-2 Reclining Front Seatbacks (Bucket Seats 60/40 or Bench) To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of the seat. 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 your vehicle is moving. if 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. 1-4 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 seat will slide forward. After someone gets intothe rear seat area, move the seatback to its original position. Then move the seat rearward until it locks. I A CAUTION: . . :: : .. -,c .i i l : , .... . . , . . . . ,. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . : .. . . . . :... . .. . .. .. .... :., , . . e .. e. ..... .... . . . . ,.:n . . . .., . * . ... . . . . ~. . .. ... ? -1 /Ii ~ 8% ? If an easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it can move. In a sudden stopor crash, the person sitting there could be injured. After you've used it, be sure to push rearwardan easy entry on locked. it is ..... . . sure to be seat . .. . . ., ... .. . . - . . 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 the jump 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 seatback down 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 heor she can't wear a safety belt properly. If you are in 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 seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be you are buckled if up. Alwaysfasten your safety belt,and check that your passengers' belts are fastened 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, some crashes canD so serious that even and e buckled up a person wouldn't survive. But most crashes are in 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 are clear. In most crashes buckling up 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, slow down as the vehicle does. get more time to you You 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 About Ask Safety Belts-and the Answers Won't I be trappedin the vehicle after an accident if I'm wearing a safety belt? A: You could be -whether you're wearing a safety belt not. Butyou or can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you're upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, can so you unbuckle and get out, much greater if you are belted. is 1-9 0: don 't they Why just safety belts? put air bags so people won't haveto wear in 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 ...