I C .. , .. , , . .. . ,, ._ . . " . .., ,,. . . . The 1997 GMC Sonorna Owner's Manual 1-1 Seats and RestraintSystems 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 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 2-1 3- 1 Problems on the Road This section tells what to do you have a problem while driving, such as flat tire or overheated engine, etc. if a Service and Appearance Care Here the manual tells how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good. you Maintenance Schedule This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. Customer Assistance Information This section tellsyou 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. Index Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject this manual. You can use it to quickly find in something you want to read. 6- 1 71 8-1 9- 1 i r 7 +ii GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the GMC Emblem and the name SONOMA 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. Am- We support voluntary technician certification. CERTIFIED -my WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propribtaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous franpis chez procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en votre concessionaire ou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7 Litho in U.S.A. X9708 B First Edition 'Copyright General Motors Corporation 1996 All Rights Reserved ii How to Use this Manual Many people read their owner'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 for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll find that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly. Safety Warnings andSymbols 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 . 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. 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 what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could be hurt. iii 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 this happen." 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 tohelp 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 there something that could is 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: CAUTlON POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC EATERY 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: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e COOLANT TEMP BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER F [ FUSE LIGHTER 1 SEAT BELTS HAZARD WARNING FLASHER A - BRAKE (a) HORN )cr COOLANT POWER WINDOW SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BAlTERY ,\I/, DAYTIME e RUNNING ' LAMPS . * * 0 WINDOW DEFOGGER ENGINE OIL PRESSURE VENTILATING FAN a w, (@) SPEAKER CI p3 V FUEL FOG LAMPS $0 -1 ANTI-LOCK BRAKES Model Reference This manual covers thesemodels: Regular Cab Pickup Extended Cab Pickup vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should do with air bags and safety belts. nut 1-2 1-7 1-11 1-12 1-12 1-19 1-25 1-25 1-25 Seats and Seat Controls 1-27 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About 1-28 Safety Belts -- and the Answers 1-30 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly 1-34 Driver Position 1-37 Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) 1-37 System 1-38 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Center Passenger Position Rear Seat Passengers (Extended Cab Jump Seats) Children Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1-1 Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, and fold them up and down. 9 For vehicles without easy Manual Front Seat Au TION: I You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver's seatwhile the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you,or makeyou push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. 1 try to move the seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked into place. I For vehicles with easy entry seats, move the lever under the front of the seat up 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. 1-2 Manual Lumbar Support (Option) If you have this feature, there will be a knob the on outside of the driver and passenger bucket seats. Reclining Seatbacks (Bucket Seats or 60/40~Bench) To adjust the front seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of the seat. Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase lumbar support and clockwise to decrease lumbar support. Release the lever to lock seatback where you want it. the Pull up on the lever the seat will go toan and upright position. 1-3 1 A CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is if in motion can be dangerous. Evenyou buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do job because it its won't be against your body. Instead, it will bein front of you. In a crash you could gointo it, receiving neckor other injuries. The lap belt can't do job either. In a crash the its belt couldgo up over your abdomen. The belt forces would bethere, 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 seatand wear your safety belt properly. But don't have a seatback reclined vehicle is moving. if vow 1-4 Seatback Latches The front seatback folds forward to let people get into the back seat or reach the storage area behind the seat. A CAUTION: 0 To fold the front seatback forward, lift the latch and, push the seat forward. If the seatback isn't locked, could move it forward ina sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback be sure it to is locked. To return the seatback to the upright position, push the seatback all the way back until the latch catches. If the seatback was reclined before being folded forward, it will return to the reclined position. 1-5 Easy Entry Seat (Extended Cab) The right front bucket or split-bench seat of your vehicle makes it easy to get in and out of the rear vehicle area. 0 Jump Seat (ExtendedCab Models) Your extended cab pickup has a jump seat in the rear area. Tilt the right front seatback completely forward and the whole seat will slide forward. Move the right front seatback to its original position after someone gets into the rear seat area. Then move the seat rearward until it locks. If an easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it can move. Ina sudden stop or crash, the person sitting there could be injured. After you've used it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entry seat to be sure itis locked. Tilt the seatback completely forward again to get out. 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. 1-6 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. A CAUTION: ~~ ~ (SIR), And it explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint or air bag system. A CAUTION: ~ 't let anyone ride where he or 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 muchworse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. can be seriously You injured orkilled. In the same crash, might you not beif you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts are fastened properlytoo. It is extremely dangerous to ride a cargo area, in inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more to be likely seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any areaof your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Re sure everyone in yourvehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. 1-7 Your vehicle has a light that comes on as areminder to buckle up. (See "Safety Belt Reminder Light" in the Index.) Why Safety BeltsWork When you ride in or on m y t h g , you go as fast as it goes. In most 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, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive. But most crashes arein 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 facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's a seat on wheels. just 1-s Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then s t o the vehcle. The rider ~ doesn't stop. 1-9 r The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ... or the instrument panel ... 1-10 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts-- and the Answers @ Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I'm wearing a safety belt? A: You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you're upside down. And your chance of being conscious duringand after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. If my vehicle has air bags, whv should I have to wear safety belts? A: or the safety belts! With safety 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. That'swhy safety belts make such good sense. Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in most 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 sale has ...