GMC Envoy 1999 Owner's Manual

The 1999 GMC Envoy Owner’s Manual

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1-1 Seats and Restraint Systems

This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.

2-1 Features and Controls

This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.

3-1 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.

4-1 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 Problems on the Road

This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.

6-1 Service and Appearance Care

Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.

7-1 Maintenance Schedule

This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.

8-1 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

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.

-10.

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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC,
and the GMC Emblem are registered trademarks and
the name ENVOY is a trademark 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.

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We support voluntary
technician certification.

For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:

Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous

procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez
votre concessionaire ou au:

DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1577 Meyerside Dr.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9

Litho in U.S.A.
S9911 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

E

Copyright General Motors Corporation 1998

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4-Door Utility

About Driving Your Vehicle

As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or
an accident. Be sure to read the “on-pavement” and
“off

-road” driving guidelines in this manual. (See

“Driving Guidelines” and “Off
Your Four

-Wheel-Drive Vehicle” in the Index.)

-Road Driving with

How to Use this Manual

Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their 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.

Index

A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’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 and the word CAUTION to tell you
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 don’t, you or
others could be hurt.

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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.”

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this book you will find these notices:

NOTICE:

These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.

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 see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

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Vehicle Symbols

These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

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For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:

CAUTION

POSSIBLE

INJURY

PROTECT

EYES BY

SHIELDING

CAUSTIC

BATTERY

ACID COULD

CAUSE

BURNS

AVOID

SPARKS OR

FLAMES

SPARK OR

FLAME

COULD

EXPLODE

BATTERY

These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:

DOOR LOCK

UNLOCK

FASTEN

SEAT

BELTS

POWER

WINDOW

AIR BAG

These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:

MASTER

LIGHTING

SWITCH

TURN

SIGNALS

PARKING

LAMPS

HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER

DAYTIME

RUNNING

LAMPS

FOG LAMPS

These symbols
are on some of
your controls:

WINDSHIELD

WIPER

WINDSHIELD

WASHER

WINDSHIELD

DEFROSTER

REAR

WINDOW

DEFOGGER

VENTILATING

FAN

These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:

ENGINE

COOLANT

TEMP

BATTERY

CHARGING

SYSTEM

BRAKE

COOLANT

ENGINE OIL

PRESSURE

ANTI-LOCK

BRAKES

Here are some
other symbols
you may see:

FUSE

LIGHTER

HORN

SPEAKER

FUEL

v

✍

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NOTES

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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 not do with air bags and safety belts.

1

-2 Seats and Seat Controls

1

-7 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone

-11 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About

1

Safety Belts

-12 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

1
1

-12 Driver Position

1

-19 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

-20 Right Front Passenger Position

1
1

-20 Air Bag System

-28 Rear Seat Passengers

1

-- and the Answers

-31 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for

1

Children and Small Adults

1-34 Center Rear Passenger Position
1

-35 Children

-38 Child Restraints

1
1

-49 Larger Children

1

-52 Safety Belt Extender

-52 Checking Your Restraint Systems

1
1

-53 Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash

1-

1-1

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Seats and Seat Controls

This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, and fold them up and down.

Power Seats

Horizontal Control: Raise the front of the seat by

raising the forward edge of the button. Lower the front
of the seat by lowering the forward edge of the button.
Move the seat forward by moving the whole button
toward the front of the vehicle.

Raise the rear of the seat by raising the rear edge of the
button. Lower the rear of the seat by lowering the rear
edge of the button. Move the seat rearward by moving
the whole button toward the rear of the vehicle.

Moving the whole button up or down raises or lowers
the whole seat.

Vertical Control: Move the reclining front seatback
rearward by moving the button toward the rear of the
vehicle. Move the seatback forward by moving the
button toward the front of the vehicle.

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Power Lumbar Control

This control is located on
the outside of each seat.

Press and hold the front of the control until you have the
desired lumbar support. T o decrease lumbar support,
press and hold the rear of the control.

Memory Seat

The memory seat control on
the driver’s seat looks like
this. It is located on the left
side of the driver’s seat.

You can use this memory function to save your
seat cushion and seatback settings by using the
following procedure:

1. Adjust the driver’s seat to a safe and comfortable
driving position.

2. Press the SET button and then one of the two
numbered memory buttons. You will hear a chime
for each button pushed to confirm that your settings
have been placed in memory.

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3. T o program your keyless entry transmitter, press the
UNLOCK button within five seconds of
programming the memory button. You will hear a
chime to confirm programming of the transmitter.

When your vehicle is in PARK (P), push and release the
numbered memory button you just stored. The seat will
move to the set position. You will hear one chime.

Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to readjust the seat. The transmitter
need not be reprogrammed unless it needs to correspond
to the other numbered memory button.

If there is a third driver, use the seat adjuster switch to
adjust the seat.

Pressing any of the seat adjuster switches, the SET
button or pressing the desired memory button twice will
cause the seat to stop moving. If you push the numbered
button to adjust the seat and start the vehicle while the
seat is still adjusting, adjustment will pause while the
ignition is in START. Adjustment will resume after the
ignition is in RUN.

Heated Front Seats

This control is located on
the side of the seat. This
feature will quickly heat the
lower cushion and lower
back of the driver and
front passenger seats for
added comfort.

Press the lower part of the switch to turn the heater on
low. Press the upper part of the switch to turn the heater
on high. Put the switch in the center position to turn the
heater off.

The passenger’s safety belt must be engaged for the
heated seat feature to work on the passenger’s seat.

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Reclining Front Seatback

The vertical power seat control described earlier allows
the seatback to recline.

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CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.

The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or 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, 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.

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.

Head Restraints

Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

The head restraints tilt forward and rearward also.

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Rear Seats

Your vehicle has a folding rear seat which lets you fold
the seatbacks down for more cargo space.

The rear seat release handles are on the rear of the
seatbacks. Push back on the seatbacks as you pull up on
the handles. The head restraint will automatically fold
out of the way when the seatback is folded down.

T o raise the seatbacks, just lift up the seatbacks and push
until they lock in the upright position. Push and pull
on the seatbacks to check that the latches have locked
in the upright position. If they haven’t, have them
fixed immediately.

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T o return the head restraints to the upright position,
reach behind the seats and pull the head restraint up until
it locks into position.

Push and pull on the head restraints to check that they
have locked in the upright position. If they haven’t, have
them fixed immediately.

The rear seat head restraints are adjustable.
Push the button located under the head restraint to raise or

lower it. Slide the adjustable head restraint up or down so
that the top of the head restraint is closest to the top of
your ears. After releasing the button, push and pull on the
head restraint to make sure it’s locked in place.

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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 air bag system.

CAUTION:

Don’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 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.

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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.

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Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)

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 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

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.

T ake the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.

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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider

doesn’t stop.

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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...

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or the instrument panel ...

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’s why
safety belts make such good sense.

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Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts

Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an

Q:

accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?

-- and the Answers

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 during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.

Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to

wear safety belts?

A: 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
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.

-- not instead of them. Every air bag

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Q: If I’m 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’re in an

accident
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t 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.

-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

Adults

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 the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.

First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.

We’ll start with the driver position.

Driver Position

This part describes the driver’s restraint system.

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Lap-Shoulder Belt

The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear
it properly.

1. Close and lock the door.

2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.

3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t 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.

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 isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end of this section.

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.

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5. T o make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.

1-14

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’d 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’s a sudden stop or crash, or
if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.

Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly

as much protection this way.

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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.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.

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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.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should

be worn over the shoulder at all times.

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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 aren’t as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is twisted across the body.

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CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn’t 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.

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T o unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out of the way.

Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way . If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the
belt and your vehicle.

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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.

A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.

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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.

Right Front Passenger Position

T o learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, see “Driver Position” earlier in
this section.

The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all
the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the
way and start again.

-- except for one thing.

Air Bag System

This part explains the air bag system.
Your vehicle has “Next Generation” frontal

air bags
air bag for the right front passenger.

Next Generation frontal air bags are designed to help
reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inflating
air bag. But even these air bags must inflate very
quickly if they are to do their job and comply with
federal regulations.

-- one air bag for the driver and another

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Here are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:

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CAUTION:

CAUTION:

You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt
have air bags. Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Air
bags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety
belts. All air bags
bags

-- are designed to work with safety belts,

but don’t replace them. Air bags are designed to
work only in moderate to severe crashes where
the front of your vehicle hits something. They
aren’t designed to inflate at all in rollover, rear,
side or low
unrestrained occupants, Next Generation air
bags may provide less protection in frontal
crashes than more forceful air bags have
provided in the past. Everyone in your vehicle
should wear a safety belt properly
not there’s an air bag for that person.

-speed frontal crashes. And, for

-- even Next Generation air

-- even if you

-- whether or

Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, as you would be if you were leaning
forward, it could seriously injure you. This is true
even with Next Generation frontal air bags.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt,
even with Next Generation air bags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle.

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CAUTION:

Children who are up against, or very close to, any
air bag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. This is true even though your vehicle has
Next Generation frontal air bags. Air bags plus
lap

-shoulder belts offer the best protection for

adults, but not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air
bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see
the part of this manual called “Children” and see
the caution labels on the sunvisors and the right
front passenger’s safety belt.

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There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air
bag symbol.

The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.

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How the Air Bag System Works

Where are the air bags?

The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.

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The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.

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CAUTION:

If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.

When should an air bag inflate?

An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about 14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 km/h). The threshold level

-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate

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can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near

-frontal impacts.

The air bag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off
Driving” in the Index for more tips on off

-road usage.

-Road

-road driving.

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