GMC Jimmy feature issues

Hello everyone!

I may be asking lots of questions that seem 'obvious', but keep in mind I'm a 21 y/o girl who's never had a car before, so a lot of this stuff is over my head! But I'm trying to learn :) please bare with me, and I appreciate any help.

I just bought my first car, a 1997 GMC Jimmy (4WD), and she needs a bit of work. A lot of the 'dashboard' features aren't working great, and I figured I'd start learning those while I let my mechanic handle the bigger stuff the truck needs.

On the list of things I'd like to look into:

My driver's side seat doesn't move anymore. Because it's motor controlled, I have no way to do it manually. How do I go about diagnosing what could be causing this?
The dashboard doesn't light up at night unless I turn the dial on the left hand side up. But when I do this, my over head lights also come on (I cannot legally drive like that)! I've tried pushing the button to shut it off, but it won't turn off. What could be causing this? Is this an issue with the overhead light switch? Again, how do I diagnose this?
My left mirror needs to be replaced. Is this a simple fix?
The motor for moving the mirrors with the little lever above my lock button no longer works. I want to replace my left mirror before I get into it, to make sure this isn't partially the issue. But once that's done, how do I go about diagnosing what's wrong?


Mostly just having trouble diagnosing what's wrong. Once I figure out how to diagnose these things, I can research the solutions. I appreciate any help you guys are able to provide!

First let me congratulate you for this undertaking. Do you have any mechanical aptitude?
Do you own a basic tool kit? Do you own a voltmeter? (lots of how to on the web)
Youtube has lots of DIY videos on car repair. Get yourself a manual, Haynes is pretty decent. Look for used on ebay, etc. Don't run to the dealer for every little part. rockauto.com and others have competitive prices.

1. Look in your owners manual where all the fuses are located.
2. When you rotate the dimmer switch to on, it overrides the overhead switch. Probably bad dimmer switch.
3. If neither mirror operates. It's more than likely the switch rather than both mirror motors are bad.

When you post questions. Give year, make, model, engine size etc. The more details the better.
Alot of auto diagnosis is not "what part is bad", but rather "what is working". Then use process of elimination. If you don't, you'll wind up just throwing parts at the probably with no guarantee it will fix it. Lots of auto parts stores do have some experienced mechanics who for one reason or another just don't work on cars anymore. Others there "have an alarm clock, show up to work on time and able to pass a drug test"...

Oh, one more thing. If you post a problem. And one of the smart guys/gals ask a question. Please respond to what they ask, it helps with diagnosing.

First let me congratulate you for this undertaking. Do you have any mechanical aptitude?
Do you own a basic tool kit? Do you own a voltmeter? (lots of how to on the web)

I am not a mechanic, nor do I have experience with cars but I am what I would call a 'mechanical thinker'. I'm good at taking things apart and putting them back together :P I own a hammer, and I do not have a voltmeter, but it's on the 'to get' list, and have access to one I can borrow.



1. Look in your owners manual where all the fuses are located.
2. When you rotate the dimmer switch to on, it overrides the overhead switch. Probably bad dimmer switch.
3. If neither mirror operates. It's more than likely the switch rather than both mirror motors are bad.


1. The fuse box is to the left of my steering wheel, on the side. Or do you mean there's a fuse on the other end of the wire I need to find?
2. As of last night, turning this switch on still makes the overhead light come on, but now my panel (gas meter, engine heat, etc.) does not light up anymore. So maybe it's just my dash light needs fixing.
3. I have to repair the left mirror anyway. It's got duck tape residue all over it, it seems a part was replaced in it so the duct tape was no longer needed, but as it is, I can't actually turn it, so yeah, that's a visibility issue! Both need to happen, it seems. Where do I find the switch, and replace it?



When you post questions. Give year, make, model, engine size etc. The more details the better.
Alot of auto diagnosis is not "what part is bad", but rather "what is working". Then use process of elimination. If you don't, you'll wind up just throwing parts at the probably with no guarantee it will fix it. Lots of auto parts stores do have some experienced mechanics who for one reason or another just don't work on cars anymore. Others there "have an alarm clock, show up to work on time and able to pass a drug test"...

Oh, one more thing. If you post a problem. And one of the smart guys/gals ask a question. Please respond to what they ask, it helps with diagnosing.

I'll keep this in mind for sure! Thank you for the tip! I have updated my OP to reflect the year/make/model as I have to the best of my knowledge.

I went into my fuse box, and noticed my Power Accy fuse is not there. When trying to put a 20 A there (as per the fuse box cover) it gave off sparks so I removed it immediately. Is this normal? If not, what could be causing this. Also, is not having a fuse in my Power Accessory spot a likely cause of any of the issues I've mentioned before?

I went into my fuse box, and noticed my Power Accy fuse is not there. When trying to put a 20 A there (as per the fuse box cover) it gave off sparks so I removed it immediately. Is this normal? If not, what could be causing this. Also, is not having a fuse in my Power Accessory spot a likely cause of any of the issues I've mentioned before?


Probably. You have a short in the wiring. But really not clue where to look. You'll going to have to trace it..

I went into my fuse box, and noticed my Power Accy fuse is not there. When trying to put a 20 A there (as per the fuse box cover) it gave off sparks so I removed it immediately. Is this normal? If not, what could be causing this. Also, is not having a fuse in my Power Accessory spot a likely cause of any of the issues I've mentioned before?

This may the cause of your problems. I'm not sure what all that fuse powers, but. I would be looking at the power seat wiring. The previous owner may have pulled that fuse without looking for the problem. Also check wiring that runs into the drivers door. Could be mirror on that circuit and chaff wires shorting out on the door.