ignition GMC SIERRA 1500 2011 Workshop Manual

Black plate (58,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
5-58 Instruments and Controls
PASSENGER MIRROR:The
passenger outside mirror will be
tilted down when the vehicle is
shifted into R (Reverse).
BOTH MIRRORS: The driver and
passenger outside mirrors will be
tilted down when the vehicle is
shifted into R (Reverse).
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. EASY EXIT RECALL
If the vehicle has this feature,
it allows you to select your
preference for the automatic easy
exit seat feature. See
“Memory
Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals” inPower
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑4 for
more information.
Press the customization button until
EASY EXIT RECALL appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
DOOR BUTTON ONLY: No
automatic seat exit recall will occur.
The recall will only occur after
pressing the easy exit seat button. BUTTON & KEY OUT (default):
If the features are enabled through
the EASY EXIT SETUP menu, the
driver seat will move back when the
key is removed from the ignition or
the easy exit seat button is pressed.
The automatic easy exit seat
movement will only occur one time
after the key is removed from the
ignition. If the automatic movement
has already occurred, and you put
the key back in the ignition and
remove it again, the seat will stay
in the original exit position, unless
a memory recall took place prior to
removing the key again.
NO CHANGE:
No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
6-2 Lighting
The exterior lamps control has four
positions:
O(Off):Turns off the automatic
headlamps and daytime running
lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position will only work when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
AUTO (Automatic): Automatically
turns on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped) When the vehicle is turned off
and the headlamps are in AUTO,
the headlamps may automatically
remain on for a set time. The time of
the delay can be changed using the
DIC. See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5‑33.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on
the parking lamps together with
the following:
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)
When the headlamps are turned
on while the vehicle is on, the
headlamps turn off automatically
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off. When the headlamps
are turned on while the vehicle
is off, the headlamps will stay
on for 10 minutes before
automatically turning off to prevent
the battery from being drained.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-3
Turn the headlamp control to off
and then back to the headlamp on
position to make the headlamps
stay on for an additional 10 minutes.
Push the turn signal/multifunction
lever toward the instrument panel to
change the headlamps from low
beam to high beam.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
For vehicles with a radio, a reminder
chime sounds when the headlamps
or parking lamps are manually
turned on, the ignition is off, and a
door is open. To disable the chime,
turn the lamp off.
Headlamp
High/Low-Beam
Changer
5 3
(Headlamp High/Low
Beam Changer): To change the
headlamps from low to high beam,
push the lever toward the instrument
panel. To return to low-beam
headlamps, pull the multifunction
lever toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, this
indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal
a driver in front of you that you
want to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low
beam, the high-beam headlamps
will turn on. They will stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on
the instrument panel cluster will
come on. Release the lever to
return to normal operation.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
6-4 Lighting
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in Park.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on,
only the DRL lamps are on.
The taillamps, sidemarker,
instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps. To turn off the DRL lamps, turn
the exterior lamps control to the
OFF position and then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the transmission must be in the
P (Park) position before the DRL
lamps can be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamps
switch to the off position and then
release it. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position before the
automatic headlamp system can
be turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel which regulates when the
automatic headlamps turn on.
Do not cover the sensor, otherwise
the headlamps will come on
whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or heavy overcast
weather. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and
nighttime operation of the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) and the
automatic headlamp systems
so that driving under bridges
or bright overhead street lights
does not affect the system.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-5
The DRL and automatic headlamp
system are only affected when the
light sensor detects a change in
lighting lasting longer than the
delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is bright
enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster may
not be as bright as usual. Make
sure the instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position.
SeeInstrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off,
turn the control to the off position. The headlamps will also stay
on after you exit the vehicle.
This feature can be programmed
using the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization
(with DIC Buttons) on page 5‑52.
If the vehicle is not equipped
with DIC buttons, exit lighting
is automatic. When it is dark
enough outside, the exterior lamps
remain on for 30 seconds after the
ignition is moved from ON/RUN to
LOCK/OFF.
For vehicles without a radio, the
instrument panel light remains on
for 30 seconds with the driver door
closed. For vehicles with a radio,
the instrument panel light remains
on for 10 minutes with the driver
door closed. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑40.
The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button located on top of
the steering column, to make the
front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. This warns others
that you are having trouble. Press
again to turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
6-6 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less
than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash
three times. It will flash six times
if tow-haul mode is active. Holding
the turn signal lever for more than
one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until you release
the lever.The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb could
be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑50.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (3/4 of a mile), a chime
will sound at each flash of the turn
signal and the message TURN
SIGNAL ON will also appear in the
Driver Information Control (DIC).
To turn the chime and message off,
move the turn signal lever to the off
position.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
control is located next to the exterior
lamps control on the instrument
panel, to the left of the steering
column.
The ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position for the fog lamps to
come on.
#(Fog Lamps): Press to turn the
fog lamps on or off. A light will come
on in the instrument panel cluster.
When the fog lamps are turned on,
the parking lamps automatically
turn on.
When the headlamps are changed
to high beam, the fog lamps also go
off. When the high-beam headlamps
are turned off, the fog lamps will
come on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
with the fog lamps.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-9
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps,
they are located on the overhead
console.
To turn on the reading lamps, press
the button located next to each
lamp. To turn them off, press the
button again.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. To turn the
lamps on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp.
If the vehicle has a DVD Rear Seat
Entertainment (RSE) system, press
the lamp lenses to turn the lamps on
or off.
The lamps are fixed and cannot be
adjusted.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated entry
feature.
When the doors are opened, the
dome lamps will come on if the
dome override button is in the
extended position. If the dome
override button is pressed in,
the lamps will not come on.
Exit Lighting
The interior lamps come on when
the key is removed from the ignition.
They turn off automatically in
20 seconds. The lights do not come
on if the dome override button is
pressed in.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
6-10 Lighting
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all
the power that is needed for very
high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on,
such as: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed
to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.Normally, these actions occur
in steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑33.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome and
reading lamps, if they are left on
for more than 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned off. The cargo
lamp shuts off after 20 minutes.
This prevents the battery from
running down.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-2 Infotainment System
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑40 for more
information.
Navigation/Radio System
For vehicles with a navigation radio
system, see the separate Navigation
System Manual.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
TheftLock®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle's
radio by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The radio does not operate if it
is stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.
Operation
AM-FM Radio

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-5
Using the Radio
O(Power/Volume):Press to turn
the system on and off.
Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the volume.
4(Information) (AM-FM Radio and
AM-FM Radio with CD): Press to
switch the display between the radio
station frequency and the time.
While the ignition is off, press this
button to display the time. Press to
display additional text information
related to the current FM-RDS or
XM station; or CD, MP3, or WMA
song. If information is available
during XM, CD, MP3, or WMA
playback, the song title information
displays on the top line of the
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line.
When information is not available,
“NO INFO” displays. Speed Compensated Volume
(SCV):
Radios with Speed
Compensated Volume (SCV)
automatically adjust the radio
volume to compensate for road
and wind noise as the vehicle's
speed changes while driving, so that
the volume level stays consistent.
To activate SCV:
1. Set the radio volume to the desired level.
2. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu.
3. Press the softkey under the AUTO VOLUM (automatic
volume) tab on the radio display.
4. Press the softkey under the desired Speed Compensated
Volume setting (OFF, Low, Med,
or High) to select the level of
radio volume compensation.
The display times out after
approximately 10 seconds. Each
higher setting allows for more
radio volume compensation at
faster vehicle speeds.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
(AM-FM Radio and AM-FM
Radio with CD)
To adjust the bass or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until Bass or
Treble displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL, or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.