GMC SIERRA 2006 Owner's Manual

All engine speed values listed above are factory preset
values. With the exception of the TCC lockup speed
(1,100 rpm) and the “tap” increment (100 rpm), all of
these values are programmable and can be adjusted by
your dealer or body uptter. If the PTO software settings
do not match the settings shown here, then they may
have already been altered in order to satisfy the
requirements of the installed PTO system and body
equipment.
When the PTO switch is turned on, the engine is limited
to 2,200 rpms. If there are no accessories installed
on the vehicle, make sure the PTO switch is turned off.Step-Bumper Pad
Your vehicle has a rear step bumper with a rear step
pad at the center of the bumper.
If you will be using the
bumper to tow a trailer,
and your step-bumper has
three cutout circles, you
must push out the center
cutout circle to install the
trailer ball.
If your step-bumper has only one cutout circle, you
will have to cut out the circle, then remove it to install
the trailer ball.
4-99

✍NOTES
4-100

Service............................................................5-4
Accessories and Modications..........................5-4
California Proposition 65 Warning.....................5-4
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-5
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-6
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-7
Additives.......................................................5-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)..................................5-8
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-9
Filling the Tank............................................5-10
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-11
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-12
Hood Release..............................................5-13
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-14
Engine Oil (Gasoline Engine)..........................5-20
Engine Oil Life System (Gasoline Engine)........5-23
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter (Gasoline Engines).......5-25
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(Except Allison Transmission
®) ....................5-28Automatic Transmission Fluid
(Allison Transmission
®) ...............................5-30
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-33
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-34
Engine Coolant.............................................5-35
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-37
Engine Overheating.......................................5-37
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
(V8 Engines Only)......................................5-39
Cooling System............................................5-40
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-45
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-45
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-46
Brakes........................................................5-47
Battery........................................................5-51
Jump Starting...............................................5-52
Rear Axle.......................................................5-58
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-59
Front Axle......................................................5-60
Noise Control System.....................................5-62
Tampering with Noise Control System
Prohibited.................................................5-62
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Bulb Replacement..........................................5-63
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-63
Headlamps..................................................5-63
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Daytime Running Lamps.............................5-64
Roof Marker Lamps......................................5-66
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
and Cargo Lamp........................................5-67
Pickup Box Identication and Fender
Marker Lamps...........................................5-68
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-68
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-70
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-71
Tires..............................................................5-72
Tire Sidewall Labeling...................................5-73
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-76
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-79
Dual Tire Operation.......................................5-80
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-81
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-83
Buying New Tires.........................................5-84
Different Size Tires and Wheels......................5-85Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-86
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-87
Wheel Replacement......................................5-87
Tire Chains..................................................5-89
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-90
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-91
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-92
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-96
Secondary Latch System..............................5-105
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...........5-108
Spare Tire.................................................5-112
Appearance Care..........................................5-113
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle...............5-113
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-114
Leather......................................................5-115
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and
Other Plastic Surfaces..............................5-115
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-116
Weatherstrips.............................................5-116
Washing Your Vehicle..................................5-116
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-117
Finish Care................................................5-117
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Windshield and Wiper Blades.......................5-118
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-118
Tires.........................................................5-119
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-119
Finish Damage...........................................5-120
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-120
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-120
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-121
Vehicle Identication.....................................5-122
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN)................5-122
Service Parts Identication Label...................5-122Electrical System..........................................5-123
Add-On Electrical Equipment.........................5-123
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-123
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-123
Fuses and Circuit Breakers..........................5-123
Instrument Panel Fuse Block........................5-124
Center Instrument Panel Fuse Block..............5-126
Underhood Fuse Block................................5-127
Capacities and Specications........................5-133
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-3

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to be
happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer for all
your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and safety,
including such things as, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics, durability,
and electronic systems like antilock brakes, traction
control and stability control. Some of these accessories
may even cause malfunction or damage not covered by
warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle. Your
GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle using genuine
GM Accessories. When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories, you will know that
GM-trained and supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine GM Accessories.
California Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Engine exhaust, many parts and systems (including
some inside the vehicle), many uids, and some
component wear by-products contain and/or emit
these chemicals.
5-4

Doing Your Own Service Work
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts,
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts,
and other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
If you want to do some of your own service work, you will
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, seeService
Publications Ordering Information on page 7-15.Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-86.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-20.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System” in the DURAMAX®
Diesel Supplement.
For vehicles with gasoline engines, please read this.
5-5

Gasoline
The 8th digit of your vehicle identication number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication
Number (VIN) on page 5-122.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z),
you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or ethanol
fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E85); also see
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on page 5-8. In all other
gasoline engines, use only regular unleaded gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
For all vehicles, except those with the 6.0L V8 engine
(VIN Code N), use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane rating of 87 or higher. If the octane rating is
less than 87, you may notice an audible knocking noise
when you drive, commonly referred to as spark knock.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
as soon as possible. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service.If your vehicle has the 6.0L V8 engine (VIN Code N), use
premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating
of 91 or higher. You may also use regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s
acceleration may be slightly reduced, and you may notice
a slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as
spark knock. If the octane is less than 87, you may notice
a heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs,
use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
If you are using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher and
you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specication D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 in Canada. Some gasolines
may contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
General Motors recommends against the use of
gasolines containing MMT. SeeAdditives on page 5-7
for additional information.
5-6

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards,
your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-46. If this occurs, return to your authorized
GM dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs may
not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you should not have to add
anything to your fuel. However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of additive required to
meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean,
or if your vehicle experiences problems due to
dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline that is
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Also, your GM dealer has additives that will help
correct and prevent most deposit-related problems.
5-7

Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available
in your area. General Motors recommends that you use
these gasolines if they comply with the specications
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other
fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must not be
used in vehicles that were not designed for those fuels.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel
that contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing
additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant where you buy
gasoline whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors
recommends against the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may be
affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
The 8th digit of your vehicle identication number (VIN)
shows the code letter or number that identies your
engine. You will nd the VIN at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle Identication
Number (VIN) on page 5-122.
If your vehicle has the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z only),
you may use either regular unleaded gasoline or ethanol
fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E85); also seeFuel on
page 5-5. In all other engines, including the 5.3L V8 (VIN
Code T), use only regular unleaded gasoline.
Only vehicles that have the 5.3L V8 engine (VIN Code Z)
may use 85% ethanol fuel (E85). General Motors
encourages the use of E85 in vehicles that are designed
to use it. The ethanol in E85 is a “renewable” fuel,
meaning it is made from renewable sources such as
corn and other crops.
Many service stations will not have an 85% ethanol
fuel (E85) pump available. The U. S. Department
of Energy has an alternative fuels website
(http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/infrastructure/
locator.html) that can help you nd E85 fuel. Those
stations that do have E85 should have a label indicating
ethanol content. Do not use the fuel if the ethanol content
isgreaterthan 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet ASTM Specication
D 5798.
5-8