length GMC SIERRA 2009 Owner's Manual

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.The manufacturer’s instructions that come with the
booster seat state the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt
until the child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees bend
at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt
rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try using
the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt on
page 1-30for more information. If the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t be maintained for the length
of the trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a position
with a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional
restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
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The vehicle may have a memory function which lets
pedal settings be saved and recalled. SeeMemory Seat,
Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-8for more information.
Engine Coolant Heater
The engine heater can provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine warm-up in cold weather
conditions at or below 0°F (−18°C). Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in at least four hours
before starting. An internal thermostat in the plug-end of
the cord may exist which will prevent engine coolant
heater operation at temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
If the vehicle has the DURAMAX
®Diesel engine, see
the DURAMAX®Diesel manual for more information.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is located on the driver’s side of the
engine compartment, near the power steering
uid reservoir.
3. Plug the cord into a normal, grounded 110-volt
AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet could
cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong kind of
extension cord could overheat and cause a re.
You could be seriously injured. Plug the cord into a
properly grounded three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a heavy-duty
three-prong extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
The length of time the heater should remain plugged
in depends on several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be parking the vehicle for
the best advice on this.
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2. Set the driver’s and passenger’s temperature.
To nd your comfort setting, start with a 74°F (23°C)
temperature setting and allow about 20 minutes
for the system to regulate. Use the driver or
passenger temperature buttons to adjust the
temperature setting as necessary. If a temperature
setting of 60°F (15°C) is chosen, the system
remains at the maximum cooling setting. If a
temperature setting of 90°F (32°C) is chosen, the
system remains at the maximum heat setting.
Choosing either maximum setting will not cause the
vehicle to heat or cool any faster.
Do not cover the solar sensor located on the top of the
instrument panel near the windshield. This sensor
regulates air temperature based on sun load. For more
information on the solar sensor, see “Sensors” later
in this section.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system
delays turning the fan on until warm air is available.
The length of delay depends on the engine coolant
temperature. Pressing the fan switch overrides this delay
and changes the fan to a selected speed.Manual Operation
DC(Fan Control):Press these buttons to increase or
decrease the fan speed.
Pressing either fan button while in automatic control
places the fan under manual control. The fan setting
remains displayed and the AUTO light turns off. The air
delivery mode remains under automatic control.
HG(Air Delivery Mode Control):Press these buttons
to change the direction of the airow in the vehicle.
Repeatedly press either button until the desired mode
appears on the display. Pressing either mode button
while the system is off changes the air delivery mode
without turning the system on. Pressing either mode
button while in automatic control places the mode under
manual control.
The air delivery mode setting is displayed and the
AUTO light turns off. The fan remains under automatic
control.
H(Vent):Air is directed to the instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level):Air is divided between the instrument
panel and oor outlets. Some air is directed towards the
windshield and side window outlets.
3-29

Using an MP3 (Radio with CD or
Six-Disc CD Player)
MP3 CD-R or CD-RW Disc
The radio plays MP3 les that were recorded on a
CD-R or CD-RW disc. The les can be recorded with
the following xed bit rates: 32 kbps, 40 kbps, 56 kbps,
64 kbps, 80 kbps, 96 kbps, 112 kbps, 128 kbps,
160 kbps, 192 kbps, 224 kbps, 256 kbps, and 320 kbps
or a variable bit rate. Song title, artist name, and album
are available for display by the radio when recorded
using ID3 tags version 1 and 2.
Compressed Audio
The radio also plays discs that contain both
uncompressed CD audio (.CDA les) and MP3 les.
By default the radio shows the MP3 label on the left side
of the screen but plays both le formats in the order
in which they were recorded to the disc.
MP3 Format
Burning an MP3 disc on a personal computer:
Make sure the MP3 les are recorded on a CD-R
or CD-RW disc.
Do not mix standard audio and MP3 les on one disc.
Make sure the CD does not have more than a
maximum of 50 folders, 15 playlists, and 512 folders
and les to read and play.
Create a folder structure that makes it easy to nd
songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using
one folder for each album. Each folder or album
should contain 18 songs or less.
Avoid subfolders. The system can support up to
eight subfolders deep, however, keep the total
number of folders to a minimum in order to reduce
the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a
particular folder during playback.
Make sure playlists have a .m3u extension as other
le extensions might not work.
Minimize the length of the le, folder, or playlist
names. Long le, folder, or playlist names, or a
combination of a large number of les and folders, or
playlists could cause the player to be unable to play
up to the maximum number of les, folders, playlists,
or sessions. To play a large number of les, folders,
playlists or sessions, minimize the length of the le,
folder, or playlist name. Long names also take up
more space on the display, potentially getting cut off.
Finalize the audio disc before burning it. Trying to
add music to an existing disc could cause the disc
not to function in the player.
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Using an MP3 (Radio with CD and
DVD Player)
MP3/WMA CD-R or CD-RW Disc
Compressed Audio or Mixed Mode Discs
The radio also plays discs that contain both
uncompressed CD audio (.CDA les) and MP3/WMA
les depending on which slot the disc is loaded into.
By default the radio reads only the uncompressed audio
(.CDA) and ignores the MP3/WMA les on the DVD
deck. On the CD deck, press the CAT (category) button
to toggle between compressed and uncompressed
audio format, the default being the uncompressed
format (.CDA).
MP3/WMA Format
Burning an MP3/WMA disc on a personal computer:
Make sure the MP3/WMA les are recorded
on a CD-R or CD-RW disc.
Do not mix standard audio and MP3/WMA les
on one disc.
The CD player (lower slot) is able to read and play
a maximum combination of 512 les and folders.
The DVD player (upper slot) is able to read
255 folders, 15 playlists and 40 sessions.
Create a folder structure that makes it easy to nd
songs while driving. Organize songs by albums
using one folder for each album. Each folder
or album should contain 18 songs or less.
Avoid subfolders. The system can support up to
eight subfolders deep, however, keep the total
number of folders to a minimum in order to reduce
the complexity and confusion in trying to locate
a particular folder during playback.
Make sure playlists have a .m3u extension as other
le extensions might not work.
Minimize the length of the le, folder, or playlist
names. Long le, folder, or playlist names, or a
combination of a large number of les and folders,
or playlists could cause the player to be unable
to play up to the maximum number of les, folders,
playlists, or sessions. To play a large number of
les, folders, playlists, or sessions, minimize
the length of the le, folder, or playlist name. Long
names also take up more space on the display,
potentially getting cut off.
Finalize the audio disc before burning it. Trying to
add music to an existing disc could cause the
disc not to function in the player.
3-113

Driving Across an Incline
An off-road trail will probably go across the incline
of a hill. To decide whether to try to drive across the
incline, consider the following:
{CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness of the incline, do not drive
across it. Find another route instead.
A hill that can be driven straight up or down
might be too steep to drive across. When going
straight up or down a hill, the length of the wheel
base — the distance from the front wheels to the rear
wheels — reduces the likelihood the vehicle will
tumble end over end. But when driving across an
incline, the narrower track width — the distance
between the left and right wheels — might not
prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.
Driving across an incline puts more weight on the
downhill wheels which could cause a downhill slide
or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem. Loose gravel,
muddy spots, or even wet grass can cause the
tires to slip sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something that will trip it — a
rock, a rut, etc. — and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with the
uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, the vehicle can tilt even more.
For these reasons, carefully consider whether to try to
drive across an incline. Just because the trail goes
across the incline does not mean you have to drive it.
The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
If you feel the vehicle starting to slide sideways, turn
downhill. This should help straighten out the vehicle and
prevent the side slipping. The best way to prevent this is
to “walk the course” rst, so you know what the surface is
like before driving it.
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{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn,
or in a crash.
Put things in the cargo area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some
of them are above the tops of the seats.
Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
There is also important loading information for
off-road driving in this manual. See “Loading Your
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving“ underOff-Road
Driving on page 4-12.Two-Tiered Loading
Depending on the model of your pick-up, you
can create an upper load platform by positioning
two or four 2 inches (5 cm) by 6 inches (15 cm)
wooden planks across the width of the pickup box.
The planks must be inserted in the pickup box
depressions. The length of the planks must allow
for at least a 3/4 inch (2 cm) bearing surface on
each end of the plank.
When using this upper load platform, be sure the
load is securely tied down to prevent it from shifting.
The load’s center of gravity should be positioned in
a zone over the rear axle. The zone is located in the
area between the front of each wheel well and the
rear of each wheel well. The center of gravity height
must not extend above the top of the pickup box
areboard.
Any load that extends beyond the vehicle’s
taillamp area must be properly marked according
to local laws and regulations.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) of the front or rear axle.
4-37