Driving GMC SIERRA 2013 Owner's Guide

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5-22 Instruments and Controls
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible. If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑68. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It may require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑66.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.

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Instruments and Controls 5-23
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Depending on where you live, your
vehicle may be required to
participate in an emission control
system inspection and maintenance
program. For the inspection, the
emission system test equipment will
likely connect to the vehicle's Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on whenthe ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system determines
that critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed. The
vehicle would be considered not
ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has
recently been replaced or run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
With the ignition on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. If the
vehicle is driven with the parking
brake engaged, a chime sounds
when the vehicle speed is greater
than 8 km/h (5 mph).
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on and a
chime sounds there could be a
brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
This light can also come on due to
low brake fluid. See
Brake Fluid on
page 10‑25 for more information.

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5-24 Instruments and Controls
MetricEnglish
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to ON/RUN.
If it does not come on then, have it
fixed so it is ready to warn if there is
a problem.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service. If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push
or might go closer to the floor. It can
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑87.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑23.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Brake
System Messages on page 5‑38 for
all brake‐related DIC messages.

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Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The TCS/StabiliTrak light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If the light does not come on or
stays on, have the vehicle serviced
by the dealer. If the system is
working normally, the indicator light
turns off.
If the light comes on and stays on
while driving, and a message
displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC), have the vehicle
serviced by the dealer. SeeRide
Control System Messages on
page 5‑42 for more information. If the light flashes while driving, this
means that StabiliTrak or TCS is
assisting in controlling the vehicle.
See
StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑53 for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See Tire Messages on
page 5‑43. Stop as soon as possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label. See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑55.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑58.Engine Oil Pressure Light
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine
oil low can also damage the
engine. The repairs would not be

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5-30 Instruments and Controls
Trip/Fuel Menu Items (with DIC
Buttons)
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until
ODOMETER displays. This display
shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either kilometers (km)
or miles. Pressing the trip odometer
reset stem will also display the
odometer.
To switch between metric and
English measurements, see “Units”
later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP
displays. This display shows the
current distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles since the
last reset for the trip odometer.
Pressing the trip odometer reset
stem will also display the trip
odometer. The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing the set/reset
button while the trip odometer is
displayed. You can also reset the
trip odometer while it is displayed by
pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retro-active reset. This
can be used to set the trip odometer
to the number of miles (kilometers)
driven since the ignition was last
turned on. This can be used if the
trip odometer is not reset at the
beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature,
press and hold the set/reset button
for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of
kilometers (km) or miles driven since
the ignition was last turned on and
the vehicle was moving. Once the
vehicle begins moving, the trip
odometer will accumulate mileage.
For example, if the vehicle was
driven 8 km (5 miles) before it is
started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature isactivated, the display will show 8 km
(5 miles). As the vehicle begins
moving, the display will then
increase to 8.2 km (5.1 miles),
8.4 km (5.2 miles), etc.
Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL
RANGE displays. This display
shows the approximate number of
remaining kilometers (km) or miles
the vehicle can be driven without
refueling. The display will show
LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based on
an average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in
the fuel tank. This estimate will
change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different

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Instruments and Controls 5-31
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving. Fuel
range cannot be reset.
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG
ECONOMY displays. This display
shows the approximate average
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km)
or miles per gallon (mpg). This
number is calculated based on the
number of L/100 km (mpg) recorded
since the last time this menu item
was reset. To reset AVG
ECONOMY, press and hold the set/
reset button.
Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL
USED displays. This display shows
the number of liters (L) or
gallons (gal) of fuel used since the
last reset of this menu item. To reset
the fuel used information, press and
hold the set/reset button while FUEL
USED is displayed.Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until
TIMER displays. This display can be
used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the set/
reset button while TIMER is
displayed. The display will show the
amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset, not
including time the ignition is off.
Time will continue to be counted as
long as the ignition is on, even if
another display is being shown on
the DIC. The timer will record up to
99 hours, 59 minutes, and
59 seconds (99:59:59) after which
the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset
button briefly while TIMER is
displayed.To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Instantaneous Economy and
Active Fuel Management™
Indicator
If the vehicle has this display, press
the trip/fuel button until INST ECON
V8 displays. This display shows the
current fuel economy at a particular
moment and will change frequently
as driving conditions change. This
display shows the instantaneous
fuel economy in liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km) or miles
per gallon (mpg). Unlike average
economy, this screen cannot be
reset.

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5-32 Instruments and Controls
An Active Fuel Management
indicator displays on the right side
of the DIC, while INST ECON
displays on the left side. Active Fuel
Management allows the engine to
operate on either four or eight
cylinders, depending on driving
demands. When Active Fuel
Management is active, V4 will
display on the DIC. When Active
Fuel Management is inactive, V8
will display. SeeActive Fuel
Management
®on page 9‑30 for
more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items (with DIC Buttons)
T(Vehicle Information): Press
this button to scroll through the
following menu items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information button
until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an estimate of the oil's remaining useful
life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑6. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display after each oil change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see
Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑9.
Units
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the set/
reset button to select between
METRIC or ENGLISH units. All of
the vehicle information will then be
displayed in the unit of
measurement selected.
Tire Pressure
If the vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either kilopascals (kPa) or
pounds per square inch (psi). Press
the vehicle information button until
the DIC displays FRONT
TIRES kPa (PSI) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##. Press the vehicle

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Instruments and Controls 5-33
information button again until the
DIC displays REAR TIRES kPa
(PSI) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.
If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add pressure in a specific tire will
appear in the display. SeeTire
Pressure on page 10‑55 andTire
Messages on page 5‑43 for more
information.
If the tire pressure display shows
dashes instead of a value, there
may be a problem with the vehicle.
If this consistently occurs, see your
dealer for service.
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the vehicle
information button until TRAILER
GAIN and OUTPUT display. TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer
gain setting. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either
a trailer connected or disconnected.
OUTPUT shows the power output to
the trailer any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes
may appear in the OUTPUT display.
To adjust trailer gain see
“Integrated
Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑89 for
more information.
Battery
This display shows the current
battery voltage. If the voltage is in
the normal range, the value will
display. For example, the display
may read BATTERY 13 VOLTS.
Your vehicle's charging system
regulates voltage based on the state
of the battery. The battery voltage
may fluctuate when viewing this
information on the DIC. This is
normal. Oil Pressure
This display shows the oil pressure
in either kilopascals (kPa) or pounds
per square inch (psi).
Engine Hours
Press the vehicle information button
until ENGINE HOURS displays. This
display shows the total number of
hours the engine has run.
Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. See
Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.

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5-36 Instruments and Controls
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip odometer reset stem
until TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
the trailer brake display appears in
the DIC. Press the trip odometer
reset stem until TRAILER GAIN and
OUTPUT display.
TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer
gain setting. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either
a trailer connected or disconnected.
OUTPUT shows the power output to
the trailer any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes
may appear in the OUTPUT display.To adjust trailer gain see
“Integrated
Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑89 for
more information.
Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Battery
This display shows the current
battery voltage. If the voltage is in
the normal range, the value will
display. For example, the display
may read BATTERY 13 VOLTS.
Your vehicle's charging system
regulates voltage based on the state
of the battery. The battery voltage
may fluctuate when viewing this
information on the DIC. This is
normal.
Oil Pressure
This display shows the oil pressure
in either kilopascals (kPa) or pounds
per square inch (psi). Compass Zone Setting
This display allows for setting the
compass zone. See
Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Compass Recalibration
This display allows for calibrating
the compass. See Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Oil Life
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.

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Instruments and Controls 5-37
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑6. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display after each oil change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
see Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑9.Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V(Set/Reset) or the trip
odometer reset stem.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax
®diesel
supplement for more information.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE
When the vehicle’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes will
sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on
page 5‑20. Driving with this problem