GMC SIERRA 1500 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-3
c/x(Previous/End):Press to
go to the previous favorite radio
station, track on a CD, or folder on
an iPod
®or USB device. Press to
reject an incoming call, or end a
current call.
Radio
To select preset or favorite radio
stations:
Press and release
worc/xto
go to the next or previous radio
station stored as a preset or
favorite.
CD/DVD
To select tracks on a CD/DVD:
Press and release
worc/xto
go to the next or previous track.
Selecting Tracks on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System)
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display. 2. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list, then
press and hold
w, or press¨to
play the highlighted track.
Navigating Folders on an iPod or
USB Device (Vehicles without a
Navigation System):
1. Press and hold
worc/x
while listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and hold
c/xto go
back to the previous folder list.
3. Press and release
worc/x
to scroll up or down the list.
.To select a folder,
press and hold
w, or press
¨when the
folder is highlighted.
.To go back further in the
folder list, press and
hold
c/x. Navigating an iPod or USB Device
on the Main Audio Screen
(Vehicles with a Navigation
System)
1. Press and release
worc/x
to select the next or previous
track within the selected
category.
2. Press and hold
worc/xto
move quickly through the tracks.
3. Press and release
¨to move up
one track within the selected
category.
Navigating an iPod or USB Device
on the Music Navigator Screen
(Vehicles with a Navigation
System)
1. Press and release
worc/x
to select the next or previous
track within the selected
category.
2. Press and hold
worc/xto
move quickly through the tracks
within the selected category.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-4 Instruments and Controls
3. Press and release¨to move up
one track within the selected
category.
b/g(Mute/Push to Talk): Press
to silence the vehicle speakers only.
Press again to turn the sound on.
For vehicles with Bluetooth or
OnStar systems, press and hold for
longer than two seconds to interact
with those systems. See Bluetooth
on page 7‑48 andOnStar Overview
on page 14‑1 for more information.
SRCE (Source/Voice
Recognition): Press to switch
between the radio and CD, and for
equipped vehicles, the DVD, front
auxiliary, and rear auxiliary.
For vehicles with the navigation
system, press and hold this button
for longer than one second to
initiate voice recognition. See “Voice
Recognition” in the Navigation
System manual for more
information.
¨(Seek): Press to go to the
next radio station while in AM,
FM, or XM™.
For vehicles with or without a
navigation system:
Press
¨to go to the next track or
chapter while sourced to the CD or
DVD slot.
Press
¨to select a track or a folder
when navigating folders on an iPod
or USB device.
For vehicles with a navigation
system:
1. Press and hold
¨until a beep is
heard, to place the radio into
SCAN mode. A station will play
for five seconds before moving
to the next station.
2. To stop the SCAN function, press
¨again. While listening to a CD/DVD, press
and hold
¨to quickly move forward
through the tracks. Release to stop
on the desired track.
+
e: Press to increase volume.
−
e: Press to decrease volume.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center
pad on the steering wheel.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The front wiper control is located on
the turn and lane‐change lever.
The windshield wipers are controlled
by turning the band with
zon it.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-5
8(Mist):For a single wipe,
turn to
8, then release. For several
wipes, hold the band on
8longer.
9(Off): Turns the windshield
wipers off.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
6(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
?(High Speed): Fast wipes.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See Wiper
Blade Replacement on page 10‑36.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down.
Windshield Washer
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
L(Washer Fluid): Push the
paddle marked with the windshield
washer symbol at the top of the
multifunction lever, to spray washer
fluid on the windshield. The wipers
clear the window and then either
stop or return to the preset speed.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
Compass Zone
The zone is set to zone eight upon
leaving the factory. Your dealer will
set the correct zone for your
location. Under certain circumstances,
such as during a long-distance,
cross-country trip or moving to a
new state or province, it will be
necessary to compensate for
compass variance by resetting the
zone through the DIC if the zone is
not set correctly.
Compass variance is the difference
between the earth's magnetic north
and true geographic north. If the
compass is not set to the zone
where you live, the compass may
give false readings. The compass
must be set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is traveling.
To adjust for compass variance, use
the following procedure:
Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure
1. Do not set the compass zone
when the vehicle is moving. Only
set it when the vehicle is in
P (Park).

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Press the vehicle information
button until PRESS
VTO
CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
displays. Or, if the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, press the
trip odometer reset stem until
CHANGE COMPASS ZONE
displays.
2. Find the vehicle's current location and variance zone
number on the map.
Zones 1 through 15 are
available. 3. Press the set/reset button to
scroll through and select the
appropriate variance zone.
4. Press the trip/fuel button until the vehicle heading, for
example, N for North, is
displayed in the DIC. Or, if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for
two seconds to select the next
available variance zone. Repeat
this step until the appropriate
variance zone is displayed.
5. If calibration is necessary, calibrate the compass. See
“Compass Calibration
Procedure” following.
Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually
calibrated. Only calibrate the
compass in a magnetically clean
and safe location, such as an
open parking lot, where driving the
vehicle in circles is not a danger. It is suggested to calibrate away
from tall buildings, utility wires,
manhole covers, or other industrial
structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the
DIC display, the compass should be
calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a
heading, for example, N for North,
or the heading does not change
after making turns, there may be a
strong magnetic field interfering with
the compass. Such interference
may be caused by a magnetic
CB or cell phone antenna mount, a
magnetic emergency light, magnetic
note pad holder, or any other
magnetic item. Turn off the vehicle,
move the magnetic item, then turn
on the vehicle and calibrate the
compass.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-7
To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, or seats during
the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays. Or, if the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, press the
trip odometer reset stem until
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays. 3. Press the set/reset button to
start the compass calibration.
Or, if the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for
two seconds to start the
compass calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle
in tight circles at less than
8 km/h (5 mph) to complete the
calibration. The DIC will display
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the
calibration is complete. The DIC
display will then return to the
previous menu.
Clock
AM-FM Radio and AM‐FM
Radio with CD Player
To set the clock:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton until the hour
numbers begin to flash, then
turn the
fknob to increase or
decrease the hour.
3. Press the
Hbutton until the
minute numbers begin to flash,
then turn the
fknob to increase
or decrease the minutes.
4. Press the
Hbutton until the
12HR or 24HR time format
begins to flash, then turn
the
fknob to change the time
format.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-8 Instruments and Controls
5. Press theHbutton again until
the clock display stops flashing
to set the currently displayed
time, or wait until the flashing
stops after five seconds and the
current time displayed
automatically sets.
MP3 Radios with a Single CD
or a Single CD and DVD Player
To adjust the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton to display
HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change
that setting. 4. To increase the time or date, do
one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the
selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise. To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change
the date default setting from month/
day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press the
Hbutton and then
the softkey located below the
forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H, the
date MM/DD (month and day),
and DD/MM (day and month)
displays.
2. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
3. Press the
Hbutton again to
apply the desired option, or let
the screen time out.
MP3 Radio with a Six-Disc CD
Player
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-9
2. Press the MENU button andthen the softkey under the
Htab
to display HR, MIN, MM, DD,
YYYY (hour, minute, month, day,
and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change
that setting.
4. To increase the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the
selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise. To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change
the date default setting from month/
day to day/month:
1. Press the MENU button
and then the softkey under
the
Htab.
2. Press the softkey located below the forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H,
the date MM/DD (month and
day), and DD/MM (day and
month) displays.
3. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
4. Press the MENU button again to apply the desired option, or let
the screen time out.
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can
be used to plug in electrical
equipment, such as a cell phone,
MP3 player, etc.
The vehicle may have two
accessory power outlets located
below the climate control system,
or may have one accessory power
outlet and one cigarette lighter. The
cigarette lighter is designed to fit
only in the receptacle closest to the
driver.
There may be another accessory
power outlet in the rear cargo area.
If the vehicle has a floor console,
there is an accessory power outlet
inside the storage bin and one on
the rear of the floor console.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-10 Instruments and Controls
The accessory power outlets are
powered, even when the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF. Continuing to use
power outlets while the ignition is in
LOCK/OFF may cause the vehicle's
battery to run down.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating. Certain power accessory plugs may
not be compatible to the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle or adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included
with the equipment. See
Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑105.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the cigarette lighter, push it
in all the way, and let go. When it is
ready for use, the lighter pops
back out.
Notice: Holding a cigarette lighter
in while it is heating does not let
the lighter back away from the
heating element when it is hot.
Damage from overheating can
occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be
blown. Do not hold a cigarette
lighter in while it is heating.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Ashtrays
The vehicle may have a front
ashtray located near the center of
the instrument panel. Pull on the
door to open it. The ashtray may
have a cigarette lighter.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
To remove the ashtray, open the
door and pull the ashtray bin toward
you. To replace the ashtray, insert
the ashtray bin inside the ashtray
door and press down until it
engages.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Instrument Cluster
English Light Duty Premium Shown. Metric, Uplevel, Base and Heavy Duty Similar.