ABS GMC SIERRA 1500 2012 User Guide

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-8 Infotainment System
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (AM-FM Radio
and AM-FM Radio with CD)
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press
`or press thefknob
until the speaker control label
displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (All Except
AM-FM Radio and Radio
with CD)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To
adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
fknob until the
speaker control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired speaker control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Press thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab.
3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV. To quickly adjust all speaker and
tone controls to the middle position,
press the
fknob for more than
two seconds.
If the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) is
turned on, the radio disables FADE
and mutes the rear speakers.
Radio Messages
Calibration Error: The audio
system has been calibrated
for the vehicle from the factory.
If Calibration Error displays, it
means that the radio has not been
configured properly for the vehicle
and it must be returned to your
dealer for service.
Locked or Loc: One of these
messages will display when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked
up the radio. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or
if an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-10 Infotainment System
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store the
radio station while the vehicle is
parked; seeDefensive Driving on
page 9‑3. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button store
radio stations as favorites. Up to
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency
tabs and by using the FAV button.
Press the FAV button to go through
up to six pages of favorites, each
having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites
can contain any combination of AM,
FM, or XM, if equipped, stations.
Radios that do not have a FAV
button store radio stations as
presets. Up to 18 stations (6 FM1,
6 FM2, and 6 AM), can be
programmed on the six numbered
pushbuttons. Setting Preset Stations
To store presets:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press and hold one of the
six numbered pushbuttons for
three seconds until a beep
sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to store additional radio stations.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations. The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below
the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the
original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin the
process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Infotainment System 7-11
Satellite Radio
XM™Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces. XM
Satellite Radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free
music, coast to coast, and in
digital-quality sound. A service
fee is required to receive the XM
service. If the service needs to be
reactivated, the radio will display
“No Subscription Please Renew
on channel XM1.” For more
information, contact XM at
www.xmradio.com or
1-800-929-2100 in the U.S.,
and www.xmradio.ca or
1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
4(Information) (XM Satellite Radio
Service): For vehicles with XM,
press
4to display additional text
information related to the current
XM channel. If information is
available, 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.
Finding a Channel
BAND:Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM™, if equipped.
f(Tune): Turn to manually select
an XM channel.
©SEEK: Press to go to the
previous XM channel.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
XM channel.
sREV: Press to go to the
previous XM category.
\FWD: Press to go to the next
XM category.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorites pages for stored
radio stations.
CAT (Category): The CAT button is
used to find XM channels when the
radio is in the XM mode.
Finding a Category (CAT)
Station
To find XM channels in a category:
1. Press the CAT button to display the category tabs. Continue
pressing the CAT button until the
desired category name displays.
.Radios with CD and DVD
can also navigate the
category list by pressing the
\FWD or thesREV
buttons.
2. Press either of the two softkeys below the desired category tab
to immediately tune to the first
XM station in that category.
To go to the previous or next XM
station in the selected category,
do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press the softkey below the
right or left arrows in the
category tab.
.Press©SEEK or¨SEEK.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-12 Infotainment System
3. To exit the category searchmode, press the FAV button or
BAND button to display the
favorites again.
Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category to add or remove.
4. Press the softkey located under the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store
XM channels while the vehicle is
parked; see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑3. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the
six softkeys below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the
FAV button. Press the FAV button
to go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations.
Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the
six softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the
original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin
the process of programming
favorites.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Infotainment System 7-19
Tracks are played in the following
order:
.Play begins from the first track in
the first playlist and continues
sequentially through all tracks
in each playlist. When the last
track of the last playlist has
played, play continues from the
first track of the first playlist.
.Play begins from the first track
in the first folder and continues
sequentially through all tracks in
each folder. When the last track
of the last folder has played,
play continues from the first
track of the first folder.
File System and Naming
The song name that displays is the
song name that is contained in the
ID3 tag. If the song name is not
present in the ID3 tag, then the
radio displays the file name without
the extension (such as .mp3) as the
track name. Track names longer than
32 characters or 4 pages are
shortened. The display does not
show parts of words on the last
page of text and the extension of
the file name is not displayed.
Preprogrammed Playlists
CDs that have preprogrammed
playlists reated using WinAmp™,
MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™
software can be accessed; however,
there is no playlist‐editing capability
using the radio. These playlists are
treated as special folders containing
compressed audio song files.
Playlists that have an .m3u or .pls
file extension and are stored on a
USB device may be supported by
the radio with a USB port.
Playlists can be changed by
using the softkeys below
the
S
candc Ttabs,
the
fknob, the©SEEK button,
or the
¨SEEK button. An MP3
CD-R or CD-RW that has been
recorded without using file folders can be played. If a CD-R or CD-RW
contains more than the maximum
of 50 folders, 15 playlists, and
512 folders and files, the player
allows access and navigates up to
the maximum, but all items over the
maximum are not accessible.
Playing an MP3
4(Information):
Press to display
additional text information related to
the current song. If information is
available, 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.
f(Tune):Turn to select MP3s on
the CD currently playing.
©SEEK: Press to go to the start of
the track, if more than 10 seconds
have played. Press and hold or
press multiple times to continue
moving backward through tracks.

Black plate (31,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Infotainment System 7-31
qGroupr:Press to cycle
through musical groupings on the
DVD-A disc.
Nav (Navigate): Press to display
directional arrows for navigating
through the menus.
e(Audio Stream): Press to cycle
through audio stream formats
located on the DVD-A disc. The
video screen shows the audio
stream changing.
The rear seat passenger can
navigate the DVD-V and DVD-A
menus and controls through the
remote control. See “Remote
Control” underRear Seat
Entertainment (RSE) System on
page 7‑37 for more information.
The video screen automatically
turns on when the DVD-V is
inserted into the DVD slot, and does
not automatically power on when
the DVD-A is inserted into the DVD
slot. It must be manually turned on
by the rear seat occupant through
the remote control power button.
Stopping and Resuming
Playback
To stop playing a DVD without
turning off the system, press
the
cbutton on the remote control,
or press the softkey located under
the
cor ther/jtabs displayed
on the radio. If the radio is sourced
to something other than DVD-V,
press the DVD/CD AUX button to
make DVD-V the active source.
To resume DVD playback, press
the
r/jbutton on the remote
control, or press the softkey located
under the
r/jtab on the radio.
The DVD should resume play from
where it last stopped if the disc has
not been ejected and the stop
button has not been pressed twice
on the remote control. If the disc
has been ejected or the stop button
has been pressed twice on the
remote control, the disc resumes
playing at the beginning of the disc.
CD/DVD Player Messages
Disc Format Error: This message
displays if the disc is inserted with
the disc label wrong side up, or if
the disc is damaged.
Disc Region Error: This message
displays if the disc is not from a
correct region.
No Disc Inserted: This message
displays if no disc is present when
the
Zor DVD/CD AUX button is
pressed on the radio.
Optical Error: This message
displays if the disc was inserted
upside down.
Disk Read Error: This message
displays if a disc was inserted with
an invalid or unknown format.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 9-11
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-12
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-15
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-25
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-30
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-32
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-35
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-54
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-61
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-69
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-71
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-72
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-4 Driving and Operating
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing
it is reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. See Power Steering
Fluid
Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑25.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but may required increased
effort. See your dealer if there is a
problem. If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-13
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑53 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (53,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-53
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑26. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.