lights GMC SIERRA 1500 2012 User Guide

Black plate (22,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-22 Instruments and Controls
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑18 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once
the engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑39 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there
is an electrical problem. Have it checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, to produce
a cleaner environment. This light
comes on when the vehicle is
placed in ON/RUN, as a check to
show it is working. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. See
Ignition Positions on
page 9‑26.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-50 Instruments and Controls
Press the customization button until
AUTO DOOR UNLOCK appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF:None of the doors will
automatically unlock.
DRIVER AT KEY OUT: Only the
driver door will unlock when the key
is taken out of the ignition.
DRIVER IN PARK: Only the driver
door will unlock when the vehicle is
shifted into P (Park).
ALL AT KEY OUT: All of the doors
will unlock when the key is taken
out of the ignition.
ALL IN PARK (default): All of the
doors will unlock when the vehicle is
shifted into P (Park).
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain. To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE DOOR LOCK
This feature allows you to select the
type of feedback received when
locking the vehicle with the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
You will not receive feedback when
locking the vehicle with the RKE
transmitter if the doors are open.
See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
Press the customization button until
REMOTE DOOR LOCK appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF: There will be no feedback
when you press the lock button on
the RKE transmitter. LIGHTS ONLY:
The exterior lamps
will flash when you press the lock
button on the RKE transmitter.
HORN ONLY: The horn will sound
on the second press of the lock
button on the RKE transmitter.
HORN & LIGHTS (default): The
exterior lamps will flash when you
press the lock button on the RKE
transmitter, and the horn will sound
when the lock button is pressed
again within five seconds of the
previous command.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE DOOR UNLOCK
This feature allows you to select the
type of feedback received when
unlocking the vehicle with the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. You will not receive
feedback when unlocking the

Black plate (51,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-51
vehicle with the RKE transmitter if
the doors are open. SeeRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3 for more
information.
Press the customization button until
REMOTE DOOR UNLOCK appears
on the DIC display. Press the set/
reset button once to access the
settings for this feature. Then press
the customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
LIGHTS OFF: The exterior lamps
will not flash when you press the
unlock button on the RKE
transmitter.
LIGHTS ON (default): The exterior
lamps will flash when you press the
unlock button on the RKE
transmitter.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. DELAY DOOR LOCK
On vehicles with a crew cab, this
feature turns the delayed door locks
on or off. When locking the doors
with the power door lock switch and
a door is open, this feature will
delay locking the doors until
five seconds after the last door is
closed. You will hear three chimes
to signal that the delayed locking
feature is in use. The key must be
out of the ignition for this feature to
work. You can temporarily override
delayed locking by pressing the
power door lock switch twice. See
Delayed Locking on page 2‑8
for
more information.
Press the customization button until
DELAY DOOR LOCK appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF: There will be no delayed
locking of the vehicle's doors. ON (default):
The doors will not
lock until five seconds after the last
door is closed.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
EXIT LIGHTING
This feature allows you to select
the amount of time you want the
exterior lamps to remain on when
it is dark enough outside. This
happens after the key is turned from
ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF.
Press the customization button until
EXIT LIGHTING appears on the DIC
display. Press the set/reset button
once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF: The exterior lamps will not
turn on.

Black plate (52,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-52 Instruments and Controls
30 SECONDS (default):The
exterior lamps will stay on for
30 seconds.
1 MINUTE: The exterior lamps will
stay on for one minute.
2 MINUTES: The exterior lamps will
stay on for two minutes.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
APPROACH LIGHTING
This feature allows you to select if
the exterior lights turn on briefly
during low light periods after
unlocking the vehicle using the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. Press the customization button until
APPROACH LIGHTING appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF:
The exterior lights will not
turn on when you unlock the vehicle
with the RKE transmitter.
ON (default): If it is dark enough
outside, the exterior lights will turn
on briefly when you unlock the
vehicle with the RKE transmitter.
The lights will remain on for
20 seconds, until the lock button
on the RKE transmitter is pressed,
or until the vehicle is no longer off.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain. To select a setting, press the set/
reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
CHIME VOLUME
If available, this feature allows you
to select the volume level of the
chime.
Press the customization button until
CHIME VOLUME appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
NORMAL:
The chime volume will
be set to a normal level.
LOUD: The chime volume will be
set to a loud level.
NO CHANGE: No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
There is no default for chime
volume. The volume will stay at the
last known setting.

Black plate (60,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-60 Instruments and Controls
4. The indicator lights will blinkslowly. Enter each switch setting
from Step 2 into your vehicle's
Universal Home Remote. You
will have two and one-half
minutes to complete Step 4.
Now press one button on the
Universal Home Remote for
each switch setting as follows:
.If you wrote “Left,”press
the left button (A) in the
vehicle.
.If you wrote “Right,”press
the right button (C) in the
vehicle.
.If you wrote “Middle,”press
the middle button (B) in the
vehicle. 5. After entering all of the switch
positions, once again firmly
press and release all three
buttons at the same time. The
indicator lights will turn on.
6. Press and hold the button that will be used to control the
garage door until the garage
door moves. The indicator light
above the selected button
should slowly blink. This button
may need to be held for up to
55 seconds.
7. Immediately release the button when the garage door moves.
The indicator light will blink
rapidly until programming is
complete. 8. Press and release the same
button again. The garage door
should move, confirming that
programming is successful and
complete.
To program another Fixed Code
device such as an additional garage
door opener, a security device,
or home automation device, repeat
Steps 1-8, choosing a different
button in Step 6 than what was used
for the garage door opener.

Black plate (61,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-61
Universal Remote System
Operation
Press and hold the appropriate
button for at least half of a second.
The indicator light will come on
while the signal is being transmitted.
Reprogramming Universal
Home Remote Buttons
Any of the three buttons can be
reprogrammed by repeating the
instructions.
Erasing Universal Home
Remote Buttons
The programmed buttons should be
erased when the vehicle is sold or
the lease ends.
To erase either Rolling Code or
Fixed Code settings on the
Universal Home Remote device:
1. Press and hold the two outsidebuttons at the same time for
approximately 20 seconds, until
the indicator lights, located
directly above the buttons, begin
to blink rapidly. 2. Once the indicator lights begin to
blink, release both buttons. The
codes from all buttons will be
erased.
For help or information on the
Universal Home Remote System,
call the customer assistance phone
number under Customer Assistance
Offices (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑4 orCustomer Assistance
Offices (Mexico) on page 13‑5.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-5
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-9
Battery Power Protection . . . . 6-10
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
6-2 Lighting
The exterior lamps control has
four positions:
O(Off):Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position will only work when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
AUTO (Automatic): Automatically
turns on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)
When the vehicle is turned off and
the headlamps are in AUTO, the
headlamps may automatically
remain on for a set time. The time of the delay can be changed using the
DIC. See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5‑30
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps
(If Equipped)
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Roof Marker Lamps (If
Equipped)
When the headlamps are turned
on while the vehicle is on, the
headlamps turn off automatically 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off,
the headlamps will stay on for
10 minutes before automatically
turning off to prevent the battery
from being drained. Turn the
headlamp control to off and then
back to the headlamp on position to
make the headlamps stay on for an
additional 10 minutes.
Push the turn signal/multifunction
lever toward the instrument panel to
change the headlamps from low
beam to high beam.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
For vehicles with a radio, a reminder
chime sounds when the headlamps
or parking lamps are manually
turned on, the ignition is off, and a
door is open. To disable the chime,
turn the lamp off.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Lighting 6-3
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
5 3
(Headlamp High/Low
Beam Changer): To change the
headlamps from low to high beam,
push the lever toward the instrument
panel. To return to low-beam
headlamps, pull the multifunction
lever toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, this
indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal
a driver in front of you that you want
to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position. To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low
beam, the high-beam headlamps
will turn on. They will stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on. Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in Park.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on,
only the DRL lamps are on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the
exterior lamps control to the OFF
position and then release. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, the
transmission must be in the P (Park)
position before the DRL lamps can
be turned off.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
6-4 Lighting
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness, along with the taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, and the
instrument panel lights. The radio
lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamps
switch to the off position and then
release it. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel which regulates when the
automatic headlamps turn on. Do
not cover the sensor, otherwise the
headlamps will come on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or heavy overcast
weather. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automaticheadlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor detects a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is bright
enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster may not
be as bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off,
turn the control to the off position.
The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle. This
feature can be programmed using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑48.