ESP GMC SIERRA 1500 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (35,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
In Brief 1-35
Performance and
Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System
If equipped, the vehicle has a
traction control system that limits
wheel spin and the StabiliTrak
system that assists with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions. Both systems
turn on automatically every time the
vehicle is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release
gon the instrument
panel. The appropriate DIC
message displays. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑44.
.To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and
hold
guntilgilluminates and
the appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑44.
.Press and releasegagain to
turn on both systems.
For more information, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑55.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑16. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected. During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver
’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑60.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and, on most vehicles, displays a
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening. There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.
From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.
From inside, use the power door
locks or manual door locks. To lock
or unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on the
manual lock knob.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
The rear access door must be
closed before the front door can
close.
To open a rear access door from the
inside, first open the front door.
Then, use the handle located on the
inside of the rear access door
to open.
Tailgate
{WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride
on the tailgate, even when the
vehicle is operated at low speeds.
People riding on the tailgate can
easily lose their balance and
fall in response to vehicle
maneuvers. Falling from a moving
vehicle may result in serious
injuries or death. Do not allow
people to ride on the tailgate. Be
sure everyone in your vehicle is
in a seat and using a safety belt
properly.
On vehicles with a lock on the
tailgate, use the key to lock or
unlock the tailgate. Open the tailgate by lifting up
on its handle while pulling the
tailgate down.
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it
upward until it latches.
After closing the tailgate, pull it back
to be sure it latches securely.
Tailgate Removal
The tailgate can be removed to
allow for different loading situations.
Assistance may be needed with the
removal to avoid damage to the
vehicle.
On vehicles with a Rear Vision
Camera, it must be disconnected
before removing the tailgate. See
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) on
page 9‑62
for more information.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in apulsing sound when a window is
partially open. To reduce the sound,
open another window or the sunroof
(if equipped).
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door
to manually raise or lower the
manual windows.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This
may cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Heated and Cooled Seat ButtonsShown, Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
front doors. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
H(Cooled Seat): If available,
press to cool the seat.
I(Heated Seatback): Press
to heat the seatback only.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback):
Press to heat the seat and
seatback. Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
On vehicles with heated seats,
the heated seats are canceled
10 seconds after the ignition is
turned off.
On vehicles with heated and cooled
seats, the heated and cooled seats
are canceled when the ignition is
turned off.
To use this feature after restarting
the vehicle, press the desired button
again.

Black plate (36,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-36 Instruments and Controls
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem while the trip
odometer is displayed.
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 trip odometer
reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display the
number of kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) 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 driven8 km (5 miles) before it is started
again, and then the retro-active
reset feature is activated, 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.
Language
This display allows you to select
the language in which the DIC
messages will appear. To select a
language:
1. Press the trip odometer reset
stem until ODOMETER displays.
2. While in the ODOMETER display, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for
three seconds until the currently
set language displays. 3. Continue to press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem to scroll
through all of the available
languages.
The available selections
are ENGLISH (default),
FRANCAIS (French),
ESPANOL (Spanish), and
NO CHANGE.
4. Once the desired language is displayed, release the trip
odometer reset stem to set the
choice.
Engine Hours
To display the ENGINE HOURS,
place the ignition in LOCK/OFF or
ACC/ACCESSORY, then press and
hold the trip odometer reset stem
for four seconds while viewing the
ODOMETER. This display shows
the total number of hours the engine
has run.

Black plate (37,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-37
Trip Odometer Reset Stem
Menu Items (without DIC
Buttons)
Language
This display allows you to select
the language in which the DIC
messages will appear. To select a
language:
1. Press the trip odometer resetstem until ODOMETER displays.
2. While in the ODOMETER display, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for
three seconds until the currently
set language displays.
3. Continue to press and hold the trip odometer reset stem to scroll
through all of the available
languages.
The available languages
are ENGLISH (default),
FRANCAIS (French),
ESPANOL (Spanish), and
NO CHANGE. 4. Once the desired language is
displayed, release the trip
odometer reset stem to set the
choice.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip odometer reset stem
until TRIP displays. This display
shows the current distance
traveled in either kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) since the last reset for the
trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing and holding the trip
odometer reset stem while the trip
odometer is displayed.
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 trip odometer
reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display the
number of kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) 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 is activated, 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.
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) .

Black plate (49,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-49
Press the customization button until
the PRESS
VTO DISPLAY IN
ENGLISH screen appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to display all DIC
messages in English.
DISPLAY LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select
the language in which the DIC
messages will appear.
Press the customization button until
the DISPLAY LANGUAGE screen
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:
ENGLISH (default): All messages
will appear in English.
FRANCAIS: All messages will
appear in French.
ESPANOL: All messages will
appear in Spanish. 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.
You can also change the language
by pressing the trip odometer
reset stem. See “Language”under
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑30 for more information.
AUTO DOOR LOCK
This feature allows you to select
when the vehicle's doors will
automatically lock. See Automatic
Door Locks on page 2‑8 for more
information.
Press the customization button until
AUTO 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:
SHIFT OUT OF PARK (default):
The doors will automatically lock
when the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park).
AT VEHICLE SPEED:
The doors
will automatically lock when the
vehicle speed is above 13 km/h
(8 mph) for three seconds.
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.
AUTO DOOR UNLOCK
This feature allows you to turn off
the automatic door unlocking
feature. It also allows you to select
which doors and when the doors will
automatically unlock. See Automatic
Door Locks on page 2‑8 for more
information.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-14 Infotainment System
Unknown:If this message is
received when tuned to channel 0,
there could be a receiver fault.
Consult with your dealer.
Check Antenna: If this message
does not clear within a short period
of time, the receiver or antenna
could have a fault. Consult with your
dealer.
Check XM Receivr: If this
message does not clear within a
short period of time, the receiver
could have a fault. Consult with your
dealer.
XM Not Available: If this message
does not clear within a short period
of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer.
Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static
can occur during normal radio
reception if items such as cell phone
chargers, vehicle convenience
accessories, and external electronic
devices are plugged into the
accessory power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the
item from the accessory power
outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at
night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere
with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations
boost the power levels during the
day, and then reduce these levels
during the night. Static can also
occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio
reception. When this happens, try
reducing the treble on the radio.
FM Stereo
FM signals only reach about
16 to 65 km (10 to 40 mi). Although
the radio has a built-in electronic
circuit that automatically works to
reduce interference, some static
can occur, especially around tall
buildings or hills, causing the sound
to fade in and out.
XM™
Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service gives
digital radio reception from coast to
coast in the 48 contiguous United
States, and in Canada. Just as
with FM, tall buildings or hills can
interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and
out. In addition, traveling or standing
under heavy foliage, bridges,
garages, or tunnels may cause loss
of the XM signal for a period of time.
Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause
interference with the vehicle's radio.
This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls,
charging the phone's battery,
or simply having the phone on. This
interference causes an increased
level of static while listening to the
radio. If static is received while
listening to the radio, unplug the
cellular phone and turn it off.

Black plate (49,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Infotainment System 7-49
When to Speak:A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 for more information.
b/g(Push To Talk): Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c/x(End): Press to end a call,
reject a call, or cancel an operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
the cell phone manufacturer's user
guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth
phone is not connected, calls will be
made using OnStar Hands‐Free
Calling, if equipped. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1 for more
information. Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are
within range of the system, the
system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To connect to a
different paired phone, see
“Connecting to a Different
Phone”
later in this section.