torque GMC SIERRA 1500 2012 Owners Manual

Black plate (31,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-31
WARNING (Continued)
gear—not in N (Neutral). If you
are pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
on page 9‑74.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake on page 9‑54
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear —not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle
with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and
you do not shift your transmission
into P (Park) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it
difficult to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park). This is called torque lock.
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave
the driver seat. To find out how,
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑30.

Black plate (32,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-32 Driving and Operating
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, then you will be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with
an electronic shift lock release
system. The shift lock release is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
.Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular
brake pedal is applied.The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of
an uncharged or low voltage (less
than 9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting on
page 10‑88 for more information.
To shift out of P (Park) use the
following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park):
1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever all
the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you are still having a problem
shifting, then have the vehicle
serviced soon.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
Active Fuel Management®
Vehicles with V8 engines may
have Active Fuel Management™.
This system allows the engine to
operate on either all or half of its
cylinders, depending on the driving
conditions.

Black plate (35,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-35
Automatic
Transmission
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission have an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. This
display comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the ON/RUN
position.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
Hydra-Matic®4-Speed Automatic
Transmission
Heavy Duty 6-Speed Automatic
Transmission Shown (Light Duty 6‐Speed Similar)
See “Range Selection Mode” under
Manual Mode on page 9‑38.
P (Park): This position locks the
rear wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily. When parked on a hill,
especially when the vehicle has a
heavy load, you might notice an
increase in the effort to shift out of
P (Park). See “Torque Lock” under
Shifting Into Park on page 9‑30 for
more information.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑30. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑74.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-39
the plus/minus button located on the
steering column lever is used to
change to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
SeeTow/Haul Mode on page 9‑39.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.
If the vehicle has an exhaust
brake, it can also be used, but will
not automatically downshift the
transmission. See Exhaust Brake in
the Duramax Diesel supplement.
Notice: Spinning the tires
or holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.Low Traction Mode
If your vehicle has the Allison
Transmission, or the Hydra-Matic
6-Speed Automatic Transmission, it
has a Low Traction Mode that can
assist in vehicle acceleration when
road conditions are slippery, such
as with ice or snow. While the
vehicle is at a stop, select the
second gear range using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels after it detects
wheel slip, preventing the tires from
spinning.
Tow/Haul Mode
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
6-Speed Automatic Transmission
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission have a Tow/Haul
Mode. The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts
the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing
increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling
when driving down steep hills or
Mountain grades, towing, or hauling
heavy loads.
The selector button is located on
the end of the shift lever. Turn
the Tow/Haul Mode on and off by
pressing the button. When the
Tow/Haul Mode is enabled, a light
on the instrument panel cluster will
come on.

Black plate (40,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-40 Driving and Operating
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5‑26 andHill and Mountain
Roads on page 9‑12 for more
information.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment on page 9‑94 for
more information.
Grade Braking (6-Speed
Automatic Transmission)
The Grade Braking shift modes can
be activated by pressing the button
on the end of the shift control lever.
While in Range Selection Mode,
Grade Braking is deactivated
allowing the driver to select a
desired range of gears.
Grade Braking is only active while
the Tow/Haul Mode is selected and
you are not in the Range Selection
Mode. See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode on
page 9‑38 for more information on the Range Selection Mode. Grade
Braking assists in maintaining
desired vehicle speeds when driving
on downhill grades by automatically
implementing a shift schedule that
utilizes the engine and transmission
to slow the vehicle. This reduces
wear on the braking system and
increases control of the vehicle.
Grade Braking monitors vehicle
speed, acceleration, engine torque
and brake pedal usage. Using this
information, it detects when the
truck is on a downhill grade and the
driver desires to slow the vehicle by
pressing the brake.
This feature is active when the
exhaust brake is enabled (if
equipped).
Also see
Towing Equipment on
page 9‑94 for more information.
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. To get the most satisfaction
out of Four-Wheel Drive, you must
be familiar with its operation.
Read the following before using
Four-Wheel Drive. See the
appropriate text for the transfer
case in the vehicle.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry
pavement in Four-Wheel Drive
High or Four-Wheel Drive Low for
an extended period of time may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not
drive on clean, dry pavement
in Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low for
extended periods of time.

Black plate (42,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-42 Driving and Operating
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m 4m4n N
Normal YES Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*See Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 10‑93 orTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑93.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry
pavement in four-wheel drive for
an extended period of time can
cause premature wear on the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not
drive on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive for extended
periods of time. 4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low):
This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need Four-Wheel Drive Low.
It sends maximum power to all
four wheels. You might choose
Four-Wheel Drive Low if you are
driving off-road in deep sand, deep
mud, deep snow, and while climbing
or descending steep hills. If the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®,
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low
will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak off. See StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑55.
A parking brake symbol is located
next to the N (Neutral) symbol as a
reminder to set the parking brake
before shifting the transfer case into
N (Neutral).
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
(Continued)

Black plate (46,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-46 Driving and Operating
4m(Four-Wheel Drive High):Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when extra traction is needed, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low while driving off-road in deep
sand, deep mud, deep snow, and
while climbing or descending steep
hills.
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak
®,
shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low
will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak off. See StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑55.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). SeeParking Brake on
page 9‑54.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑93 orTowing the Vehicle
on page 10‑93 for more information.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE
message stays on, you should
take the vehicle to your dealer for
service. See “SERVICE 4 WHEEL
DRIVE” underTransmission
Messages on page 5‑46. Shifting Into Two-Wheel
Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel
Drive High position. This can be
done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See
“Shifting Out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low” for more information.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel
Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Drive Low is
engaged, vehicle speed should
be kept below 72 km/h (45 mph).
Extended high-speed operation in
Four-Wheel Drive Low may damage
or shorten the life of the drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position, the ignition must be in
ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 5 km/h
(3 mph) with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The preferred method
for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive
Low is to have the vehicle moving
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph). Turn
the knob to the Four-Wheel Drive
Low position. You must wait for the

Black plate (49,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-49
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located
next to the steering column.
Use the dial to shift into and out of
Four-Wheel Drive.
You can choose among five driving
settings:
Indicator lights in the dial show
which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition andone will stay on. If the lights do
not come on, you should take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
An indicator light will flash while
shifting the transfer case. It will
remain illuminated when the shift is
complete. If for some reason the
transfer case cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
The front axle is not engaged in
Two-Wheel Drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is sent only to the front and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. Driving
in this mode results in slightly lower
fuel economy than Two-Wheel
Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High):
Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when extra traction is needed, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting also engages the front axle
and delivers extra torque. You may
never need this setting. It sends
maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose Four-Wheel Drive
Low if you are driving off-road in
deep sand, deep mud, deep snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.

Black plate (105,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Driving and Operating 9-105
vehicle to an authorized GM dealer
to have the ITBC system diagnosed
and repaired.
If either the CHECK TRAILER
WIRING or SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message is
displayed while driving the vehicle,
power is no longer available to
the trailer brakes. When traffic
conditions allow, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of the road
and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and
turn the ignition back on. If either of
these messages continues, either
the vehicle or trailer needs service.
An authorized GM dealer may
be able to diagnose and repair
problems with the trailer. However,
any diagnosis and repair of the
trailer is not covered under the
vehicle warranty. Please contact
your trailer dealer for assistance
with trailer repairs and trailer
warranty information.Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
feature. If the vehicle is towing a
trailer and the system detects
that the trailer is swaying, the
vehicle brakes are applied without
the driver pressing the brake
pedal. If the vehicle is equipped with
the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, StabiliTrak may also
apply the trailer brakes. The TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light will flash on
the instrument panel cluster to notify
the driver to reduce speed. If the
trailer continues to sway, StabiliTrak
will reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. SeeStabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑55 for more
information.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3 for more information.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
Notice:Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered
by the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12‐volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑36 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑37.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Vehicle Care 10-27
Brakes
This vehicle has front disc brakes
and could have rear drum brakes or
rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
If the vehicle has rear drum brakes,
they do not have wear indicators,
but if a rear brake rubbing noise is
heard, have the rear brake linings
inspected immediately. Rear brake
drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing.
Drum brakes have an inspection
hole to inspect lining wear during
scheduled maintenance. When the
front brake pads are replaced, have
the rear brakes inspected, too. Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.