steering GMC SIERRA 2005 User Guide

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning
asher button is
located on top of the
steering column.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter
what position your key is in, and even if the key
is not in the ignition.Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the center pad on
the steering wheel.
3-6

Tilt Wheel
If your vehicle is equipped with a tilt wheel, it will allow
you to adjust the steering wheel before you drive.
You can raise it to the highest level to give your legs
more room when you exit and enter your vehicle.
The tilt steering wheel lever is located on the lower left
side of the column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Then move the steering wheel to a comfortable
position and release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
GTurn and Lane Change Signals. SeeTurn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-8.
3Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer. See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-9.
Flash-to-Pass. SeeFlash-to-Pass on page 3-9.
NWindshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers on
page 3-9.
3-7

The traction off light may come on for the following
reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the TAS on/off
button located to the left of the steering wheel, the
light will come on and stay on. To turn the system
back on, press the button again; the light should
go off.
If you move the shift lever to FIRST (1), the light will
come on and stay on to indicate that the traction
system is off. This is normal operation.
To turn the system back on, move the shift lever back
to a position other than FIRST (1); the light should go
off. SeeTraction Assist System (TAS) on page 4-8.
The light will come on and stay on if the TAS
automatic engagement feature has been turned off.
To turn the system on, press the TAS off/on button;
the light should go off. To turn the automatic
engagement feature back on, seeTraction Assist
System (TAS) on page 4-8.
If the Traction Assist System is affected by an
anti-lock brake system, TAS or engine-related
problem, the system will turn off and the light will
come on. Have your vehicle serviced.
If the vehicle is driven over an extremely rough road,
the system will turn off and the light will come on. The
light will go off a few seconds after the rough road
conditions go away or when the vehicle comes to a
complete stop. This is normal operation.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how hard your vehicle is
working. During a majority of the operation, the gage
will read 210°F (100°C) or less. If you are pulling a load
or going up hills, it is normal for the temperature to
uctuate and approach the 250°F (122°C) mark. If the
gage reaches the 260°F (125°C) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system is working beyond its capacity.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-37. United States
Canada
3-42

Here are some situations you may experience with your
fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity to ll the tank.
The gage goes back to empty when you turn off the
ignition.
If you have a diesel engine, see “Fuel Gage” in the
Diesel Engine Supplement.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on briey when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFuel on
page 5-6.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) display is located
on the instrument panel cluster, below the speedometer.
The DIC buttons, if equipped, are located on the
steering wheel. The DIC can display information such
as the trip odometer, fuel economy, customization
features and warning/status messages.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the DIC steering
wheel buttons, you will not have all of the features listed.
You will scroll through the odometer, trip odometer
and engine hours by pressing the trip odometer reset
stem located on the instrument panel cluster. You
will also turn off, or acknowledge, DIC messages by
pressing the trip odometer reset stem. SeeSpeedometer
and Odometer on page 3-33for information on
features for vehicles without DIC buttons.
3-50

A3(Trip Information):Press this button to display
the odometer, trip odometers, tire pressure for vehicles
equipped with a tire pressure monitor, timer and
engine hours.
B
r(Fuel Information):Press this button to display
the current range, fuel used, average fuel economy and
engine oil life.
C
4(Customization):Press this button to access the
vehicle settings menu and customize the personal
settings on your vehicle.
D
r(Select):Press this button to reset certain DIC
functions and set your customization settings.
Pressing any of the four DIC buttons will acknowledge
DIC messages and clear them from the DIC display.
DIC Operation and Displays
The Driver Information Center (DIC) comes on when the
ignition is on. After a short delay, the DIC will display
the information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed by
pressing the four DIC buttons located on the steering
wheel. These buttons are trip information, fuel
information, customization and select. The button
functions are detailed in the following pages.
Trip Information Button
3
(Trip Information):Press the trip information
button to scroll through the ODOMETER, TRIP A,
TRIP B, TIMER and ENGINE HOURS.
Odometer:Press the trip information button until
ODOMETER appears on the display. This mode shows
the total distance the vehicle has been driven in
either miles or kilometers. Pressing the reset stem
located on the instrument cluster with the vehicle off will
also display the odometer.
Trip A:Press the trip information button until TRIP A
appears on the display. This mode shows the current
distance traveled since the last reset for TRIP A in either
miles or kilometers.
3-51

DIC Warnings and Messages
Warning messages are displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) to notify the driver that the
status of the vehicle has changed and that some action
may be needed by the driver to correct the condition.
If there is more than one message that needs to
be displayed, they will appear one after another. Some
messages may not require immediate action, but
you should press any of the four DIC buttons on the
steering wheel, if equipped, to acknowledge that
you received the messages and clear them from the
display. If your vehicle is not equipped with DIC buttons
on the steering wheel, press the trip odometer reset
stem located on the instrument panel cluster to
acknowledge messages and clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared from the display
because they are more urgent. These messages require
action before they can be removed from the DIC
display. You should take any messages that appear on
the display seriously and remember that clearing the
messages will only make the messages disappear, not
correct the problem.
The following are the possible messages that can be
displayed and some information about them.
BATTERY NOT CHARGING
On some vehicles, if the battery is not charging during
operation, this message will appear on the DIC.
Driving with this problem could drain your battery. Have
the electrical system checked by your GM dealer as
soon as possible. Pressing any of the four DIC buttons,
if equipped, will acknowledge the message and clear
it from the DIC display. If your vehicle is not equipped
with the four DIC buttons, pressing the trip odometer
reset stem will acknowledge the message and clear it
from the DIC display. SeeBattery Warning Light
on page 3-38andVoltmeter Gage on page 3-38.
BUCKLE PASSENGER
If your vehicle is equipped with the passenger sensing
system, this message reminds you to buckle the
passenger’s seat belt. SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 1-76.
This message will display and a chime will sound when
the ignition is on, the driver’s seat belt is buckled, the
passenger’s seat belt is unbuckled with the passenger
airbag enabled and the vehicle is in motion. You should
have the passenger buckle their seat belt.
3-54

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the
following:
g(OnStar/Voice Recognition):If your vehicle has
OnStar®, press this button to interact with the OnStar®
system. See the OnStar®manual provided with your
vehicle for more information.
If your vehicle does not have OnStar
®, press this button
to silence the system. Press it again, or any other
radio button, to turn on the sound.PROG (Program):Press this button to play a station
you have programmed on the radio preset pushbuttons.
The radio will only seek preset stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a cassette tape is playing, press this button to
play the other side of the tape.
When a CD is playing in the CD changer, press this
button to go to the next available CD, if multiple CDs
are loaded.
QSOURCER:Press this button to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped), or a
cassette tape or CD. The cassette or CD must be loaded
to play. Available loaded sources are shown on the
display as a tape or a CD symbol.
QSEEKR:Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous radio station and stay
there. The radio will only seek stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a cassette tape or CD is playing, press the up or
the down arrow to fast forward or reverse.
QVOLR(Volume):Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease the volume.
3-124

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-8
Manual Selectable Ride.................................4-10
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-11
Steering......................................................4-12
QUADRASTEER™........................................4-14
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-17
Passing.......................................................4-17
Loss of Control.............................................4-19
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle....................................................4-20
Driving at Night............................................4-35
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-36
City Driving..................................................4-39Freeway Driving...........................................4-40
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-41
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-42
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-42
Winter Driving..............................................4-44
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow........4-48
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-48
Recovery Hooks...........................................4-49
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-50
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-56
Truck-Camper Loading Information..................4-60
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab..................4-62
Towing..........................................................4-62
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-62
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-62
Trailer Recommendations...............................4-67
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-68
Power Take-Off (PTO)...................................4-98
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness,
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive
after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. SeeTraction Assist System
(TAS) on page 4-8.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
4-5

Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Assist System (TAS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the rear wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power to limit
wheel spin.The traction control system is enabled every time your
vehicle is started. The system will activate if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose
traction.
You may hear or feel the system working or notice a
lack of accelerator response, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control.
SeeCruise Control on page 3-10.
When the traction off light
is on, the TAS is off and
will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
4-8