ESP GMC SIERRA 2005 Owner's Manual

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
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Do not use child restraints in the center front seat
position. The restraints will not work properly.
There is limited space in the rear seating area of an
extended cab model. If you want to secure a child
restraint in a rear seating position of an extended cab
model, especially in the rear center position, be
sure to study the instructions that came with your child
restraint to see if there is enough room to secure
your seat properly.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system or the
airbag off switch and you need to secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat,
the passenger’s frontal airbag must be off. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-76,Airbag Off
Switch on page 1-73,Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended
Cab) (With Airbag Off Switch) on page 1-56orSecuring
a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
(Regular and Extended Cab) (With Passenger Sensing
System) on page 1-62for more on this including
important safety information.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child
is in it.
Top Strap
Some child restraints have a top strap or 'top tether'. It
can help restrain the child restraint during a collision.
For it to work, a top strap much be properly anchored to
the vehicle. Some top strap-equipped child restraints
are designed for use with or without the top strap being
anchored. Others require the top strap always to be
anchored. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
your child restraint. If yours requires that the top strap
be anchored, do not use the restraint unless it is
anchored properly.
If the child restraint does not have a top strap, one can
be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints.
Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit
is available.
1-43

Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position
If you have a extended cab or crew cab pickup, you can
secure a child restraint in the center rear seat position.
Crew Cab
When you secure a child restraint in the center rear
seat position of a crew cab, you will be using a
lap-shoulder belt that works the same way as the safety
belts in the rear outside seat positions. For instructions
on how to secure a child restraint using a lap-shoulder
belt seeSecuring a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position on page 1-50.
Extended Cab
There is limited space in the rear seating area of an
extended cab model. If you want to secure a child
restraint in a rear seat position of an extended cab
model, especially in the rear center seat position,
be sure to study the instructions that came with your
child restraint to see if there is enough room to secure
your child restraint properly.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-47. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-43if the child restraint has one.If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap belt to secure a child restraint
in the center rear seat position of an extended cab.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when
and as the instructions say.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
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The airbag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. SeeOff-Road
Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle on
page 4-20for more tips on off-road driving.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage Airbags
Depending on the weight of your vehicle you will have
either “Single Stage Airbags” or “Dual Stage Airbags”.
Vehicles that have a passenger sensing system
also have dual stage airbags. If the rearview mirror in
your vehicle has a passenger airbag status indicator
printed on it, your vehicle has the passenger sensing
system and therefore, it has dual stage airbags. If
the rearview mirror in your vehicle does not have a
passenger airbag status indicator printed on it, then your
vehicle does not have the passenger sensing system
and it has single stage airbags. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-36orPassenger
Sensing System on page 1-76.
Dual Stage Airbags
If your vehicle has frontal airbags with dual stage
deployment, the amount of restraint will adjust according
to crash severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic
frontal sensors which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate and a more severe frontal impact.
For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inate at a
level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs. If the front of your
vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or
deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is
about 10 to 16 mph (16 to 25 km/h), and the threshold
level for a full deployment is about 20 to 25 mph
(32 to 40 km/h). (The threshold level can vary, however,
with specic vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat
above or below this range.)
Vehicle’s with dual stage airbags are also equipped with
special sensors which enable the sensing system to
monitor the position of both the driver and passenger
front seats. The seat position sensor provides
information which is used to determine if the airbags
should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment.
1-70

To replace the battery in the keyless entry transmitter,
do the following:
1. Insert a thin object, such as a coin, in the slot
between the covers of the transmitter housing
near the key ring hole. Remove the bottom
by twisting the coin.
2. Remove and replace the battery with a
three-volt CR2032 or equivalent battery, positive (+)
side up.3. Align the covers and snap them together.
4. Resynchronize the transmitter. See
“Resynchronization” following this information.
5. Check the operation of the transmitter.
Resynchronization
Resynchronization may be necessary due to the
security method used by this system. The transmitter
does not send the same signal twice to the receiver. The
receiver will not respond to a signal that has been
sent previously. This prevents anyone from recording
and playing back the signal from the transmitter.
To resynchronize your transmitter, stand close to your
vehicle and press and hold the lock and unlock
buttons on the transmitter at the same time for
15 seconds. The door locks should cycle to conrm
synchronization. If the locks do not cycle, see your
dealer for service.
2-7

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
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. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors are not locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
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 your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
You can use the keyless entry system, if equipped,
or you can also use your key.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide the lever
rearward. To unlock the
door, slide the lever
forward.
2-8

Windows
{CAUTION:
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.
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door to manually raise or
lower the manual windows.
2-16

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may be equipped with a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
With this system, the
security light will ash as
you open the door, with the
ignition off, to let you
know that you are
activating the system.This message reminds you to activate the theft-deterrent
system. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the power door lock switch or
the remote keyless entry transmitter. The security
light should come on and ash. If using the
remote keyless entry transmitter, the door does not
need to be open.
If the delayed locking feature is active, the alarm
will not be activated until all doors are closed
and the security light goes off.
3. Close all doors. The security light will stop ashing
and stay solid. The light should go off after
approximately 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed
until the security light goes off.
If a door is opened without the key or the remote
keyless entry transmitter, the alarm will go off. Your
vehicle’s headlamps will ash and the horn will sound for
about two minutes, then will turn off to save the
battery power.
2-19

5. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D)
for one second, or FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped
with a manual transmission.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
2. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
3. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
Excessively shifting the transfer case into or out of the
different modes may cause the transfer case to
enter the shift protection mode. This will protect the
transfer case from possible damage and will only allow
the transfer case to respond to one shift per
10 seconds. The transfer case may stay in this mode for
up to three minutes.
Electronic Transfer Case
If your four-wheel-drive
vehicle has the electronic
transfer case, the
transfer case switches are
located to the left of the
instrument panel cluster.
Use these switches to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive.
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Shifting into NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL, rst make sure
the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll:
1. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
2. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
4. Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and 4LO
buttons for 10 seconds. The red NEUTRAL light
will come on when the transfer case shift to
NEUTRAL is complete.
5. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D)
for one second, for FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped
with a manual transmission.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:
1. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the
ignition to RUN with the engine off.
2. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (2HI, 4HI, or 4LO).
3. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the red light will go out.
Excessively shifting the transfer case into or out of the
different modes may cause the transfer case to
enter the shift protection mode. This will protect the
transfer case from possible damage and will only allow
the transfer case to respond to one shift per
10 seconds. The transfer case may stay in this mode for
up to three minutes.
2-47