automatic transmission GMC SIERRA 2010 Owner's Manual

A.Outlet Adjustment on page 4‑29.
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 4‑4.
C. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 4‑51.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on page 4‑3.
E. Instrument Panel Cluster on page 4‑30.
F. Shift Lever. See Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3‑28. Tow/Haul Selector Button
(If Equipped). See Tow/Haul Modeon page 3‑34.
Range Selection Mode (Allison Transmission and
Hydra-Matic
®6‐Speed Button (If Equipped). See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3‑28.
G. Audio System(s) on page 4‑84.
H. Instrument Panel Storage on page 3‑76.
I. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped). See Towing a Trailer on page 5‑50.
J. Exterior Lamps on page 4‑10.
K. Hood Release on page 6‑15.
L. Parking Brake on page 3‑50.
M. Dome Lamp Override
on page 4‑15.Dome Lampson page 4‑14.Fog Lampson page 4‑13(If Equipped).
N. Cruise Control on page 4‑7.
O. Tilt Wheel on page 4‑3. P.
Horn on page 4‑3.
Q. Audio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 4‑145(If Equipped).
R. Automatic Transfer Case Control (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel Drive on page 3‑36.
S. Ashtray (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s) and
Cigarette Lighter on page 4‑18.
T. StabiliTrak
®Systemon page 5‑6(If Equipped).
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)on
page 3‑60(If Equipped). Pedal Adjust Button
(If Equipped). See Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal
on page 3‑26. Heated Windshield Washer
Fluid Button (If Equipped). Windshield Washeron
page 4‑6.
U. Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 4‑17.
V. Climate Control System (With Heater Only)
on
page 4‑18or Climate Control System (With Air
Conditioning)on page 4‑20and Dual Automatic
Climate Control System on page 4‑22.
W. Power Take Off (PTO) Control (If Equipped). See Power Take Off (PTO) in the Duramax Diesel
Supplement Index.
X. Passenger Airbag Off Control (If Equipped). See Airbag Off Switch on page 2‑82.
Y. Glove Box on page 3‑75.
1-3

A.Outlet Adjustment on page 4‑29.
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 4‑4.
C. Instrument Panel Cluster on page 4‑30.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers
on page 4‑3.
E. Shift Lever. See Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3‑28.
F. Tow/Haul Mode
on page 3‑34(If Equipped).
G. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 4‑51.
H. Audio System(s) on page 4‑84.
I. Exterior Lamps on page 4‑10.
J. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped). See Towing a Trailer on page 5‑50.
K. Dome Lamp Override
on page 4‑15.Dome Lampson page 4‑14.
L. Automatic Transfer Case Control. (If Equipped). See Four-Wheel Drive on page 3‑36.
M. Hood Release on page 6‑15.
N. Parking Brake on page 3‑50. O.
Cruise Control on page 4‑7.
P. Tilt Wheel on page 4‑3.
Q. Horn on page 4‑3.
R. Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 4‑145.
S. Climate Control System (With Heater Only)
on
page 4‑18or Climate Control System (With Air
Conditioning)on page 4‑20or Dual Automatic
Climate Control Systemon page 4‑22(If Equipped).
T. Accessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 4‑17.
Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). See Ashtray(s) and
Cigarette Lighter
on page 4‑18.
U. StabiliTrak®Systemon page 5‑6(If Equipped).
Pedal Adjust Button (If Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
on page 3‑26. Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA)on page 3‑60(If Equipped). Heated Windshield Washer Fluid
Button (If Equipped). See Windshield Washeron
page 4‑6.
V. Passenger Airbag Off Control (If Equipped). See Airbag Off Switch on page 2‑82.
W. Glove Box on page 3‑75.
1-5

Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch is located on the
shift lever. To enable the Range Selection feature,
move the column shift lever to the M (Manual) position.
The current range will appear next to the M. This is the
highest attainable range with all lower gears accessible.
As an example, when 4 (Fourth) gear is selected,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are available.Press the plus/minus buttons, located on the steering
column shift lever, to select the desired range of
gears for current driving conditions. See
Automatic
Transmission Operation on page 3‑28.
While using Range Selection Mode, cruise control and
the Tow/Haul mode can be used.
Grade Braking is not available when Range Selection
Mode is active. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3‑34.
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.
Transfer Case Buttons
The vehicle will have one of these three styles of
transfer case controls. Use these controls to shift into
and out of the different Four-Wheel Drive modes.
1-21

Section 3 Features and Controls
Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Power Sliding Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17 Theft-Deterrent Systems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17
Content Theft-Deterrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . 3-19
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . .3-21
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Active Fuel Management™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Automatic Transmission Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
3-1

Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has
four different positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition must be in ON/RUN
or ACC/ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal must
be applied.
A (LOCK/OFF) : This position locks the ignition. It also
locks the transmission on automatic transmission
vehicles. The key can be removed in LOCK/OFF.
On vehicles with an automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in P (Park) to turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF. The steering can bind with the wheels turned off center.
If this happens, move the steering wheel from right to
left while turning the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, then the vehicle needs service.
Notice:
Using a tool to force the key to turn in the
ignition could cause damage to the switch or break
the key. Use the correct key, make sure it is all the
way in, and turn it only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see your dealer/retailer.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This position lets things like
the radio and the windshield wipers operate while the
engine is off. Use this position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
C (ON/RUN) : This position can be used to operate the
electrical accessories and to display some instrument
panel cluster warning and indicator lights. The switch
stays in this position when the engine is running.
The transmission is also unlocked in this position on
automatic transmission vehicles.
If you leave the key in the ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN position with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to start the vehicle if
the battery is allowed to drain for an extended period
of time.
3-22

Automatic Transmission Operation
If the vehicle is a Two-mode Hybrid, see the Two-mode
Hybrid manual 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” later in this section.
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 (Automatic Transmission)
under Shifting Into Park
on page 3‑51for more
information.
3-28

If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current
vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the transmission
does not upshift and instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive shift controls.
Adaptive shift controls continually compares key shift
parameters to pre-programmed ideal shifts stored in the
transmissions computer. The transmission constantly
makes adjustments to improve vehicle performance
according to how the vehicle is being used, such as
with a heavy load or when temperature changes.
During this adaptive shift control process, shifting
might feel different as the transmission determines
the best settings.
When temperatures are very cold, the Allison
Transmission
®and Hydra-Matic®6-Speed
transmission's gear shifting could be delayed
providing more stable shifts until the engine
warms up. Shifts could be more noticeable with a
cold transmission. This difference in shifting is normal. M (Manual Mode) :
This position is available on
vehicles with the Allison Transmission
®or Hydra-Matic®
6-Speed transmission. It lets drivers select the range of
gears appropriate for current driving conditions. If the
vehicle has this feature, see Range Select Mode
(Allison Transmission
®or Hydra-Matic®6-Speed
transmission) later in this section.
3 (Third) : This position is also used for normal driving.
It reduces vehicle speed more than D (Drive) without
using the brakes. You might choose 3 (Third) instead of
D (Drive) when driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears
and when going down a steep hill.
2 (Second) : This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than 3 (Third) without using the brakes. You can
use 2 (Second) on hills. It can help control vehicle
speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use the brakes off and on.
If you manually select 2 (Second) in an automatic
transmission, the transmission will start in second gear.
You can use this feature for reducing the speed of the
rear wheels when you are trying to start the vehicle
from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
3-31

To use this feature, do the following:1. Move the shift lever to M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus buttons, located on the steering column shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for current driving conditions.
When M (Manual Mode) is selected a number displays
next to the M, indicating the current gear.
This number is the highest gear that can be used.
However, the vehicle can automatically shift to lower
gears as it adjusts to driving conditions. This means
that all gears below that number are available. When
5 (Fifth) is selected, 1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle, but 6 (Sixth) cannot
be used until 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. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3‑34.
While using Range Selection Mode, cruise control and
the Tow/Haul mode can be used. 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.
3-33

Tow/Haul Mode
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 towing or hauling heavy loads.
The selector button is located on the end of the shift
lever. Turn the tow/haul on and off by pressing the
button. When the tow/haul is on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster will come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light
on page 4‑49for more
information. Also see Tow Haul Mode under
Towing a Trailer
on
page 5‑50for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode (Allison Transmission®
or Hydra-Matic®6-Speed Automatic
Transmission)
Vehicles with an Allison or Hydra-Matic®6-speed
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 towing
or hauling heavy loads.
3-34

Turn the tow/haul mode on and off by pressing the
button, located on the end of the shift lever. When the
tow/haul is on, a light on the instrument panel cluster
will come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light
on page 4‑49for more
information.
Also see “Tow Haul Mode” underTowing a Trailer
on
page 5‑50for more information.
Grade Braking (Allison Transmission®
or Hydra-Matic®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
Automatic Transmission Operation
on page 3‑28for
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.
Also see
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑50for more
information.
Cruise Grade Braking (Allison
Transmission®or Hydra-Matic®
6-Speed Automatic Transmission)
Cruise Grade Braking assists when driving on a
downhill grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that uses
the engine and the transmission to slow the vehicle.
Cruise Grade Braking operates while Cruise Control is
engaged in Tow/Haul mode to assist in maintaining
vehicle speed under loaded vehicle conditions.
It utilizes vehicle acceleration and deviation from
desired speed to determine the correct gear for the
operating condition. If vehicle speed is above the
desired speed the transmission will downshift to slow
the vehicle. If vehicle speed is near or below desired
speed the trans will upshift, allowing vehicle speed to
increase.
While in the Range Select Mode (RSM) mode, cruise
grade braking is not available.
See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 3‑28.
3-35