GMC SIERRA 2011 Owner's Manual
Manufacturer: GMC, Model Year: 2011, Model line: SIERRA, Model: GMC SIERRA 2011Pages: 594, PDF Size: 6.55 MB
Page 231 of 594

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-5
Using the Radio
O(Power/Volume):Press to turn
the system on and off.
Turn clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the volume.
4(Information) (AM-FM Radio and
AM-FM Radio with CD): Press to
switch the display between the radio
station frequency and the time.
While the ignition is off, press this
button to display the time. Press to
display additional text information
related to the current FM-RDS or
XM station; or CD, MP3, or WMA
song. If information is available
during XM, CD, MP3, or WMA
playback, the song title information
displays on the top line of the
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line.
When information is not available,
“NO INFO” displays. Speed Compensated Volume
(SCV):
Radios with Speed
Compensated Volume (SCV)
automatically adjust the radio
volume to compensate for road
and wind noise as the vehicle's
speed changes while driving, so that
the volume level stays consistent.
To activate SCV:
1. Set the radio volume to the desired level.
2. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu.
3. Press the softkey under the AUTO VOLUM (automatic
volume) tab on the radio display.
4. Press the softkey under the desired Speed Compensated
Volume setting (OFF, Low, Med,
or High) to select the level of
radio volume compensation.
The display times out after
approximately 10 seconds. Each
higher setting allows for more
radio volume compensation at
faster vehicle speeds.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
(AM-FM Radio and AM-FM
Radio with CD)
To adjust the bass or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until Bass or
Treble displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL, or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
Page 232 of 594

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-6 Infotainment System
Setting the Tone
(Bass/Midrange/Treble)
(All Except AM-FM Radio
and Radio with CD)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange,
or Treble):To adjust the bass,
midrange, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until the tone
control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired tone control tab by doing one of
the following:
.Press thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab. 3. Adjust the setting by doing one
of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV.
If a station's frequency is weak or if
there is static, decrease the treble.
To quickly adjust bass, midrange,
or treble to the middle position,
press the softkey positioned under
the BASS, MID, or TREB tab for
more than two seconds. A beep
sounds and the level adjusts to
the middle position. To quickly adjust all tone and
speaker controls to the middle
position, press the
fknob for
more than two seconds until a
beep sounds.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL, or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
If the radio has a Bose
®audio
system, the EQ settings are either
MANUAL or TALK.
Page 233 of 594

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-7
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (AM-FM Radio
and AM-FM Radio with CD)
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press
`or press thefknob
until the speaker control label
displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (All Except
AM-FM Radio and Radio
with CD)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To
adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
fknob until the
speaker control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired speaker control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Press thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab. 3. Adjust the setting by doing one
of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV.
To quickly adjust all speaker and
tone controls to the middle position,
press the
fknob for more than
two seconds.
If the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) is
turned on, the radio disables FADE
and mutes the rear speakers.
Page 234 of 594

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-8 Infotainment System
Radio Messages
Calibration Error:The audio
system has been calibrated
for the vehicle from the factory.
If Calibration Error displays, it
means that the radio has not been
configured properly for the vehicle
and it must be returned to your
dealer for service.
Locked or Loc: One of these
messages will display when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked
up the radio. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or
if an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer.
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
For radios with the Radio Data
System (RDS) feature, it only works
with FM stations that broadcast
RDS information. This system relies
upon receiving specific information
from these stations and only works
when the information is available.
While the radio is tuned to an
FM-RDS station, the station
name or call letters will display.
In rare cases, a radio station could
broadcast incorrect information
that causes the radio features to
work improperly. If this happens,
contact the radio station.
4(Information) (RDS Features):
For vehicles with RDS features,
press
4to display additional text
information related to the current
FM-RDS station. If information is
available, the song title information
displays on the top line of the display and artist information
displays on the bottom line.
When information is not available,
“NO INFO”
displays.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM™, if equipped.
f(Tune): Turn to manually select
radio stations.
©SEEK: Press to seek the
previous radio station. Press
and hold for a few seconds until
a beep sounds to scan for radio
stations in descending order; press
the
©SEEK button again to stop
scanning radio stations. The radio
only seeks and scans stations
with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
For the AM-FM Radio, press and
hold the
©SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds to scan
the preset stations. The station
frequency flashes while the radio
is in the scan mode.
Page 235 of 594

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-9
¨SEEK:Press to seek the next
radio station. Press and hold for a
few seconds until a beep sounds to
scan for radio stations in ascending
order; press the
©SEEK button
again to stop scanning radio
stations. The radio only seeks and
scans stations with a strong signal
that are in the selected band.
For the AM-FM Radio, press and
hold the
¨SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds to scan
the preset stations. The station
frequency flashes while the radio
is in the scan mode.
sREV: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in descending order.
\FWD: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in ascending order.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorites pages for stored
radio stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
the radio station while the vehicle
is parked; see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button
store radio stations as favorites. Up
to 36 stations can be programmed
as favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency
tabs and by using the FAV button.
Press the FAV button to go through
up to six pages of favorites, each
having six favorite stations available
per page. Each page of favorites
can contain any combination of AM,
FM, or XM, if equipped, stations.
Radios that do not have a
FAV button store radio stations
as presets. Up to 18 stations
(6 FM1, 6 FM2, and 6 AM), can
be programmed on the six
numbered pushbuttons. Setting Preset Stations
To store presets:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press and hold one of the
six numbered pushbuttons for
three seconds until a beep
sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to store additional radio stations.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
Page 236 of 594

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-10 Infotainment System
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located belowthe FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return
to the original main radio
screen showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin
the process of programming
favorites.Satellite Radio
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM Satellite Radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
A service fee is required to receive
the XM service. If the service
needs to be reactivated, the
radio will display “No Subscription
Please Renew on channel XM1.”
For more information, contact
XM at www.xmradio.com or
1-800-929-2100 in the U.S.,
and www.xmradio.ca or
1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
4(Information) (XM Satellite Radio
Service): For vehicles with XM,
press
4to display additional text
information related to the current
XM channel. If information is
available, the song title information
displays on the top line of the
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line.
When information is not available,
“NO INFO” displays.
Finding a Channel
BAND:Press to switch between
AM, FM, or XM™, if equipped.
f(Tune): Turn to manually select
an XM channel.
©SEEK: Press to go to the
previous XM channel.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
XM channel.
Page 237 of 594

Black plate (11,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-11
sREV:Press to go to the
previous XM category.
\FWD: Press to go to the next
XM category.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorites pages for stored
radio stations.
CAT (Category): The CAT button is
used to find XM channels when the
radio is in the XM mode.
Finding a Category (CAT)
Station
To find XM channels in a category:
1. Press the CAT button to display the category tabs. Continue
pressing the CAT button until the
desired category name displays.
.Radios with CD and DVD
can also navigate the
category list by pressing
the
\FWD or thesREV
buttons. 2. Press either of the two softkeys
below the desired category tab
to immediately tune to the first
XM station in that category.
To go to the previous or next XM
station in the selected category,
do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press the softkey below the
right or left arrows in the
category tab.
.Press©SEEK or¨SEEK.
3. To exit the category search mode, press the FAV button
or BAND button to display the
favorites again. Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below
the XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category to add or remove.
4. Press the softkey located under the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Page 238 of 594

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-12 Infotainment System
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store
XM channels while the vehicle is
parked; seeDefensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using
the six softkeys below the radio
station frequency tabs and by
using the FAV button. Press the
FAV button to go through up to six
pages of favorites, each having six
favorite stations available per page.
Each page of favorites can contain
any combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations.
Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will
be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the six
softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be set up using the MENU button.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to
the original main radio screen
showing the radio station
frequency tabs and to begin
the process of programming
favorites.
XM Radio Messages
XL (Explicit Language
Channels): These channels,
or any others, can be blocked at
a customer's request, by calling
1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and
1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
XM Updating: The encryption
code in the receiver is being
updated, and no action is required.
This process should take no longer
than 30 seconds.
No XM Signal: The system is
functioning correctly, but the vehicle
is in a location that is blocking the
XM signal. When the vehicle is
moved into an open area, the
signal should return.
Loading XM: The audio system is
acquiring and processing audio and
text data. No action is needed. This
message should disappear shortly.
Channel Off Air: This channel is
not currently in service. Tune in to
another channel.
Page 239 of 594

Black plate (13,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-13
Channel Unauth:This channel is
blocked or cannot be received with
your XM subscription package.
Channel Unavail: This previously
assigned channel is no longer
assigned. Tune to another station.
If this station was one of the
presets, choose another station
for that preset button.
No Artist Info: No artist
information is available at this
time on this channel. The system
is working properly.
No Title Info: No song title
information is available at this
time on this channel. The system
is working properly.
No CAT Info: No category
information is available at this time
on this channel. The system is
working properly. No Information:
No text or
informational messages are
available at this time on this
channel. The system is working
properly.
No Subscription Please Renew:
The XM subscription needs to
be reactivated. Contact XM
at www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100.
CAT Not Found: There are no
channels available for the selected
category. The system is working
properly.
XM Theftlocked: The XM receiver
in the vehicle could have previously
been in another vehicle. For security
purposes, XM receivers cannot be
swapped between vehicles. If this
message is received after having
the vehicle serviced, check with
your dealer. XM Radio ID:
If tuned to channel 0,
this message alternates with the
XM Radio eight‐digit radio ID label.
This label is needed to activate the
service.
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.
Page 240 of 594

Black plate (14,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-14 Infotainment System
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 miles).
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.