lock GMC SIERRA 2011 Manual Online

Black plate (43,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-43
When a device is connected to the
A/V jacks, or the radio's auxiliary
input jack if the vehicle has this
feature, the rear seat passengers
are able to hear audio from the
auxiliary device through the wireless
or wired headphones. The front seat
passengers are able to listen to
playback from this device through
the vehicle speakers by selecting
AUX as the source on the radio.
Video Screen
The video screen is located in the
overhead console.
To use the video screen:
1. Push the release button locatedon the overhead console.
2. Move the screen to the desired position. When the video screen is not in
use, push it up into its locked
position.
If a DVD is playing and the screen
is raised to its locked position,
the screen remains on. This is
normal, and the DVD continues to
play through the previous audio
source. Use the remote control
power button or eject the disc to
turn off the screen.
The overhead console contains
the infrared transmitters for the
wireless headphones and the
infrared receivers for the remote
control. They are located at the
rear of the console.
Notice:
Avoid directly touching
the video screen, as damage may
occur. See “Cleaning the Video
Screen” later in this section for
more information.
Remote Control
To use the remote control, aim it at
the transmitter window at the rear
of the RSE overhead console and
press the desired button. Direct
sunlight or very bright light could
affect the ability of the RSE
transmitter to receive signals
from the remote control. If the
remote control does not seem
to be working, the batteries might
need to be replaced. See “Battery
Replacement” later in this section.

Black plate (44,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
7-44 Infotainment System
Objects blocking the line of sight
could also affect the function of the
remote control.
If a CD or DVD is in the Radio DVD
slot, the remote control
O(power)
button can be used to turn on the
video screen display and start the
disc. The radio can also turn on the
video screen display. See Operation
on page 7‑2 for more information.
Notice: Storing the remote
control in a hot area or in direct
sunlight can damage it, and the
repairs will not be covered by the
warranty. Storage in extreme cold
can weaken the batteries. Keep
the remote control stored in a
cool, dry place.
If the remote control becomes
lost or damaged, a new universal
remote control can be purchased.
If this happens, make sure the
universal remote control uses a
code set of Toshiba
®. Remote Control Buttons
O(Power):
Press this button to
turn the video screen on and off.
P(Illumination): Press this button
to turn the remote control backlight
on. The backlight automatically
times out after 7 to 10 seconds
if no other button is pressed while
the backlight is on.
v(Title): Press this button to
return the DVD to the main menu of
the DVD. This function could vary
for each disc.
y(Main Menu): Press this button
to access the DVD menu. The DVD
menu is different on every DVD.
Use the navigation arrows to move
the cursor around the DVD menu.
After making a selection press
the enter button. This button only
operates when using a DVD.
n,q,p,o(Menu Navigation
Arrows): Use the arrow buttons to
navigate through a menu.
r(Enter): Press this button to
select the choice that is highlighted
in any menu.
z(Display Menu): Press this
button to adjust the brightness,
screen display mode (normal,
full, or zoom), and display the
language menu.
q(Return): Press this button
to exit the current active menu
and return to the previous menu.
This button operates only when
the display menu or a DVD menu
is active.
c(Stop): Press this button to
stop playing, fast reversing, or fast
forwarding a DVD. Press this button
twice to return to the beginning of
the DVD.
s(Play/Pause): Press this
button to start playing a DVD. Press
this button while a DVD is playing to
pause it. Press it again to continue
playing the DVD.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
Temperature Control:Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
9(Fan Control): Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Turn the
knob all the way counterclockwise
to turn the front system off.
Air Delivery Mode Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the direction of the airflow
inside the vehicle. The knob can
be positioned between two modes
to select a combination of those
modes.
Select from the following:
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
and floor outlets.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some air directed
to the windshield and side window
outlets. In this mode, the system
automatically selects outside air.
Recirculation cannot be selected
in floor mode.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
0(Defrost): This mode removes
fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. Air is directed to
the windshield and the side
window vents, with some air
directed to the floor vents.
The system automatically forces
outside air into the vehicle. The recirculation mode cannot be
selected in the defog or defrost
mode. When either mode is
selected, the system runs the air
conditioning compressor, unless
the outside temperature is close
to freezing.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
:(Outside Air):
Press to
turn the outside air mode on.
An indicator light comes on to
show that outside air is on.
In this mode outside air circulates
throughout the vehicle. The outside
air mode can be used with all
modes, but it cannot be used
with the recirculation mode.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-3
?(Recirculation):Press to
turn the recirculation mode on.
An indicator light comes on to
show that recirculation is on.
This mode recirculates and helps
to quickly cool the air inside the
vehicle. It can be used to help
prevent outside air and odors from
entering the vehicle.
The recirculation mode cannot
be used with floor, defog or
defrost modes. If recirculation
is selected with one of these
modes, the indicator light flashes
three times and then turns off.
While in recirculation mode the
windows may fog when the weather
is cold and damp. To clear the fog,
select either the defog or defrost
mode and increase the fan speed.
The recirculation mode can be
turned off by pressing the outside
air button, or by turning off the
ignition.#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning system on
or off. An indicator light comes on to
show that the air conditioning is on.
The air conditioning can be selected
in any mode as long as the fan
switch is on.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air,
so a small amount of water might
drip under the vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is
normal.
Rear Window Defogger
For vehicles with a rear window
defogger, a warming grid is used to
remove fog from the rear window.
<(Rear): Press to turn the
rear window defogger on or off.
An indicator light on the button
comes on to show that the rear
window defogger is on. The rear window defogger only
works when the ignition is in
ON/RUN. The rear window
defogger stays on for approximately
10 minutes after the button is
pressed, unless the ignition is
turned to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF. The defogger can
also be turned off by turning off
the engine.
Notice:
Do not use anything
sharp on the inside of the rear
window. If you do, you could cut
or damage the warming grid, and
the repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
attach a temporary vehicle
license, tape, a decal, or anything
similar to the defogger grid.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
8-4 Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems (with Heater Only)
With this system the heating and ventilation can be controlled.
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode ControlTemperature Control:
Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
9(Fan Control): Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Turn the
knob all the way counterclockwise
to turn the front system off.
Air Delivery Mode Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
The knob can be positioned
between two modes to select a
combination of those modes.
Select from the following:
H(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-11
The interior temperature sensor,
located in the headliner, measures
the temperature of the air inside the
vehicle.There is also an exterior
temperature sensor located
behind the front grille. This sensor
reads the outside air temperature
and helps maintain the temperature
inside the vehicle. Any cover on
the front of the vehicle could cause
a false reading in the displayed
temperature.
The climate control system uses
the information from these sensors
to maintain comfort settings by
adjusting the outlet temperature, fan
speed, and the air delivery mode.
The system may also supply cooler
air to the side of the vehicle facing
the sun. The recirculation mode will
also be used as needed to maintain
cool outlet temperatures.
Air Vents
Use the air outlets located in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel to direct the
airflow. Use the thumbwheels
near the air outlets to open or
close off the airflow.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.Use of non‐GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-19
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-20
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-23
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-34
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-37 Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-40
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-44
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-46
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Brake Assist (Except With 4.3L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-70
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-76
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-85
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-86
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-86
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-87
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-88
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-90

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering
can be more effective than braking.
For example, you come over a hill
and find a truck stopped in your
lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between parked cars and stops
right in front of you. These problems
can be avoided by braking—if you
can stop in time. But sometimes you
cannot stop in time because there
is no room. That is the time for
evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very
well in emergencies like these.
First, apply the brakes. See Braking
on page 9‑3. It is better to remove
as much speed as possible from
a collision. Then steer around
the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is
only slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so that
the vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. Turn the steering
wheel 8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 in), about
one-eighth turn, until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible. The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-10 Driving and Operating
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip,
especially when going to a remote
area. Know the terrain and plan
your route. Get accurate maps of
trails and terrain. Check to see if
there are any blocked or closed
roads.
It is also a good idea to travel with
at least one other vehicle in case
something happens to one of them.
For vehicles with a winch, be sure
to read the winch instructions. In a
remote area, a winch can be handy
if you get stuck but you will want to
know how to use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road
Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an
area that is safe and close to home
before you go into the wilderness.
Off-roading requires some new and
different skills.
Tune your senses to different kinds
of signals. Your eyes need to
constantly sweep the terrain for
unexpected obstacles. Your ears
need to listen for unusual tire or
engine sounds. Use your arms,
hands, feet, and body to respond
to vibrations and vehicle bounce.
Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed. At higher
speeds:
.You approach things faster and
have less time to react.
.There is less time to scan the
terrain for obstacles.
.The vehicle has more bounce
when driving over obstacles.
.More braking distance is
needed, especially on an
unpaved surface.
{WARNING
When you are driving off-road,
bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause
you to lose control and crash.
So, whether you are driving on
or off the road, you and your
passengers should wear safety
belts.