key GMC SIERRA 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
2011 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-8
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-52
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-61
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-39
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-34
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-46
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-70
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-76
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-90
Conversions and
Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-125

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel(Base/Uplevel Version) . . . . . . 1-2
Instrument Panel (Premium Version) . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-20
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-28
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-28 Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-31
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Universal Remote System . . . 1-32
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-34
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-34
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-35
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
1-8 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or
may not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System
The RKE transmitter is used to
remotely lock and unlock the doors
from up to 60 m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle.
PressKto unlock the driver door.
Press
Kagain within three seconds
to unlock all remaining doors. Press
Qto lock all doors.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized.
Press
Land release to locate the
vehicle.
Press
Land hold for more than
two seconds to sound the panic
alarm.
Press
Lagain to cancel the panic
alarm.
See Keys on page 2‑2 andRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-9
Remote Vehicle Start
With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at thevehicle.
2. Press
Q.
3. Immediately after completing Step 2, press and hold
/until
the turn signal lamps flash.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on
as long as the engine is running.
The doors will be locked and
the climate control system may
come on.
The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/
until the parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.
Door Locks
There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.
From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the key in the driver door. From
inside, use the power door locks or
the manual door locks. To lock or
unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on
the manual lock knob.
Power Door Locks
If available, these switches are on
the front doors.
K: Press to unlock the doors.
Q:Press to lock the doors.
See Door Locks on page 2‑8.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-27
Storing Radio Stations
A maximum of 36 stations can
be stored as favorites using the
six softkeys located below the
radio station frequency tabs and by
using the radio FAV button. Press
FAV 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
stations.
For more information, see“Storing
Radio Stations” inAM-FM Radio on
page 7‑8.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
radio with CD, DVD, and USB Port:
1. Turn the ignition key to
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN,
then press
O, to turn the
radio on.
2. Press
Hto display HR, MIN,
MM, DD, and YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the labels to be
changed.
4. To increase or decrease the time or date, turn
fclockwise or
counter‐clockwise.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for the vehicle's specific
audio system, see Clock on
page 5‑8.
Satellite Radio
XM is a satellite radio service
that is 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 fee is required to receive the
XM service.
For more information, refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)
See Satellite Radio on page 7‑10.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Doors
Rear Doors (Extended Cab) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . 2-12
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Trailer-Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-18
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Rear Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Roof
Sunroof (Extended Cab) . . . . . 2-21
Sunroof (Crew Cab) . . . . . . . . . 2-22

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
2-2 Keys, Doors and Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key is used for the ignition and
all door locks.
The key has a bar-coded key tag
that the dealer or qualified locksmith
can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not
in the vehicle.See your dealer if a replacement
key or additional key is needed.
Notice:
If the keys get locked in
the vehicle, it may have to be
damaged to get them out. Always
carry a spare key.
If you are locked out of the vehicle,
call the Roadside Assistance
Center. See Roadside Assistance
Program (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑8 orRoadside Assistance
Program (Mexico) on page 13‑10.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-3
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑19 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance.
The transmitter may be
too far from the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
With Remote Start
(without Remote Start Similar)
/(Remote Vehicle Start):
For vehicles with this feature,
press
/to start the engine from
outside the vehicle using the RKE
transmitter. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2‑5 for additional
information.
Q(Lock): Press to lock all the
doors.
If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC),
the turn signal lamps flash once
to indicate locking has occurred.
If enabled through the DIC, the
horn chirps when
Qis pressed
again within three seconds.
See Vehicle Personalization
(with DIC Buttons) on page 5‑52
for additional information.
Pressing
Qarms the content
theft‐deterrent system.
See Anti-Theft Alarm
System on page 2‑12.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
2-4 Keys, Doors and Windows
K(Unlock):Press once to unlock
only the driver door. If
Kis pressed
again within three seconds, all
remaining doors unlock. The interior
lamps may come on and stay on for
20 seconds or until the ignition is
turned on.
If enabled through the DIC, the turn
signal lamps flash twice to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization (with DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑52. If enabled through
the DIC, the exterior lights may turn
on. See “Approach Lighting” under
Vehicle Personalization (with DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑52.
Pressing
Kon the RKE transmitter
disarms the content theft‐deterrent
system. See Anti-Theft Alarm
System on page 2‑12.
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times. Press and hold
Lfor more than
two seconds to activate the panic
alarm. The turn signal lamps flash
and the horn sounds repeatedly
for 30 seconds. The alarm turns
off when the ignition is moved to
ON/RUN or
Lis pressed again.
The ignition must be in LOCK/OFF
for the panic alarm to work.
The vehicle comes with two
transmitters. Each transmitter will
have a number on it: "1" or "2."
These numbers correspond to the
driver of the vehicle. For example,
the memory seat position for
driver 1 will be recalled when
using the transmitter labeled "1",
if enabled through the DIC.
See “Memory Seat, Mirrors,
and Pedals” underPower Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑4 andVehicle
Personalization (with DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑52 for more information.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter
is programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also
be reprogrammed. Any lost or
stolen transmitters will no longer
work once the new transmitter
is programmed. Each vehicle
can have up to eight transmitters
programmed to it. See your dealer
for transmitter programming.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC.
Notice:When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-5
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with aflat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.
.Carefully insert the tool into
the notch located along
the parting line of the
transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.
.Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object. 3. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
If available, this feature allows you
to start the engine from outside of
the vehicle. It may also start up the
vehicle's heating or air conditioning
systems and rear window defogger.
Normal operation of the system will
return after the key is turned to the
ON/RUN position.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures. If the
vehicle does not have an automatic
climate control system, the system
will turn on at the setting the vehicle
was set to when the vehicle was
last turned off. During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and
will shut off when the key is turned
to ON/RUN. If the vehicle does
not have an automatic climate
control system, during remote start,
manually turn the heated seats on
and off. See
Heated Front Seats on
page 3‑8 for additional information.
Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements
on remote starting of vehicles.