lighting GMC SIERRA 2013 User Guide

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
6-4 Lighting
in the P (Park) position before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel which regulates when the
automatic headlamps turn on. Do
not cover the sensor, otherwise the
headlamps will come on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or heavy overcast
weather. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automaticheadlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor detects a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately one minute
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is bright
enough outside. During that delay,
the instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off, turn
the control to the off position.
The headlamps will also stay on
after you exit the vehicle. This
feature can be programmed using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑46.
If the vehicle is not equipped with
DIC buttons, exit lighting is
automatic. When it is dark enough
outside, the exterior lamps remain
on for 30 seconds after the ignition
is moved from ON/RUN to
LOCK/OFF.
For vehicles without a radio, the
instrument panel light remains on for
30 seconds with the driver door
closed. For vehicles with a radio,
the instrument panel light remains
on for 10 minutes with the driver
door closed. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑27.
The regular headlamp system can
be turned on when needed.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
Lighting 6-5
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. Press again to turn the
flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change. Raise or lower the lever for less
than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three
times. It will flash six times if
tow-haul mode is active. Holding the
turn signal lever for more than
one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until you release the
lever.
The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb may
be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If a bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 10‑39.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime will
sound at each flash of the turn
signal and the message TURN

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
6-6 Lighting
SIGNAL ON will also appear in the
Driver Information Control (DIC). To
turn the chime and message off,
move the turn signal lever to the off
position.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
control is located next to the exterior
lamp control on the instrument
panel, to the left of the steering
column.
The ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position for the fog lamps to
come on.
#(Fog Lamps):Press to turn the
fog lamps on or off. A light will come
on in the instrument cluster.
When the fog lamps are turned on,
the parking lamps automatically
turn on.
When the headlamps are changed
to high beam, the fog lamps also go
off. When the high-beam headlamps
are turned off, the fog lamps will
come on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on with
the fog lamps.
Auxiliary
Roof-Mounted Lamp
If the vehicle has this feature, this
button includes wiring provisions for
a dealer or a qualified service center
to install an auxiliary roof lamp.
This button is on the overhead
console.
When the wiring is connected to an
auxiliary roof-mounted lamp,
pressing the bottom of the button
will activate the lamp and illuminate
an indicator light at the bottom of
this button. Pressing the top of the
button will turn off the roof-mounted
lamp and indicator.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
Lighting 6-7
The emergency roof lamp circuit is
fused at 30 amps, so the total
current draw of the attached lamps
should be less than this value. The
attachment points for the roof lamp
circuits are two blunt cut wires
located above the overhead
console, a dark green switched
power wire and a black ground wire.
For more information on roof mount
emergency lamp installation, please
visit the GM Upfitter website at
www.gmupfitter.com or contact your
dealer.
If the vehicle has this button, the
vehicle may have the snow plow
prep package. SeeAdding a Snow
Plow or Similar Equipment on
page 9‑101.Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): This feature controls
the brightness of the instrument
panel lights and is located next to
the exterior lamps control.
Push the knob to extend out and
then it can be turned.
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the instrument panel lights. Turning
the knob to the farthest clockwise
position turns on the dome lamps.
Cargo Lamp
The cargo lamps come on by
turning the instrument panel
brightness control knob to the
farthest clockwise position. This
knob is located on the instrument
panel and also turns on the dome
lamps.
The cargo lamps can be used if
more light is needed in the cargo
area of the vehicle.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps are located in the
overhead console.
They come on when any door is
opened and turn off after all the
doors are closed.
Turn the instrument panel
brightness knob located below the
dome lamp override button,
clockwise to the farthest position to
manually turn on the dome lamps.
The dome lamps remain on until the
knob is turned counterclockwise.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
6-8 Lighting
Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.
k(Dome Off):Press the button
in and the dome lamps remain off
when a door is opened. Press the
button again to return it to the
extended position so that the dome
lamps come on when a door is
opened.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps,
they are located on the overhead
console.
To turn on the reading lamps, press
the button located next to each
lamp. To turn them off, press the
button again.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. To turn the
lamps on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp.
If the vehicle has a DVD Rear Seat
Entertainment (RSE) system, press
the lamp lenses to turn the lamps on
or off.
The lamps are fixed and cannot be
adjusted.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated entry
feature.
When the doors are opened, the
dome lamps will come on if the
dome override button is in the
extended position. If the dome
override button is pressed in, the
lamps will not come on.
Exit Lighting
The interior lamps come on when
the key is removed from the ignition.
They turn off automatically in
20 seconds. The lights do not come
on if the dome override button is
pressed in.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
Lighting 6-9
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays, it
is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome and
reading lamps, if they are left on for
more than 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned off. The cargo
lamp shuts off after 20 minutes. This
prevents the battery from
running down.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
6-10 Lighting
2NOTES

Black plate (35,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
Vehicle Care 10-35
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps
A. Side Marker Lamp
B. High-Beam Headlamp
C. Low-Beam Headlamp
D. Park/Turn Signal Lamp
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood on
page 10‑4 2. When replacing a driver side
bulb on a vehicle with duel
batteries, see your dealer.
3. When replacing a bulb on the passenger side, remove the
Engine Air Cleaner cover. See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
4. Reach in and access the bulb sockets from inside the engine
compartment.
5. Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise to remove it
from the headlamp assembly
and pull it straight out.
6. Unplug the electrical connector from the old bulb by releasing
the clips on the bulb socket.
7. Replace it with a new bulb.
8. Plug in the electrical connector.
9. Reinstall the new bulb socket into the headlamp assembly and
turn it clockwise to secure.
Pick-Up Box Identification
and Fender Marker
Lamps
The pick-up box identification lamps
are LEDs. For replacement of the
LED lighting assembly contact your
dealer.
To replace a pickup box fender
marker lamp bulb:
1. Press the tab from the back toremove the lamp.
2. Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise to remove from
the lamp assembly.
3. Gently pry the bulb from the socket.
4. Install the new bulb in socket.
5. Reinstall socket into lamp assembly.
6. Reinstall the lamp assembly.

Black plate (44,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
10-44 Vehicle Care
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown.Fuses Usage
1 Rear Seats
2 Rear Accessory Power Outlet Fuses Usage
3 Steering Wheel Controls Backlight
4 Driver Door Module
5 Dome Lamps, Driver Side Turn Signal Fuses Usage
6 Driver Side Turn Signal, Stoplamp
7 Instrument Panel Back Lighting
8 Passenger Side Turn Signal, Stoplamp
9 Passenger Door Module, Driver Unlock
10 Power Door Lock 2 (Unlock Feature)
11 Power Door Lock 2 (Lock Feature)
12 Stoplamps, Center High‐Mounted
Stoplamp
13 Rear Climate Controls
14 Power Mirror
15 Body Control Module (BCM)
16 Accessory Power Outlets

Black plate (4,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
i-4 INDEX
DrivingCharacteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-71
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-33
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-11
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
DVD Rear Seat Entertainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-101
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-5
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15 Engine (cont'd)
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-39
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-32
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-89
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2