traction control GMC SIERRA 2016 Owner's Guide

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
356 Vehicle Care
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts
and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals.
SeeBattery - North America 0382
and Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty. Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 085.

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
Vehicle Care 417
treadwear indicators. SeeTire
Inspection 0414 andTire Rotation
0 414 for additional information.
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacture date is the last four
digits of the DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) which is molded into
one side of the tire sidewall. The
first two digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits, the
year. For example, the third week of
the year 2010 would have a
four-digit DOT date of 0310.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to slow aging. This area should be free
of grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. See
Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0401 for additional
information.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four (six
for dual rear wheels). Uniform
tread depth on all tires will help
to maintain the performance of
the vehicle. Braking and
handling performance may be
adversely affected if all the tires
are not replaced at the same
time. If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires (six for dual rear
wheels) should wear out at
about the same time.

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
Vehicle Care 419
Spec rated tires are installed.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System 0409.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 269 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, roll bars,
traction control, electronic stability
control, or All-Wheel Drive, the
performance of these systems can
also be affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0417 and
Accessories and
Modifications 0356.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
420 Vehicle Care
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from thenorm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistanceto the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
422 Vehicle Care
Used Replacement Wheels
{Warning
Replacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.
Tire Chains
{Warning
If the vehicle has dual wheels or
265/65R18, P265/65R18, P275/
55R20, LT265/70R17, LT265/
70R18, LT265/60R20, LT275/
65R18, P285/50R20, 285/45R22,
or P285/45R22 size tires, do not
use tire chains. They can damage
the vehicle because there is not
enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in a
crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on the
vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
help avoid damage to the vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust, or remove
the device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
vehicle's wheels.
If you do find traction devices that
will fit, install them on the rear
tires.
Caution
If the vehicle does not have dual
wheels and has a tire size other
than 265/65R18, P265/65R18,
P275/55R20, LT265/70R17,
LT265/70R18, LT265/60R20,
LT275/65R18, P285/50R20, 285/
45R22, or P285/45R22, use tire
chains only where legal and only
when you must. Use chains that
are the proper size for the tires.
Install them on the tires of the
rear axle. Do not use chains on
the tires of the front axle. Tighten
them as tightly as possible with
the ends securely fastened. Drive
slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions. If you
can hear the chains contacting
the vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues,
slow down until it stops. Driving
too fast or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage the
vehicle.

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
498 Index
California (cont'd)Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .355, 382, 434
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Cargo
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 118
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Charging
Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 140 Check
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 387
Malfunction Indicator
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 88
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105, 108
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246, 248
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . 246, 248
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246, 248
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 479
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488 Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Control Light Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 135
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 475 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 481
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
502 Index
Lamps (cont'd)Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 315
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 144
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Light Hill Decent Control . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 180
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Lights (cont'd)
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 142
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Four-Wheel-Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 176
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 144
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 137
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 146
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 146
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
M
Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Maintenance and Care
Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 454 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 141
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 154

GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
Index 507
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . 144
TowingDriving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 322
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 322
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 439
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 348
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 348
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . 367, 370
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 419
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 170Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Updates Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205, 208
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 467
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Vehicle (cont'd)
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 162
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 145
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . 391
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 314
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163