power steering GMC SIERRA 2017 User Guide

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
178 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 178
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 182
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . 183
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Battery Load Management . . . 186
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 187Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
O(Off) : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is in
P (Park).

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
184 Lighting
this button. Pressing the top of the
button will turn off the roof-mounted
lamp and indicator.
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
above the overhead console: a dark
green with blue stripe switched
power wire and a black ground wire.
For information on roof-mounted
emergency lamp installation, see
www.gmupfitter.com or contact your
dealer.
If the vehicle has this button, the
vehicle may have the snow plow
prep package. SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0350.Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This feature controls the brightness
of the steering wheel and instrument
panel lights. The instrument panel
illumination control is next to the
exterior lamp control.
D:Move the thumbwheel up or
down to brighten or dim the lights.
Cargo Lamp
The cargo lamp provides more light
in the cargo area or on the sides of
the vehicle, if needed. The lights
inside the pickup box and/or on the
outside mirrors also turn on,
if equipped.
Press the switch to turn the cargo
lamp on or off. An indicator light will
turn on when the lamp is turned on,
if equipped. The shift lever must be
in P (Park) to operate the cargo
lamp. The lights on the outside
rearview mirrors turn on if the shift
lever is in R (Reverse), N (Neutral),
or P (Park).

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Infotainment System 189
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid
distraction by disabling some
functions when driving. These
functions may gray out when they
are unavailable. Many infotainment
features are also available through
the instrument cluster and steering
wheel controls.
Before driving:
.Become familiar with the
operation, center stack controls,
and infotainment display
controls.
. Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
. Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
control or by using a single voice
command if equipped with
Bluetooth phone capability.
See Defensive Driving 0254.
To play the infotainment system with
the ignition off, see Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0277.Theft-Deterrent Feature
TheftLock is designed to discourage
theft of the vehicle's radio by
learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN). The
radio does not operate if it is stolen
or moved to a different vehicle.
Overview (Base Radio)
Infotainment System Overview
The infotainment system is
controlled by using the buttons on
the faceplate and steering wheel
controls, if equipped. See Steering
Wheel Controls 0125.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Infotainment System 217
destination entry and voice keypad,
can be completed in a single
command. If the task takes more
than one command to complete, the
first command would be to indicate
the kind of task that is to be
performed. The system replies with
prompts that lead through a dialog
to enter the necessary information.
Voice recognition can be used when
the ignition is on or when Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0277.
Using Voice Recognition
Voice recognition becomes available
once the system has been
initialized. This begins when the
ignition is turned on. Initialization
may take a few moments.
1. Press
gon the steering wheel
control to activate voice
recognition, or select
gon the
infotainment screen on the
center stack.
. If voice recognition is
started from the steering
wheel control, the instrument cluster displays
the selections and visual
dialog content.
. If voice recognition is
started from the
infotainment screen, the
selections and visual dialog
content are displayed on
both the center stack
display and the instrument
cluster display.
2. The audio system mutes and the system plays a prompt
followed by a beep.
3. Wait until after the beep completes, then clearly speak
one of the commands
described in this section.
Press
gto interrupt any voice
recognition system prompt. For
example, if the prompt seems
to be taking too long to finish,
press
gagain and the beep
should happen right away.
There are two voice prompt modes
supported: .
Long verbal prompts: The longer
prompts provide more
information regarding the
supported actions.
. Short prompts: The short
prompts provide simple
instructions about what can be
stated.
If a command is not spoken, the
voice recognition system says a
help prompt.
Prompts and Screen Displays
While a voice recognition session is
active, there will be corresponding
buttons on screens displayed.
Manual interaction in the voice
recognition session is permitted.
Interaction during a voice session
may be completed entirely using
voice commands, or some
selections may expedite a session.
If a selection is made using a
manual control, the dialog will
progress in the same way as if the
selection was made through a voice
command. Once the system is able
to complete the task, or the session
is terminated, the voice recognition
dialog stops.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
252 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 261
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 262
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 264
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 273
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 278
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 281
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 283
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 298
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 301
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 305
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 306
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 316
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
254 Driving and Operating
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts
0 65.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time. Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Driving and Operating 255
Steering
Electric Power Steering (1500
Series)
If the vehicle has electric power
steering, it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages underSteering System
Messages 0163.
Hydraulic Power Steering
(2500/3500 Series)
(2500/3500 Series –All Regular
Cab, Double Cab/Crew Cab
without Digital Steer Assist)
The power steering system may
require maintenance.
See Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) 0379 orPower Steering
Fluid (2500/3500 Series) 0379.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system malfunctions, the vehicle
can be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer.
(2500/3500 Series –Double Cab/
Crew Cab with Digital Steer
Assist)
The vehicle has a Digital Steer
Assist power steering system that
varies the amount of effort required
to steer the vehicle. Less steering
effort is required at slower speeds.
At faster speeds, the steering effort
increases. The system helps the
steering wheel return to center at
low speeds. Pressing the Tow/Haul button adjusts steering effort for
driving conditions described in
Tow/
Haul Mode 0288.
The power steering system may
require maintenance.
See Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) 0379 orPower Steering
Fluid (2500/3500 Series) 0379.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system malfunctions, the vehicle
can be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds,
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
274 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
Vehicles with Key Access have an
ignition switch with four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
0 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF) :When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0277. This position locks the ignition and
steering wheel. It also locks the
transmission on automatic
transmission vehicles. The key can
be removed in LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0297.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Driving and Operating 275
Caution
Using a tool to force the key to
turn in the ignition could cause
damage to the switch or break the
key. Use the correct key, make
sure it is all the way in, and turn it
only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position lets things like the radio
and the windshield wipers operate
while the engine is off. It also
unlocks the steering wheel. Use this
position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.
If the key is left in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. The vehicle may not
start if the battery is allowed to drain
for an extended period of time.
3 (START) :
This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened and the
ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF, and the key is in the
ignition.
Starting the Engine
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
For an eAssist vehicle, see the
Silverado/Sierra eAssist
supplement.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Add-On Electrical Equipment
0 350.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the power steering
system and there may be loss of
power steering assist.
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/19/17
Driving and Operating 289
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped, four-wheel drive
engages the front axle for extra
traction. Read the appropriate
section for transfer case operation
before using.
Caution
Do not drive on clean, dry
pavement in 4
mand 4n(if
equipped) for an extended period
of time. These conditions may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle’s powertrain.
Driving on clean, dry pavement in
4
mor 4nmay:
. Cause a vibration to be felt in
the steering system.
. Cause tires to wear faster.
. Make the transfer case harder to
shift, and cause it to run noisier.
{Warning
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake
0 297.
Caution
Extended high-speed operation in
4
nmay damage or shorten the
life of the drivetrain.
Engagement noise and bump when
shifting between 4
nand 4mor from
N (Neutral), with the engine running,
is normal.
Shifting into 4
nwill turn Traction
Control and StabiliTrak®off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0299.
Manual Transfer Case
Move the lever to shift into and out
of four-wheel drive.
An indicator light comes on when
four-wheel drive is engaged. See
Four-Wheel-Drive Light 0147.