automatic transmission GMC SIERRA 2019 Owner's Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/13/19
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 16
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 23
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 25
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 25
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 25
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Universal Remote System . . . . . 26
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (Gasoline - Except L87 6.2L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Fuel (Gasoline - L87 6.2L
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 29
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/13/19
In Brief 7
1. Tow/Haul Mode (On SomeModels). See Driver Mode
Control 0250.
Automatic Transfer Case
Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive 0239.
Driver Mode Control 0250 (If
Equipped).
2. Air Vents 0197.
3. Head-Up Display (HUD) 0166
(If Equipped).
4. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 184.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 133.
5. Instrument Cluster 0140.
6. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0233.
Range Selection Mode. See
Manual Mode 0235.
7. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0182.
8. Infotainment 0190. 9.
Climate Control Systems 0191
(If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0193 (If Equipped).
10. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 076 (If Equipped).
11.
XPark Assist Switch (If
Equipped). See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing
0 259.
gTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0247.
|Hazard Warning Flashers
0 183.
ALane Keep Assist (LKA)
0 274 (If Equipped).
5Hill Descent Control Switch
(If Equipped). See Hill Descent
Control (HDC) 0249.
jPower Assist Steps 054 (If
Equipped).
5Power Release Tailgate
(If Equipped). See Tailgate
0 48. DC/AC Switch. See
Power
Outlets 0134.
hAuto Stop Disable Switch
(If Equipped). See Stop/Start
System 0225.
LExpress Window Down
Button (If Equipped). See
Power Windows 064.
Tow/Haul Mode (On Some
Models). See Driver Mode
Control 0250.
12. Power Outlet (Alternating Current) (If Equipped). See
Power Outlets 0134.
13. Power Outlets 0134.
14. USB Port. See the infotainment manual.
15. Wireless Charging 0137 (If
Equipped).
16. Trailer Brake Control Panel (If Equipped). See “Integrated
Trailer Brake Control System”
under Towing Equipment
0 290.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/13/19
In Brief 21
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
1. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
2. MAX Defrost
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. A/C (Air Conditioning)
5. SYNC (Synchronized Temperature)
6. Recirculation
7. Power Button 8. Fan Control
9. Rear Window Defogger (If
Equipped)
10. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
See Climate Control Systems 0191
or
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0193 (If Equipped).
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch
is on the shift lever.
1. To enable the Range Selection feature, move the shift lever to
the L (Manual Mode) position.
The current range will appear
next to the L. This is the
highest attainable range with
all lower gears accessible. As
an example, when 5 (Fifth)
gear is selected, 1 (First)
through 5 (Fifth) gears are
available.
2. Press the plus/minus buttons on the shift lever to select the
desired range of gears for
current driving conditions. See
Manual Mode 0235.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/13/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 47
PressQon the door lock switch
again or press
Qon the RKE
transmitter to lock the doors
immediately.
This feature can be programmed.
See Vehicle Personalization 0170.
Automatic Door Locks
If equipped, the doors will lock
automatically when all doors are
closed, the ignition is on, and the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
If a vehicle door is unlocked, and
then opened and closed, the doors
will lock either when your foot is
removed from the brake or the
vehicle speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
To unlock the doors:
.
Press
Kon the power door lock
switch.
. Shift the transmission into
P (Park). Automatic door locking cannot be
disabled. Automatic door unlocking
can be programmed. See
Vehicle
Personalization 0170.
Lockout Protection
If the ignition is on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY and the power door
lock switch is pressed with the
driver door open, all the doors will
lock and only the driver door will
unlock.
If the vehicle is off and locking is
requested while a door is open,
when all doors are closed the
vehicle will check for RKE
transmitters inside. If an RKE
transmitter is detected and the
number of RKE transmitters inside
has not reduced, the driver door will
unlock and the horn will chirp three
times.
Lockout Protection can be manually
overridden with the driver door open
by pressing and holding
Qon the
power door lock switch. Open Door Anti-Lockout
If Open Door Anti-Lockout is turned
on and the vehicle is off, the driver
door is open, and locking is
requested, all the doors will lock and
the driver door will unlock. Press the
button again to lock the driver door.
The Open Door Anti-Lockout feature
can be turned on or off. See
Vehicle
Personalization 0170.
Safety Locks
The rear door safety locks prevent
passengers from opening the rear
doors from inside the vehicle.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/14/19
Instruments and Controls 165
Air Filter Life :Shows an estimate
of the engine air filter ’s remaining
useful life and the state of the
system. Engine Air Filter Life 95%
means 95% of the current air filter
life remains. Messages will display
based on the engine air filter life and
the state of the system. When the
REPLACE SOON message
displays, the engine air filter should
be replaced at the earliest
convenience.
The Air Filter Life display must be
reset after the engine air filter
replacement. To reset, see Engine
Air Filter Life System 0330.
Brake Pad Life : This displays an
estimate of the remaining life of the
front and rear brake pads.
Messages will display based on
brake pad wear and the state of the
system. Reset the Brake Pad Life
display after replacing the brake
pads. See Brake Pad Life System
0 340. Fuel Economy :
Displays average
fuel economy, the best fuel
economy over the selected
distance, and a bar graph showing
instantaneous fuel economy.
Press the thumbwheel to change
the selected distance. Press and
hold the thumbwheel while this
display is active to reset the best
fuel economy and average fuel
economy. This display can also be
reset by selecting reset in the menu.
Engine Hours (Hourmeter) :
Shows the total number of hours the
engine has run. This display also
shows the engine idle hours.
Transmission Fluid
Temperature : Shows the
temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid in either degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F).
Trailer Brake : On vehicles with the
Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake
display appears in the DIC. TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer
gain setting. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either
a trailer connected or disconnected.
OUTPUT shows the power output to
the trailer any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed as a bar graph. Dotted
lines may appear in the OUTPUT
display if a trailer is not connected.
Off Road :
Displays vehicle pitch
and roll information, road wheel
angle, and four-wheel drive (4WD)
status.
Follow Distance : If equipped, the
current follow time to the vehicle
ahead is displayed as a time value
on this page.
Driver Assistance : If equipped,
shows information for Lane Keep
Assist (LKA) and Forward Collision
Alert (FCA).
Info Page Options : Scroll to
choose which info pages appear on
the DIC. Press the thumbwheel to
select or deselect.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/13/19
182 Lighting
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want
to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will turn
on. Depending on the type of
headlamp, they will either turn off
after a short duration or stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on theinstrument cluster will come on.
Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The transmission is not in
P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only
the DRL are on. The taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on. When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is
parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/14/19
Driving and Operating 199
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 208
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 209
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 211
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 220
Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 231
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 233
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 245
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 247
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 249
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 250
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . 255
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 258
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 259
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 272
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 274

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/14/19
Driving and Operating 205
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn 0231.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further. When driving on hills:
.
Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
. Maintain a slow speed.
. When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
. Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
. Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause a crash. There
could be a drop-off, embankment,
cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a
hill, slow down and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two-speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park). This is because the
N (Neutral) position on the
transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/14/19
Driving and Operating 225
Starting Procedure
1. For Key Access vehicles, turnthe ignition key to START.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key.
For Keyless Access vehicles,
the RKE transmitter must be in
the vehicle. Press ENGINE
START/STOP with the brake
pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go
of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
When the low fuel warning light
is on and the FUEL LEVEL
LOW message is displayed in
the Driver Information Center
(DIC), hold the ignition switch
in the START position to
continue engine cranking.Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there
while holding the key in START
or ENGINE START/STOP for
up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key or button and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, do the same thing.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race
the engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Stop/Start System
If equipped, the Stop/Start system
will shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. It has components
designed for the increased number
of starts.
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may
restart and move unexpectedly.
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - CRC - 5/14/19
226 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
Always shift to P (Park), and then
turn the ignition off before exiting
the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer
0 145. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart.
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the
engine to automatically restart
before the brake pedal is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or
Auto Starts may occur because:
. The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle
interior.
. The vehicle battery charge
is low. .
The vehicle battery has recently
been disconnected.
. Minimum vehicle speed has not
been reached since the last
Auto Stop.
. The accelerator pedal is
pressed.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range.
. The vehicle is in any gear other
than D (Drive).
. Tow/Haul Mode or other driver
modes have been selected.
. The vehicle is on a steep hill or
grade.
. The driver door has been
opened or the driver seat belt
has been unbuckled.
. The hood has been opened.
. The Auto Stop has reached the
maximum allowed time. Auto Stop Disable Switch
If equipped, the automatic engine
Stop/Start feature can be disabled
and enabled by pressing the switch
with the
hsymbol. Auto Stop is
enabled each time you start the
vehicle.
When
his illuminated, the system
is enabled.