Service brake mode GMC SIERRA 2021 User Guide

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Vehicle Care 321
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 322
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 323
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 323
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 325
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 333
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343 Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 347
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 350
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 353
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . 357
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . 358
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 365
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 368
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 369
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 375
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . 377
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 377
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 378
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Vehicle Care 337
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the
coolant surge tank is boiling, wait until it
cools down. The coolant level should be at
or above the indicated mark. If it is not,
there may be a leak in the cooling system.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at or above the indicated mark, see the
following sections on how to add coolant to
the coolant surge tank following.
Automatic Coolant Service Fill
Instructions (L3B Engine)
This feature assists in filling and removing
air from the cooling system after service of
components or when coolant is added after
being too low.
To activate the fill and air removal process:1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap; slowly
counterclockwise about one full turn. If a
hiss is heard, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means there is still some
pressure left. 2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly,
and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the indicated mark.
4. Connect the vehicle to a battery charger.
5. Set the ignition to service mode, see Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) 0230
or
Ignition Positions (Key Access) 0229.
6. Turn off the air conditioning.
7. Set the parking brake.
8. At the same time, press the accelerator and the brake for automatic vehicles for
two seconds, then release.
9. Listen for pump activation and movement of the control valves while
watching the level of the coolant in the
surge tank. Add fluid as the level drops
below the indicated mark on the surge
tank. Allow 15 minutes for the fill and air
removal process to complete.
10. Reinstall the surge tank cap.
If the tank empties, turn the ignition off,
allow the Electronic Control Module (ECM) to
go to sleep, about two minutes, refill to the
indicated mark, and repeat Steps 5–9.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank for Gasoline Engines
Except L3B
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see
“Cooling System” in the Duramax diesel
supplement for the proper coolant fill
procedure.
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts can
burn you. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough.
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Customer Information 435
coverage is not available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching to
another insurance carrier.
If the vehicle is leased, the leasing company
may require you to have insurance that
ensures repairs with Genuine GM Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts or
Genuine Manufacturer replacement parts.
Read the lease carefully, as you may be
charged at the end of the lease for poor
quality repairs.
If a Crash Occurs
If there has been an injury, call emergency
services for help. Do not leave the scene of
a crash until all matters have been taken
care of. Move the vehicle only if its position
puts you in danger, or you are instructed to
move it by a police officer.
Give only the necessary information to
police and other parties involved in the
crash.
For emergency towing seeRoadside
Assistance Program 0431.
Gather the following information:
.Driver name, address, and telephone
number
.Driver license number
.Owner name, address, and telephone
number
.Vehicle license plate number
.Vehicle make, model, and model year
.Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.Insurance company and policy number
.General description of the damage to the
other vehicle
Choose a reputable repair facility that uses
quality replacement parts. See “Collision
Parts” earlier in this section.
If the airbag has inflated, see What Will You
See after an Airbag Inflates? 065.
Managing the Vehicle Damage Repair
Process
In the event that the vehicle requires
damage repairs, GM recommends that you
take an active role in its repair. If you have
a pre-determined repair facility of choice,
take the vehicle there, or have it towed
there. Specify to the facility that any
required replacement collision parts be
original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled original GM
parts. Remember, recycled parts will not be
covered by the GM vehicle warranty. Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but
you must live with the repair. Depending on
your policy limits, your insurance company
may initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with the
repair professional, and insist on Genuine
GM parts. Remember, if the vehicle is
leased, you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage does not
pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance company is
paying for the repairs, you are not obligated
to accept a repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy repair
limits, as you have no contractual limits
with that company. In such cases, you can
have control of the repair and parts choices
as long as the cost stays within reasonable
limits.
Publication Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service manuals have the diagnosis and
repair information on the engine,
transmission, axle, suspension, brakes,
electrical system, steering system, body, etc.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Cana-
da/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
454 Index
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
LightingEntry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Four-Wheel-Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Lights (cont'd)
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Hill Descent Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Lane Keep Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Lock
Steering Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Map Data Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Media
Avoiding Untrusted Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Messages Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Mirror Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . 38
Blind Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Cana-
da/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Index 455
Mirrors (cont'd)Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Trailer Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Driver Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
N
Navigation Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Navigation Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . 441
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162, 173
Operating Mode Overheated Engine Protection . . . . . . . . . 340
Operation
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
P
ParkShifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Parking
Brake and P (Park) MechanismCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Parking or Backing Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . 114
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . 209
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Phone Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . 185
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180, 181
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . 320
Port
USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Positioning Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174