battery GMC SIERRA DENALI 2005 Owner's Manual

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
4-39

Trailer Wiring Harness
Your pickup is equipped with the eight-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness with a seven-pin universal
heavy-duty trailer connector is attached to a bracket
on the hitch platform.
The Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) wire is
tied next to the trailer wiring harness for use with a
trailer, slide-in camper or cap.The eight-wire harness contains the following trailer
circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Taillamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Light Blue: Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL)
Red: Battery Feed**
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake
**If your vehicle is charging a remote (non-vehicle)
battery, turn on the headlamps to boost the vehicle
system voltage and properly charge the battery.
4-62

Electric Brake Control Jumper
{CAUTION:
Be sure to use only the correct trailer brake
harness, the one intended for use on your
vehicle. If you use some other trailer brake
harness, even if it seems to t, your trailer
brakes may not work at all. You could have a
crash in which you or others could be injured.
Use only the trailer brake harness intended for
your vehicle. If it is no longer available to you,
be sure to get a proper replacement from your
dealer.This harness is included with your vehicle as part of the
heavy-duty trailer wiring package.
This harness is for an electric brake controller and
includes a trailer battery feed fuse. It should be installed
by your dealer or a qualied service center.
4-63

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-14
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-17
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . .5-28
Cooling System............................................5-29
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-34Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-46
Rear Axle.......................................................5-47
Front Axle......................................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-49
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-49
Headlamps..................................................5-49
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and Daytime
Running Lamps.........................................5-50
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp.............................................5-51
Taillamps.....................................................5-53
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-55
Tires..............................................................5-56
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-57
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-60
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-62
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-63
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-65
Buying New Tires.........................................5-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-67
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. SeeCooling
System on page 5-29andCoolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap on page 5-26.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-14.
E. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-14.
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic Transmission Fluid
on page 5-21.
G. Electric Engine Cooling Fan (If Equipped). See
Cooling System on page 5-29.H. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND). SeeJump
Starting on page 5-41.
I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-41.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-34.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” under
Brakes on page 5-37.
L. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-107.
M. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-40.
N. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-36.
5-13

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system — for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in — be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you do not, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance you have come to
expect can change in many other ways if someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery. When it is
time for a new battery, get one that has the replacement
number shown on the original battery’s label. We
recommend an ACDelco
®replacement battery. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for battery
location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days
or more, remove the black, negative (−) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. SeeJump Starting on page 5-41
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Also, for your audio system, seeTheft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-90.
5-40

Jump Starting
If your battery (or batteries) has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps
to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice:If the other vehicle’s system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able
to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in PARK (P) before setting the parking
brake. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure the transfer case is in a drive gear, not
in NEUTRAL.
5-41

Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all the lamps that are not needed. This
will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative (−) terminal locations.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative (−) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.The remote positive (+) terminal is located near the
engine accessory drive bracket. To uncover the
remote positive (+) terminal, open the red plastic
cover.
The remote negative (−) terminal is located on the
engine drive bracket and is marked GND.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
5-42

{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
ashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do
not need to add water to the battery installed
in your new vehicle. But if a battery has ller
caps, be sure the right amount of uid is there.
If it is low, add water to take care of that rst.
If you do not, explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it
in your eyes or on your skin, ush the place
with water and get medical help immediately.
{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or a remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−)oryou
will get a short that would damage the battery
and maybe other parts too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
5-43

6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery. Use
a remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to
the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) cable on the good battery. Use a
remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative (−) cable
does notgo to the dead battery. It goes to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part on the vehicle
with the dead battery, or to a remote negative (−)
terminal if the vehicle has one.9. Connect the other end
of the negative (−)
cable to the remote
negative (−) terminal,
marked GND, on
the vehicle with the
dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If
it will not start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
5-44