check engine light GMC SIERRA DENALI 2010 User Guide

SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, this message displays and a chime
sounds when there is a problem with the ITBC system.
When this message displays, power is no longer
available to the trailer brakes.
As soon as it is safe to do so, carefully pull your vehicle
over to the side of the road and turn the ignition off.
Check the wiring connection to the trailer and turn the
ignition back on. If this message still displays, either
your vehicle or the trailer needs service. See your
dealer/retailer.
See“Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑42for more information.
STABILITRAK OFF
If your vehicle has StabiliTrak, this message displays
when you turn off StabiliTrak, or when the stability
control has been automatically disabled. To limit wheel
spin and realize the full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak on. However, you should turn StabiliTrak off
if your vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow and
you want to rock your vehicle to attempt to free it, or if
you are driving in extreme off-road conditions and
require more wheel spin. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 5‑6. To turn the
StabiliTrak system on or off, see StabiliTrak®Systemon page 5‑6.
There are several conditions that can cause this
message to appear.
.One condition is overheating, which could occur if
StabiliTrak activates continuously for an extended
period of time.
.The message also displays if the brake system
warning light is on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 4‑34.
.The message could display if the stability system
takes longer than usual to complete its diagnostic
checks due to driving conditions.
.The message displays if an engine or vehicle
related problem has been detected and the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer/retailer.
The message turns off as soon as the conditions that
caused the message to be displayed are no longer
present.
4-64

TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along with the check engine
light on the instrument panel cluster if the vehicle's fuel
cap is not tightened properly. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp
on page 4‑38. Reinstall the fuel cap fully. See
Filling the Tankon page 6‑10. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel cap allows
fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving
trips with the cap properly installed should turn this light
and message off.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the system is
re-learning the tire positions on your vehicle. The tire
positions must be re-learned after rotating the tires or
after replacing a tire or sensor. See Tire Inspection and
Rotation
on page 6‑78, Tire Pressure Monitor Systemon page 6‑73, and Inflation - Tire Pressureon
page 6‑71for more information.
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), this message displays when the pressure in
one or more of the vehicle's tires is low. This message
also displays LEFT FRT (left front), RIGHT FRT (right
front), LEFT RR (left rear), or RIGHT RR (right rear) to
indicate the location of the low tire. The low tire
pressure warning light will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light
on page 4‑37. You can receive more
than one tire pressure message at a time. To read the
other messages that may have been sent at the same
time, press the set/reset button or the trip odometer
reset stem. If a tire pressure message appears on the
DIC, stop as soon as you can. Have the tire pressures
checked and set to those shown on the Tire Loading
Information label. See Tires
on page 6‑62,Loading the
Vehicleon page 5‑31, and Inflation - Tire Pressureon
page 6‑71. The DIC also shows the tire pressure
values. See “DIC Operation and Displays (Using DIC
Buttons)” earlier in this section.
4-65

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts, heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking,
rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake.
The brakes might not have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much faster with a lot of
heavy braking. Keeping pace with the traffic and
allowing realistic following distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being
driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes.
If the brakes are pumped, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, there will still 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.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6‑4.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the vehicle begins to
drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
on
page 4‑36.
Along with ABS, the vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights come on
accompanied by a 10‐second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer/retailer for
service.
5-4

Gasoline Octane
Use premium unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 91 or higher. You can also use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, but the
vehicle's acceleration could be slightly reduced, and a
slight audible knocking noise, commonly referred to as
spark knock, might be heard. If the octane is less than
87, you might notice a heavy knocking noise when you
drive. If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane
or higher as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could
damage the engine. If heavy knocking is heard when
using gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM
specification D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines
contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
We recommend against the use of gasolines containing
MMT. SeeAdditives
on page 6‑8for additional
information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certified to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. See the underhood emission
control label. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, the vehicle will
operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
might be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp could
turn on and the vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 4‑38. If this
occurs, return to your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs might not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
6-7

{WARNING:
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.
{WARNING:
Using an open flame near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight 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 filler caps, be
sure the right amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that first. If you do not,
explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you. Do
not get it on you. If you accidentally get it in your
eyes or on your skin, flush the place with water
and get medical help immediately.
{WARNING:
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 to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you
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.
6-46

A
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Active Fuel Management™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-8
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17, 4-20
Airbag Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-EquippedVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-72
Airbag System How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-66
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-63
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . 2-64
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-58 Airbags
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-56
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-9
Antenna Fixed Mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-140
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-140
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Appearance Care Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-106
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-105
i - 1

C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
CaliforniaPerchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-122
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
CD, MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-99, 4-106
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-85
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Check Engine Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112 Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 2-43
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-52
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-114
Cleaning
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-106
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-109
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other PlasticSurfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-105
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-107
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-111
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-112
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Wood Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-108
i - 3

Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17, 4-20 Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
High-Speed Operation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Hood Checking Things Under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-71
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Integrated Trailer Brake Control System (ITBC) . . . . 5-42
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-2
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Keyless Entry System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
i - 8

M
Maintenance ScheduleMaintenance Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Owner Checks and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-6
Message DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57
Mirrors Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Outside Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-99, 4-106
N
Navigation System, Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-115
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Pressure Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-5
OnStar, Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
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