four wheel drive GMC SIERRA DENALI 2015 Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
In Brief 1-1
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated and Cooled Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18 Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Universal Remote System . . . 1-19
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Performance and Maintenance Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-20
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-21
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
OnStar ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

Black plate (3,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
In Brief 1-31. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6-6 .
2. Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) System (If Equipped).
See Towing Equipment on
page 9-78 .
3. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6-1 .
Fog Lamps on page 6-5 (If
Equipped).
4. Air Vents on page 8-4 .
5. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on
page 6-4 .
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5-3 .
6. Favorite Switches (Out of View).
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-2 .
Volume Switches (Out of View).
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-2 .
7. Instrument Cluster on page 5-9 . 8. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6-4
9. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9-33 .
Tow/Haul Selector Button (If
Equipped). See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9-39 .
Range Selection Mode (If
Equipped). See Manual Mode on
page 9-36 .
10. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System on
page 6-3 .
11. Infotainment on page 7-1 .
12. Electronic Transfer Case
Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9-40 .
13. Parking Brake on page 9-47 .
14. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5-18 . 15. Cruise Control on page 9-52 .
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9-59 (If
Equipped).
16. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5-2 (Out of View).
17. Horn on page 5-3 .
18. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10-4 .
19. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-2 (If Equipped).
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Controls. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5-27 .
20. Heated and Cooled Front
Seats on page 3-7 (If
Equipped).
21. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8-1 .

Black plate (15,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
In Brief 1-15
Transmission Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode button
is on the shift lever.
To enable Range Selection:
1. Move the shift lever to
M (Manual Mode). The current
range will appear next to the M.
This is the highest possible
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 to
select the range of gears for
current driving conditions. See
Manual Mode on page 9-36 . While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul
mode can be used.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9-39 .
Four-Wheel Drive If the vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive,
the engine's driving power can be
sent to all four wheels for extra
traction.
Transfer Case Controls The vehicle will have one of two
styles of transfer case controls. Use
these controls to shift into and out of
the different four-wheel drive
modes. Electronic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is to the left
of the steering column.

Black plate (16,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
1-16 In Brief Automatic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is to the left
of the steering column.
The different drive options that may
be available are described following.
2
m (Two-Wheel Drive High): This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction
conditions are variable. Do not use AUTO mode to park on
a steep grade with poor traction
such as ice, snow, mud or gravel. In
AUTO mode only the rear wheels
will hold the vehicle from sliding
when parked. If parking on a steep
grade, use 4
m to keep all four
wheels engaged.
4
m (Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
this setting when extra traction is
needed, such as on snowy or icy
roads or in most off-road situations.
N (Neutral): Shift to this setting
only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10-91 or Trailer Towing on
page 9-71 .
4
n (Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting sends maximum power to all
four wheels. Choose Four-Wheel
Drive Low when driving in deep
sand, mud, or snow, and while
climbing or descending steep hills.
See Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9-40 .Vehicle Features Infotainment System See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
and voice or speech recognition.
It also includes information on
settings.
Steering Wheel Controls The infotainment system can be
operated by using the steering
wheel controls. See "Steering
Wheel Controls" in the infotainment
manual.

Black plate (1,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Transmission Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 5-22
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
StabiliTrak ®
OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak ®
Light . . . . 5-24
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-25
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-25 Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-26
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Information Displays Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-32
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-34
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-35
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-35
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Ride Control System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36

Black plate (22,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
5-22 Instruments and Controls vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5-21 and Brake System
Messages on page 5-32 .
Four-Wheel-Drive Light The four-wheel-drive light comes on
when the transfer case is shifted
into four-wheel drive and the front
axle engages. LO or HI will also be
next to this light when the vehicle is
in four-wheel low or four-wheel high.
Some delay between the shifting
and the light coming on is normal.
See Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9-40 .
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9-39 .Hill Descent Control Light
If equipped, the Hill Descent Control
light comes on when the system is
ready for use. When the light
flashes, the system is active.
See Hill Descent Control (HDC) on
page 9-51 .
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light
This light is green if LDW is on and
ready to operate.

Black plate (31,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
Instruments and Controls 5-31Transmission Fluid Temperature
Gauge: Shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Off Road: Displays vehicle pitch
and roll information, road wheel
angle, and four-wheel drive (4WD)
status.
Vehicle Messages Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V .
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement. Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE When the vehicle ’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes will
sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
battery voltage drops below
expected levels and features are
disabled. Turn off all unnecessary
accessory features.

Black plate (37,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
Instruments and Controls 5-37TRACTION CONTROL OFF This message displays when the
traction control has been turned off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-49 .
TRACTION CONTROL ON This message displays when the
traction control is active. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control on page 9-49 .
STABILITRAK OFF This message displays when the
StabiliTrak system has been turned
off. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize the
full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should
normally leave StabiliTrak on. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control on page 9-49 . STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
The following conditions can cause
this message to appear: .
The system is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time. .
The brake system warning light
is on. See Brake System
Warning Light on page 5-21 ..
The stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions. .
An engine or vehicle-related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer. .
The transfer case is in
Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present. Airbag System Messages SERVICE AIRBAG This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Take the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
Safety Belt Messages SHIFTER LOCKED. BUCKLE
SEATBELT This message displays if the vehicle
is equipped with the Safety Belt
Assurance System and the driver
and front outboard passenger,
if present, safety belts are not
buckled. The vehicle will not shift
out of P (Park). Buckle the safety
belt(s) to unlock the shift lever.
This system may not allow the
vehicle to shift out of P (Park) if an
object - such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device - is on the
front outboard passenger seat.

Black plate (39,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
Instruments and Controls 5-39If the warning comes on and stays
on, there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE If equipped with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the system
is relearning the tire positions on
your vehicle. The tire positions must
be relearned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor.
See Tire Inspection on page 10-65 ,
Tire Rotation on page 10-65 , Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10-61 , and Tire Pressure on
page 10-59 . TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD
AIR TO TIRE If equipped with 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 with a vehicle picture
to indicate the location of the low
tire. The low tire pressure warning
light will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light on page 5-25 . You
can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. 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 and
Loading Information label. See Tires
on page 10-50 , Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9-15 , and Tire Pressure on
page 10-59 . The DIC also shows
the tire pressure values. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5-27 . Transmission Messages 4WD OFF If equipped with four-wheel drive,
this message displays when the
four-wheel-drive system is
temporarily disabled due to an
overheated condition. The vehicle
will run in two-wheel drive when this
message is present. Once the
four-wheel-drive system cools down,
the message turns off and the
four-wheel-drive system returns to
normal operation.
4WD SHIFT IN PROGRESS This message will display while the
four-wheel-drive system is shifting.
FOR 4WD LOW SHIFT TO
NEUTRAL
If a four-wheel drive shift into 4
n is
requested, and the vehicle speed is
correct, but the transmission is not
in N (Neutral), this message will
display until the transmission is
shifted to N (Neutral).

Black plate (40,1)GMC 2015i Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431500) - 2015 - crc - 6/20/14
5-40 Instruments and Controls FOR 4WD LOW SLOW TO XXX If a four-wheel drive shift into 4
n is
requested, but the vehicle speed is
too high, this message will display
until the correct vehicle speed is
reached.
GRADE BRAKING ACTIVE This message displays when grade
braking has been activated while
driving on downhill grades. This
message will only appear the first
time the feature is activated in an
ignition cycle. See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9-39 , Automatic
Transmission on page 9-33 , and
Cruise Control on page 9-52 .
GRADE BRAKING OFF
This message displays when grade
braking has been disabled with the
Tow/Haul Mode button on the end of
the shift lever. See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9-39 , Automatic
Transmission on page 9-33 , and
Cruise Control on page 9-52 . GRADE BRAKING ON This message displays when grade
braking has been enabled with the
Tow/Haul Mode button on the end of
the shift lever. See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9-39 , Automatic
Transmission on page 9-33 , and
Cruise Control on page 9-52 .
SERVICE 4WD If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
this message may display if a
problem occurs with the
four-wheel-drive system. If this
message appears, stop as soon as
possible and turn off the vehicle.
Make sure the key is in the LOCK/
OFF position for at least
one minute, then restart the vehicle
and check for the message on the
DIC display. If the message is still
displayed or appears again when
you begin driving, the
four-wheel-drive system needs
service. See your dealer. SHIFT DENIED This message displays when the
shift lever is in M (Manual Mode)
and a transmission range has been
selected that is unavailable at the
current vehicle speed.
TO EXIT 4WD LOW SHIFT TO
NEUTRAL If a four-wheel drive shift out of 4
n is
requested, and the vehicle speed is
correct, but the transmission is not
in N (Neutral), this message will
display until the transmission is
shifted to N (Neutral).
TO EXIT 4WD LOW SLOW
TO XXX
If a four-wheel drive shift out of 4
n is
requested, but the vehicle speed is
too high, this message will display
until the correct vehicle speed is
reached.