check oil GMC SIERRA DENALI 2017 Owners Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Instruments and Controls 123
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 124
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 125
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 125
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 126
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Transmission Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 140
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 141
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 143
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 144
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . 147
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 147
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 147
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light (2500/3500) . . . . 147
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light
(1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 148
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 148
Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 150 Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 150
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 151
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 151
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 151
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 152
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Information Displays Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level Cluster) . . . . . . . . 152
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel and Denali
Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Brake System Messages . . . . . 158
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 158
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 158
Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 159
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 160
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 160
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 160
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Instruments and Controls 137When the indicator nears empty, the
low fuel light comes on. There still is
a little fuel left, but the vehicle
should be refueled soon.
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with the fuel gauge:
.
At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.
It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.
The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.
The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off. Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge
Metric, Standard Theme Shown English, Standard Theme Shown
The engine oil pressure gauge
shows the engine oil pressure
in kPa (kilopascals) or psi (pounds
per square inch) when the engine is
running.
Oil pressure can vary with engine
speed, outside temperature, coolant
temperature, and oil viscosity.
A reading outside the normal
operating range can be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or some
other problem causing low oil
pressure. Check the vehicle's oil as
soon as possible. See “ OIL

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
138 Instruments and Controls PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE ”
under Engine Oil Messages 0 159
and Engine Oil 0 364 .
CautionLack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
the oil level as soon as possible.
Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement. Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric, Standard Theme Shown English, Standard Theme Shown
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature. Under normal
driving conditions the gauge will
read approximately 100 °C (210 °F)
or less. If the gauge pointer is near
125 °C (260 °F), the engine is
too hot.
It means that the engine coolant has
overheated. If the vehicle has been
operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
150 Instruments and Controls
Tire Pressure Light For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See Tire Messages 0 164 .
Stop as soon as possible, and
inflate the tires to the pressure value
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire Pressure
0 408 . When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0 411 .
Engine Oil Pressure Light CautionLack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
the oil level as soon as possible.
Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil. This light should come on briefly as
the engine is started. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light is near the fuel gauge and
comes on briefly when the ignition is
turned on as a check to show it is
working.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
152 Instruments and Controls
Cruise Control Light For vehicles with cruise control, the
cruise control light is white when the
cruise control is on and ready, and
turns green when the cruise control
is set and active.
The light turns off when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control 0 302 .
Door Ajar Light
This light comes on when a door is
open or not securely latched. Before
driving, check that all doors are
properly closed. Information Displays Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level Cluster) The DIC displays are shown in the
center of the instrument cluster. The
displays show the status of many
vehicle systems. The trip odometer
reset stem in the instrument cluster
is used to access the DIC menu
items.
DIC Menu Items Turn the trip odometer reset stem to
scroll through the following menu
items:
.
Digital Speedometer
.
Trip
.
Fuel Range
.
Average Fuel Economy
.
Tire Pressure
.
Remaining Oil Life
.
Transmission Fluid Temperature
.
Trailer Brake
.
Hourmeter .
Unit
Digital Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Trip
Turn the trip odometer reset stem
until TRIP displays. The current
distance traveled, in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi), since
the last reset for the trip odometer is
shown. The trip odometer can be
reset to zero by pressing and
holding the trip odometer reset stem
while the trip odometer is displayed.
Fuel Range
This display shows the approximate
distance the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The fuel range
estimate is based on an average of
the vehicle's fuel economy over
recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank. Fuel range cannot be reset.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Instruments and Controls 159obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
HOOD OPEN This message displays and a chime
may sound if the hood is not fully
closed. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the hood for
obstructions, and close the hood
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
Engine Cooling System
Messages A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge 0 138 . To avoid added strain
on a hot engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive your
vehicle. If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATING IDLE
ENGINE This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 0 138 .
When towing, use Tow/Haul mode
to prevent damage to the engine or
transmission. See Tow/Haul Mode
0 288 .
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE This message displays and a chime
may sound if the engine cooling
system reaches unsafe
temperatures for operation. Stop
and turn off the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so to avoid severe
damage. This message clears when
the engine has cooled to a safe
operating temperature. Engine Oil Messages CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System 0 367 for
information on how to reset the
message.
See Engine Oil 0 364 and
Maintenance Schedule 0 455 .
ENGINE OIL LOW ADD OIL On some vehicles, this message
displays when the engine oil level
may be too low. Check the oil level
before filling to the recommended
level. If the oil is not low and this
message remains on, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
See Engine Oil 0 364 .
ENGINE OIL HOT IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil becomes hotter than the
normal operating temperature. Stop

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
160 Instruments and Controls and allow the vehicle to idle until it
cools down. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0 138 .
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil 0 364 .
Engine Power Messages ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED This message displays and a chime
may sound when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating 0 376 for more
information.
This message also displays when
the vehicle's engine power is
reduced. Reduced engine power
can affect the vehicle's ability to accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no reduction in
performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven
at a reduced speed while this
message is on, but acceleration and
speed may be reduced. Anytime
this message stays on, or displays
repeatedly, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages FUEL LEVEL LOW This message displays and a chime
may sound if the fuel level is low.
Refuel as soon as possible.
See Fuel Gauge 0 136 and Fuel
0 315 .
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the malfunction indicator lamp
on the instrument cluster if the
vehicle's fuel cap is not tightened
properly. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0 144 . Reinstall the fuel cap fully. See
Filling the Tank 0 317 . 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.
Key and Lock Messages REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See
“ Battery Replacement ” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation 0 36 .
Lamp Messages TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on for
1.2 km (0.75 mi). Move the turn
signal lever to the off position.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
316 Driving and Operating Prohibited Fuels
CautionDo not use fuels with any of the
following conditions; doing so
may damage the vehicle and void
its warranty:
.
For vehicles which are not
FlexFuel, fuel labeled
greater than 15% ethanol by
volume, such as mid-level
ethanol blends (16 – 50%
ethanol), E85, or FlexFuel.
.
Fuel with any amount of
methanol, methylal, and
aniline. These fuels can
corrode metal fuel system
parts or damage plastic and
rubber parts.
.
Fuel containing metals such
as methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT), which can damage
the emissions control
system and spark plugs.
(Continued) Caution (Continued) .
Fuel with a posted octane
rating of less than the
recommended fuel. Using
this fuel will lower fuel
economy and performance,
and may decrease the life of
the emissions catalyst.
California Fuel
Requirements 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 may be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehicle
may not pass a smog-check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0 144 . If this occurs, return to your authorized
dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post
fuel octane ratings in anti-knock
index (AKI). For fuel not to use in a
foreign country, see “ Prohibited
Fuels ” in Fuel 0 315 .
Fuel Additives To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER detergent gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel 0 315 .
If TOP TIER detergent gasoline is
not available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
322 Driving and Operating When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine
off. If the overheat warning comes
on, see Engine Overheating 0 376 .
Parking on Hills
{ Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface. If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do
not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then
apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill 1. Apply and hold the brake
pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake. 5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is
clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick
up and store the chocks.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0 455 .
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system, and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 355
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 356
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements . . . . . 357
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 367
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6 Speed Transmission) . . . . . 368
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(8 Speed Transmission) . . . . . 371
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 371
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 376
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Power Steering Fluid (2500/
3500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Battery - North America . . . . . . 383
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 386
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 387
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 388
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 388
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 389
Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Electrical System Overload . . . 392
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
(Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Wheels and Tires Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 402
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406