check oil GMC SIERRA DENALI 2018 Owners Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
128 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 129
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 129
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 130
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 130
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Transmission Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 146
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 147
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 149
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 150
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . 153
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 153
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 153
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light (2500/3500) . . . . 153
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light
(1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 154
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 154
Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Engine Oil Pressure Light
(Denali Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 156
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 157
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 157
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 157
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 158
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Information Displays Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level Cluster) . . . . . . . . 158
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel and Denali
Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 164
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 164
Vehicle Personalization Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 165
Universal Remote System Universal Remote System . . . . 172
Universal Remote System
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Universal Remote System
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Instruments and Controls 143When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge indicates about how much
fuel is left in the tank.
There is an arrow near the fuel
gauge pointing to the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
When 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. A DIC message
may display. See Engine Oil 0 350 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
144 Instruments and Controls 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-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
156 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. Stop as soon as possible,
and inflate the tires to the pressure
value shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tire
Pressure 0 397 . 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 0 400 .
Engine Oil Pressure Light
(Denali Only) 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-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
158 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 0 285 . 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

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
300 Driving and Operating 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) 0 150 . 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 0 299 .
Fuel Additives To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER detergent gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel 0 299 .
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. If your vehicle is able to use E85 or
FlexFuel, GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner - FlexFuel is the
only recommended additive for use.
Do not use any other additives with
an E85 or FlexFuel vehicle. See
E85 or FlexFuel 0 300 .
E85 or FlexFuel Vehicles with a yellow sticker on the
fuel door can use either unleaded
gasoline or fuel containing up to
85% ethanol (E85). All other
vehicles should use only the
unleaded gasoline as described in
Fuel 0 299 .
The use of E85 or FlexFuel is
encouraged when the vehicle is
designed to use it. E85 or FlexFuel
is made from renewable sources.
To help locate fuel stations that
carry E85 or FlexFuel, the U.S.
Department of Energy has an
alternative fuels website. See
www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/
stations.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 307Maintenance when Trailer
Towing The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0 448 .
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.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
0 363 . Trailer Towing If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
See New Vehicle Break-In 0 255 .
{ WarningThe driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly. For
example, if the trailer is too heavy
or the trailer brakes are
inadequate for the load, the
vehicle may not stop as expected.
The driver and passengers could
be seriously injured. The vehicle
may also be damaged; the
resulting repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Pull a trailer only if all the steps in
this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer
with the vehicle. CautionPulling a trailer improperly can
damage the vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in this
section and see your dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
See Vehicle Load Limits 0 248 for
more information about the vehicle's
maximum load capacity.
To identify the trailering capacity of
the vehicle, read the information in
“ Weight of the Trailer ” later in this
section.
Trailering is different than just
driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Vehicle Care 341
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 342
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements . . . . . 343
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 353
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 354
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 357
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 358
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 363
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Power Steering Fluid (2500/
3500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Battery - North America . . . . . . 369
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 373
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 374
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 375
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 375
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 376
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Electrical System Overload . . . 380
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 381
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
(Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Wheels and Tires Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 391
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
346 Vehicle Care 1. Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting - North America
0 426 .
2. Battery - North America 0 369 .
3. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0 359 .
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 358 .
5. Automatic Transmission
Dipstick (If Equipped). See
“ How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid ” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6-Speed Transmission) 0 354
or Automatic Transmission
Fluid (8-Speed Transmission)
0 357 . 6. Remote Negative ( – ) Location.
See Jump Starting - North
America 0 426 .
7. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System
0 359 .
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 350 .
9. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“ Checking Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 350 . 10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 368 .
11. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid
0 366 .
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 381 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
348 Vehicle Care 1. Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting - North America
0 426 .
2. Battery - North America 0 369 .
3. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0 359 .
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 358 .
5. Automatic Transmission
Dipstick (If Equipped). See
“ How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid ” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6-Speed Transmission) 0 354
or Automatic Transmission
Fluid (8-Speed Transmission)
0 357 . 6. Remote Negative ( – ) Location
(Out of View). See Jump
Starting - North America 0 426 .
7. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System
0 359 .
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 350 .
9. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“ Checking Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 350 . 10. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid
0 366 .
11. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 368 .
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 381 .