four wheel drive GMC SIERRA DENALI 2018 Owners Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
In Brief 5
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 16
Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Vehicle Features Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 25
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 26
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 28
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 28
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Universal Remote System . . . . . 29
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Performance and Maintenance Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuel (Gasoline - Except
L86 6.2L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Fuel (Gasoline - L86 6.2L
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 32
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
8 In Brief Auxiliary Button (If Equipped).
See Add-On Electrical
Equipment 0 336 .
j Power Assist Steps 0 43 (If
Equipped).
18. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0 228 (If Equipped).
19. Steering Wheel Controls 0 129
(If Equipped).
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Controls. See Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel and Denali Cluster)
0 160 or Driver Information
Center (DIC) (Base Level
Cluster) 0 158 .
20. Hood Release. See Hood
0 344 .
21. Horn 0 130 . 22. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0 129 (Out of View).
23. Cruise Control 0 285 .
Heated Steering Wheel 0 130
(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0 292 (If Equipped).
24. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0 150 .
25. Parking Brake 0 281 .
26. Electronic Transfer Case Knob
(If Equipped). See Four-Wheel
Drive 0 272 .
Card Holder (If Equipped). See
Instrument Panel Storage
0 124 .Initial Drive
Information This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner ’ s manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions may work from
up to 60 m (197 ft) away from the
vehicle.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
In Brief 23While 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 0 271 .
Four-Wheel Drive If equipped with 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 the
following three styles of transfer
case controls. Use these controls to
shift into and out of the different
four-wheel drive modes. Manual Transfer Case
This transfer case shift lever is on
the floor to the right of the driver. Electronic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is to the left
of the steering column.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
24 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
0 430 or Trailer Towing 0 307 .
4
n (Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This
setting sends maximum power to all
four wheels. Choose 4
n when
driving in deep sand, mud, or snow,
and while climbing or descending
steep hills.
See Four-Wheel Drive 0 272 .Vehicle Features Infotainment System The base radio and base radio with
touchscreen information is included
in this manual. See the infotainment
manual for information on the
uplevel radios, audio players,
phone, navigation system, Rear
Seat Entertainment (RSE), and
voice or speech recognition,
if equipped.
Radio(s) Base Radio
O : Press to turn the system on.
Press and hold to turn it off. When
on, press to mute; press again to
unmute. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
RADIO : Press to choose between
FM, AM, and SiriusXM, if equipped.
MEDIA : Press to change the audio
source between CD, USB, AUX,
and Bluetooth Audio, if equipped.
{ : Press to go to the Home Page.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
28 In Brief vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when
driving in a forward gear.
See Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0 294 .
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) If equipped, LDW may help avoid
unintentional lane departures at
speeds of 56 km/h (35 mph) or
greater. LDW uses a camera sensor
to detect the lane markings. The
LDW light,
@ , is green if a lane
marking is detected. If the vehicle
departs the lane, the light will
change to amber and flash. In
addition, beeps will sound or the
driver seat will pulse.
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(2500/3500 Series) 0 295 .
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) If equipped, LKA may help avoid
crashes due to unintentional lane
departures. It may assist by gently
turning the steering wheel if the vehicle approaches a detected lane
marking without using a turn signal
in that direction. It may also provide
a Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert as the lane marking is crossed.
The system will not assist or alert if
it detects that you are actively
steering. Override LKA by turning
the steering wheel. LKA uses a
camera to detect lane markings
between 60 km/h (37 mph) and
180 km/h (112 mph).
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(2500/3500 Series) 0 295 and Lane
Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series)
0 297 .
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) If equipped, RVC shows a view of
the area behind the vehicle on the
infotainment display when the
vehicle is shifted into R (Reverse) to
aid with parking and low-speed
backing maneuvers.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0 289 .Parking Assist If equipped, Rear Parking
Assist (RPA) uses sensors on the
rear bumper to assist with parking
and avoiding objects while in
R (Reverse). It operates at speeds
less than 8 km/h (5 mph). RPA may
show a warning triangle on the
infotainment display and a graphic
on the instrument cluster to provide
the object distance. In addition,
multiple beeps or seat pulses may
occur if very close to an object.
The vehicle may also have the Front
Parking Assist system.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0 289 .
Power Outlets Accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone, MP3
player, etc.
The vehicle may have up to four
accessory power outlets.

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 153If 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
0 152 .
Four-Wheel-Drive Light
The four-wheel-drive light comes on
when the manual 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 0 272 .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 0 271 .
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)
0 284 . Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light (2500/3500)
If equipped, this light is green if
LDW is on and ready to operate.
This light changes to amber and
flashes to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed without
using a turn signal in that direction.
On the base cluster, this light comes
on briefly while starting the vehicle.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced.
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(2500/3500 Series) 0 295 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Instruments and Controls 163Economy Trend : Shows history of
the Average Fuel Economy from the
last 50 km (30 mi). Each bar
represents about 5 km (3 mi) of
driving. During driving the bars will
shift to always reflect the most
recent distance on the right side.
Press and hold
V to clear the graph
or press
p to reset through
the menu.
ECO Index : The bar graph
provides feedback on the efficiency
of current driving behavior. The
graph shows a value that is based
on current fuel consumption
compared to what is expected from
the vehicle with good and bad
driving habits. It also shows if the
Active Fuel Management is active
and in V4 mode, or inactive and in
V8 mode. See Active Fuel
Management 0 264 . Engine Hours : Shows the total
number of hours the engine has run.
This display also shows the engine
idle hours.
Trailer Brake : On vehicles with the
Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake
display appears in the DIC.
TRAILER GAIN shows the trailer
gain setting. This setting can be
adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0 with either
a trailer connected or disconnected.
OUTPUT shows the power output to
the trailer any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
is displayed as a bar graph. Dashes
may appear in the OUTPUT display.
Speed Signs : Shows sign
information, which comes from a
roadway database in the onboard
navigation. Following Distance : Used to
select the alert timing for the
Forward Collision Alert (FCA). See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0 292 .
Blank Page : Shows no
information.
Transmission 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.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
166 Instruments and Controls The selected language will display
on the system, and voice
recognition will reflect the selected
language.
Video Voice-Over Select Off or On.
Valet Mode This will lock the infotainment
system and steering wheel controls.
It may also limit access to vehicle
storage locations, if equipped.
To enable valet mode:
1. Enter a four-digit code on the
keypad.
2. Select Enter to go to the
confirmation screen.
3. Re-enter the four-digit code.
Touch Lock or Unlock to lock or
unlock the system. Touch Back to
go back to the previous menu.
Teen Driver
See “ Teen Driver ” under “ Settings ”
in the infotainment manual. Radio Select and the following may
display:
.
Manage Favorites
.
Number of Favorites Shown
.
Audible Touch Feedback
.
Text Scroll
.
Tone Settings
.
Auto Volume
.
Maximum Startup Volume
.
Audio Cue Volume
Manage Favorites
This allows favorites to be edited.
See “ Manage Favorites ” in “ Radio
Setup ” under Home Page 0 189 or
“ Manage Favorites ” in “ Settings ”
under “ Radio ” in the infotainment
manual.
Number of Favorites Shown
Select to set the number of favorites
to display. Select the desired number or select
Auto and the infotainment system
will automatically adjust the number
of favorites shown.
Audible Touch Feedback
This allows Audible Touch
Feedback to be turned on or off.
Select Off or On.
Text Scroll
Select to see text scroll on the
screen.
Select Off or On.
Tone Settings
Select to adjust the radio tone. See
“ Tone Settings ” in AM-FM Radio
0 190 .
Auto Volume
This feature adjusts the volume
based on vehicle speed and
ambient noise.
Select Off, Low, Medium-Low,
Medium, Medium-High, or High.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
234 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 244
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 245
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 247
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Truck-Camper Loading
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Starting and Operating New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 255
Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 260
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 264
Engine Exhaust Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 265
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 282
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 284
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Cruise Control Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Driver Assistance Systems Driver Assistance Systems . . . 288
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 289
Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Fuel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 300
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301