tow GMC SIERRA DENALI 2019 User Guide

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Seats and Restraints 91full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See When
Should an Airbag Inflate? 0 89 .
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to seat belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates? After frontal and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags
inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still
be at least partially inflated for some
time after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag module
may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbags, see Where
Are the Airbags? 0 88 .
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{ WarningWhen an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention. The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{ Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
96 Seats and Restraints
{ WarningIf the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag OFF indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation Seat belts help keep the passenger
in position on the seat during
vehicle maneuvers and braking,
which helps the passenger sensing
system maintain the passenger
airbag status. See “ Seat Belts ” and
“ Child Restraints ” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use. A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 0 97
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{ Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
(Continued) Warning (Continued) seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0 442 .
{ Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Seats and Restraints 111Warning (Continued)retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor,
but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child ’ s neck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child ’ s neck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
Buckle any unused seat belts
behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
and tighten the belt behind the
child restraint after the child
restraint has been installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle ’ s seat belts. This may
(Continued) Caution (Continued) damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled seat belts to avoid
rubbing the LATCH attachments.
Do not fold the rear seat cushion
when the seat is occupied. Do not
fold the empty rear seat with a
seat belt buckled. This could
damage the seat belt or the seat.
Unbuckle and return the seat belt
to its stowed position, before
folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint 0 104 .
Regular Cab Models
1. For models without a rear seat,
forward-facing child restraints
should only be installed in the
right front seating position with
belts and a top tether. See Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the Front
Outboard Seat) 0 121 or
Securing Child Restraints (In
the Center Front Seat) 0 120 or
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat)
0 117 .
If the child restraint
manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached,
attach and tighten the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if your vehicle has one. Refer
to the child restraint
instructions and the following
steps:
1.1. Find the top tether
anchor.
1.2. Route, attach, and tighten
the top tether according
to your child restraint
instructions and the
following instructions:

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Seats and Restraints 1197. For forward-facing child
restraints, attach and tighten
the top tether to the top tether
anchor (loop). Refer to the child
restraint instructions, the
vehicle LATCH anchor weight
limits, and instructions listed in
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
0 106 .
8. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Reinstall the head restraint or
headrest before the seating position
is used. See “ Head Restraint or Headrest Removal and
Reinstallation ” under Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 0 106 for additional
information on installing the
headrest properly.
Crew Cab 1. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run
the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle's seat belt
through or around the child
restraint. The child restraint
instructions will show you how. 3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle, away from the child
restraint, so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the
way out of the retractor to set
the lock. When the retractor
lock is set, the belt can be
tightened but not pulled out of
the retractor.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
120 Seats and Restraints
5. To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to
use your knee to push down on
the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 0 106 for more
information on using the top
tether anchors.
7. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
For outboard rear seating positions,
if the child restraint cannot be
installed properly with the head
restraint in place, the head restraint may be removed. See your dealer
for assistance with removal, and
store the removed head restraint in
a secure place. When the child
restraint is removed, reinstall the
head restraint before the seating
position is used. For reinstallation
instructions, see “ Head Restraint or
Headrest Removal and
Reinstallation ” under Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 0 106 .
Securing Child Restraints
(In the Center Front Seat)
{ WarningA child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never
secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint in
a rear seat.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
124 Seats and Restraints If a child restraint has been installed
and the ON indicator is lit, see “ If
the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint ” under Passenger Sensing
System 0 92 .
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
126 Storage
Underseat Storage
There may be storage under the
rear passenger seat. Lift up on the
seat bench to access. Push the seat
bench toward the floor to close. Rear Storage
There may be storage in the rear
seat. Pull the tab to access.
Push the storage door to close. The
storage door must be closed before
installing child restraints. Center Console Storage
Bench Seat
Pull the strap on the side of the
center seatback to access the
storage area and cupholders. Do
not use the center seatback as a
seating position when the seatback
is folded down.
To raise the seatback, push the
seatback rearward until it locks in
the upright position. Push and pull
on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Instruments and Controls 129
Instruments and
Controls Controls Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 130
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 131
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 131
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 131
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 146
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 147
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 148
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 149
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Electric Parking Brake
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Service Electric Parking Brake
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 Keep Assist (LKA)
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 154
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 154
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Traction Control System (TCS)/
Electronic Stability Control
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . 156
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Engine Oil Pressure Light
(Uplevel Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 157
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 157
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 158
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 158
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 158
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Information Displays Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Midlevel and Uplevel) . . . . . . 160
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 163
Vehicle Messages Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 167
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 167
Vehicle Personalization Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 167
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 172

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
150 Instruments and Controls If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle
off and wait at least 10 seconds
before restarting the engine. If the
light is still flashing, follow the
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady : A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
.
If fuel has been added to the
vehicle using the capless funnel
adapter, make sure that it has
been removed. See “ Filling the
Tank with a Portable Gas Can ”
under Filling the Tank 0 273 .
The diagnostic system can
detect if the adapter has been
left installed in the vehicle,
allowing fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving
trips with the adapter removed
may turn off the light.
.
Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel
(Except 6.2L V8 Engine) 0 271
or Recommended Fuel (6.2L
V8 Engine) 0 271 .
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC). The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0 306 . See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.
The light is on when the engine
is running.
.
The light does not come on
when the ignition is on while the
engine is off.
.
Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/23/18
Instruments and Controls 151before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light The vehicle brake system consists
of electronically controlled hydraulic
brake circuits. If a fault is detected,
valves are adjusted to allow the
brake pedal to push brake fluid
directly into the hydraulic brake
circuits. When a fault occurs, the
brake system warning light comes
on, and Driver Information Center
(DIC) messages may display.
Vehicle speed may also be limited
and the amount of brake pedal force
applied may need to increase. Have
the vehicle brake system serviced
as soon as possible. Metric English
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
The brake system warning light may
also come on when the parking
brake is set, if the vehicle has low
brake fluid, or if the brakes are
severely faded. See Brake Fluid
0 336 . If the brakes are overheated,
DIC messages may display, and the
vehicle speed may be limited. If the
brake fluid is not low, if the brakes
are not overheated, and if the
parking brake is fully released, then
the vehicle has a brake problem.
Have the vehicle brake system
serviced as soon as possible. If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It could take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle 0 398 .
{ WarningThe brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.