climate control GMC SIERRA DENALI 2019 Owner's Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
194 Climate Controls
Air Vents Use the sliding knobs on the center
and side air vents to change the
direction of the airflow.
Air vents blow warm air on the side
windows in cold weather. If Floor,
Defog, or Defrost modes are
selected, a small amount of air will
come from the vents close to the
window.
To close the front a/c vents, move
the sliding knobs to the full down
position.
To close the rear a/c vents, move
the sliding knobs to the full inboard
position.
Operation Tips
.
Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from air inlets at the
base of the windshield that could
block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.
Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into
the vehicle. .
Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.
Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.
Maintenance Passenger Compartment
Air Filter The filter reduces the dust, pollen,
and other airborne irritants from
outside air that is pulled into the
vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
See Maintenance Schedule 0 415 .
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0 427 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Climate Controls 1951. Open the lower glove box door
completely.
2. Press the sides of the glove
box door inward and rotate the
door downward to remove. 3. Pull lever on left side of the
filter door and slide left, then
remove the door. Remove the
old filter.
4. Install the new air filter.
5. Reinstall the filter door.
6. Reverse the steps to reinstall
the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed. Service All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.
The air conditioning system requires
periodic maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0 415 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 197Fuel Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Recommended Fuel (Except
6.2L V8 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Recommended Fuel (6.2L
V8 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 272
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Trailer Towing General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 293
Trailering App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Conversions and Add-Ons Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Driving Information Distracted Driving Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.
Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.
Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.
Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.
Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.
Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 207freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.
Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
.
Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0 243 .
.
The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0 240 .
.
Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice. .
Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0 437 . To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.
Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.
Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{ Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
.
Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
.
Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
.
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.
Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “ Climate
Control Systems. ”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0 228 .
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
222 Driving and Operating CautionCranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start
after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below − 18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there
while holding the key in START
or ENGINE START/STOP for
up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key or button and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, do the same thing.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race
the engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Stop/Start System If equipped, the Stop/Start system
will shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. It has components
designed for the increased number
of starts.
{ Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may
restart and move unexpectedly.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) Always shift to P (Park), and then
turn the ignition off before exiting
the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer
0 143 . When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart.
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the
engine to automatically restart
before the brake pedal is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or
Auto Starts may occur because:
.
The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle
interior.
.
The vehicle battery charge
is low.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 245cluster, then release. The
appropriate message will display in
the DIC.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC on
again, press and release
g . The
traction off light
i and the
StabiliTrak/ESC OFF light
g in the
instrument cluster turn off.
StabiliTrak/ESC will automatically
turn on if the vehicle exceeds
56 km/h (35 mph). Traction control
will remain off.
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature and a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature.
See Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
0 293 or Hill Start Assist (HSA)
0 242 .
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 313 . Hill Descent
Control (HDC) If equipped, Hill Descent Control
(HDC) sets and maintains vehicle
speed while driving down steep
grades in a forward or reverse gear.
The HDC switch is on the center
stack, below the climate controls.
Press
5 to enable or disable HDC.
Vehicle speed must be below
50 km/h (31 mph).
When enabled, the HDC light
displays on the instrument cluster.
A blinking HDC light indicates the
system is actively applying the
brakes to maintain vehicle speed.
HDC can maintain vehicle speeds
between 1 and 22 km/h (1 and
14 mph) on grades greater than or
equal to 10%. If HDC is to be used for more than
three minutes or on grades steeper
than 25%, the transfer case should
be put into Four-Wheel Drive Low
(4
n ) to reduce the possibility of
brake overheating.
Noise from the Electronic Brake
Control Module (EBCM) is normal
when HDC is active.
When HDC is activated, the initial
HDC speed is set to the current
driving speed. It can be increased or
decreased by pressing +RES or
SET- on the steering wheel, or by
applying the accelerator or brake
pedal. This adjusted speed
becomes the new set speed.
HDC will remain enabled between
30 and 60 km/h (19 and 37 mph);
however, vehicle speed cannot be
set or maintained in this range. HDC
will automatically disable if the
vehicle speed is above 80 km/h
(50 mph) or above 60 km/h
(37 mph) for at least 30 seconds.
5 must be pressed again to
re-enable HDC. HDC may disable
after an extended period of use.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 277.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Tow/Haul Mode is recommended
for heavier trailers. See Tow/
Haul Mode 0 234 . If the
transmission downshifts too
often, a lower gear may be
selected using Manual Mode.
See Manual Mode 0 232 .
If equipped, the following driver
assistance features should be
turned off when towing a trailer:
.
Cruise Control
.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
.
Park Assist
.
Reverse Automatic
Braking (RAB)
If equipped, the following driver
assistance features should be
turned to alert or off when towing a
trailer:
.
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB)
.
Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA)
.
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) If equipped with Lane Change Alert
(LCA), the LCA detection zones that
extend back from the side of the
vehicle do not move further back
when a trailer is towed. Use caution
while changing lanes when towing a
trailer.
If equipped with Rear Cross Traffic
Alert (RCTA), use caution while
backing up when towing a trailer, as
the RCTA detection zones that
extend out from the back of the
vehicle do not move further back
when a trailer is towed.
{ WarningTo prevent serious injury or death
from carbon monoxide (CO),
when towing a trailer:
.
Do not drive with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch,
or rear-most window open.
.
Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) .
Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air.
See “ Climate Control
Systems ” in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust 0 228 .
Towing a trailer requires experience.
The combination of the vehicle and
trailer is longer and not as
responsive as the vehicle itself. Get
used to the handling and braking of
the combination by driving on a
level road surface before driving on
public roads.
The trailer structure, the tires, and
the brakes must all be rated to carry
the intended cargo. Inadequate
trailer equipment can cause the
combination to operate in an
unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before driving, inspect all trailer
hitch parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
380 Vehicle Care Warning (Continued)wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0 378 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 313 .
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Index 461Charging
Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 148
Check
Engine Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 343
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . 100
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 120, 121
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 188
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 440
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Connected Services
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
Connections
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 456
Control
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Control Light
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 145
Engine Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 190
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 Customer Assistance (cont'd)
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Customer Information
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
D Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 440
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 446
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 445
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Diagnostics
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 458
Differential, Limited-Slip . . . . . . . . 250
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
462 Index Door (cont'd)
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 432
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 253
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159, 160
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . . . 156
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 260
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 29
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 206
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 208
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 E E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 241
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 152
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 350
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354, 356
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Emergency
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Check Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 316
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 432 Engine (cont'd)
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 144
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 229
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 325
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 445
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 176
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 178
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185