power steering GMC SIERRA DENALI 2019 Owners Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
In Brief 5
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 16
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 18
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Vehicle Features Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 22
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 24
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 24
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 24
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Universal Remote System . . . . . 25
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Performance and Maintenance Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 27
Fuel (Gasoline - Except
L87 6.2L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fuel (Gasoline - L87 6.2L
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 28
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
In Brief 21While 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 0 234 .
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 Use the transfer case controls to
shift into and out of the different
four-wheel drive modes. Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case controls are to the
left of the steering column.
The different drive options that may
be available are described as
follows.
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 conditions are
variable. If equipped, use 4
n , AUTO, or 4
m to
provide additional traction when
parking on a steep grade with poor
traction such as ice, snow, mud,
or gravel
4
m (Four-Wheel Drive High) : Use
this setting when extra traction is
needed for conditions such as rough
roads, deep snow or most off road
situations.
The following options are only
available with a two-speed
transfer case:
N (Neutral) : Shift to this setting
only when towing the vehicle.
See Recreational Vehicle Towing
0 399 or Towing the Vehicle 0 398 .
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 0 235 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Keys, Doors, and Windows 31
{ WarningIf the key is unintentionally
rotated while the vehicle is
running, the ignition could be
moved out of the RUN position.
This could be caused by heavy
items hanging from the key ring,
or by large or long items attached
to the key ring that could be
contacted by the driver or
steering wheel. If the ignition
moves out of the RUN position,
the engine will shut off, braking
and steering power assist may be
(Continued) Warning (Continued) impacted, and airbags may not
deploy. To reduce the risk of
unintentional rotation of the
ignition key, do not change the
way the ignition key and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
if equipped, are connected to the
provided key rings.
The ignition key and key rings, and
RKE transmitter, if equipped, are
designed to work together as a
system to reduce the risk of
unintentionally moving the key out
of the RUN position. The ignition
key has a small hole to allow
attachment of the provided key ring.
It is important that any replacement
ignition keys have a small hole. See
your dealer if a replacement key is
required.
The combination and size of the
rings that came with your keys were
specifically selected for your
vehicle. The rings are connected to
the key like two links of a chain to reduce the risk of unintentionally
moving the key out of the RUN
position. Do not add any additional
items to the ring attached to the
ignition key. Attach additional items
only to the second ring, and limit
added items to a few essential keys
or small, light items no larger than
an RKE transmitter.

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
Instruments and Controls 167.
Brakes
.
Steering
.
Ride Control Systems
.
Driver Assistance Systems
.
Cruise Control
.
Lighting and Bulb Replacement
.
Wiper/Washer Systems
.
Doors and Windows
.
Seat Belts
.
Airbag Systems
.
Engine and Transmission
.
Tire Pressure
.
Battery
Engine Power Messages ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's propulsion power is
reduced. Reduced propulsion power
can affect the vehicle's ability to
accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no observed reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven
while this message is on, but
maximum 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.
Vehicle Speed Messages SPEED LIMITED TO
XXX KM/H (MPH) This message shows that the
vehicle speed has been limited to
the speed displayed. The limited
speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems,
such as lubrication, thermal,
suspension, Teen Driver if
equipped, or tires. Vehicle
Personalization The following are all possible
vehicle personalization features.
Depending on the vehicle, some
may not be available.
For System, Apps, and Personal
features and functions, see
“ Settings ” in the infotainment
manual.
To access the vehicle
personalization menu:
1. Touch the SETTINGS icon on
the Home Page of the
infotainment display.
2. Touch Vehicle to display a list
of available options.
3. Touch to select the desired
feature setting.
4. Touch
9 or
R to turn a feature
off or on.
5. Touch
z to go to the top level
of the Settings menu.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
176 Lighting
Lighting Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 176
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 180
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Task Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . 182
Interior Lighting Instrument Panel Illumination
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Battery Load Management . . . 185
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 185
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
O : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to
O again to turn the
automatic headlamps or DRL
back on.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
196 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 205
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 206
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 208
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Truck-Camper Loading
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Starting and Operating New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 216
Ignition Positions (Key
Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 227
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Exhaust Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 229
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 241
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 242 Ride Control Systems Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 245
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 246
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . 250
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Cruise Control Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Driver Assistance Systems Driver Assistance Systems . . . 253
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 254
Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Front Pedestrian Braking
(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 267
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 269

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
198 Driving and Operating
{ WarningTaking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving Defensive driving means “ always
expect the unexpected. ” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts 0 79 .
.
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
.
Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{ WarningDrinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving. Braking Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
.
Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops or a brake
fault occurs, the brakes may lose
power assist. More effort will be
required to stop the vehicle. It may
take longer to stop.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 199
Steering Electric Power Steering This vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a
problem. Curve Tips .
Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.
Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.
Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
.
Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies .
There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.
Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking. Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about
one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
218 Driving and Operating 3. Continue to hold the brake
pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Electric Parking
Brake 0 241 .
4. Push the key all the way in
toward the steering column,
then turn the key to
LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key.
6. Release the brake pedal.
See your dealer if the key can be
removed in any other position.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0 225 .
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
If equipped with a locking steering
column, the steering can bind with
the front wheels turned off center,
which may prevent key rotation out
of LOCK/OFF. If this happens, move
the steering wheel from right to left
while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service. { WarningTurning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, turn off the vehicle
only in an emergency.
In an emergency, if the vehicle
cannot be pulled over and must be
turned off while driving:
1. Push the key all the way in
toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2. Brake using firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
3. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).
This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. Continue
braking and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
4. Come to a complete stop. 5. Shift to P (Park) with an
automatic transmission,
or Neutral with a manual
transmission.
6. Continue to hold the brake
pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Electric Parking
Brake 0 241 .
7. Push the key all the way in
toward the steering column,
then turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF.
8. Remove the key.
9. Release the brake pedal.
CautionUse the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in — or pushed all
the way in toward the steering
column when turning off the
vehicle — and turn it only with
your hand.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position allows features such as the
infotainment system to operate