four wheel drive GMC SIERRA DENALI 2020 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: GMC, Model Year: 2020, Model line: SIERRA DENALI, Model: GMC SIERRA DENALI 2020Pages: 501, PDF Size: 7.61 MB
Page 7 of 501

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 8/27/19
6 Introduction
1. Tow/Haul Mode (On SomeModels). See Driver Mode
Control 0238.
Automatic Transfer Case
Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive 0227.
Driver Mode Control 0238 (If
Equipped).
2. Air Vents 0182.
3. Head-Up Display (HUD) 0152
(If Equipped).
4. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 170.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 119.
5. Instrument Cluster 0126.
6. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0221.
Range Selection Mode. See
Manual Mode 0224.
7. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0168.
8. Infotainment 0176. 9.
Climate Control Systems 0177
(If Equipped).
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0179 (If Equipped).
10. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 060 (If Equipped).
11.
ALane Keep Assist (LKA)
(1500 Series) 0278 (If
Equipped).
XPark Assist Switch (If
Equipped). See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing
0 257.
hAuto Stop Disable Switch
(If Equipped). See Stop/Start
System 0213.
5Power Release Tailgate
(If Equipped). See Tailgate
0 29.
|Hazard Warning Flashers
0 169.
gTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0235.
ADC/AC Switch. See Power
Outlets 0121.
@Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) (2500/3500 Series)
0 276 (If Equipped).
5Hill Descent Control Switch
(If Equipped). See Hill Descent
Control (HDC) 0237.
jPower Assist Steps 034 (If
Equipped).
LExpress Window Down
Button (If Equipped). See
Power Windows 047.
Tow/Haul Mode 0227 (On
Some Models).
12. Power Outlet (Alternating Current) (If Equipped). See
Power Outlets 0121.
13. Power Outlets 0121.
14. USB Port. See the infotainment manual.
15. Wireless Charging 0122 (If
Equipped).
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GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Instruments and Controls 117
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 118
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 119
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 119
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 119
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 135
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 135
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 137
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 137
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . 141
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 141
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 141
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 142
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 142
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Traction Control System (TCS)/ Electronic Stability Control
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . 144
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Engine Oil Pressure Light
(Uplevel Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 145
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 146
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 146
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 146
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 146
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Midlevel and Uplevel) . . . . . . 148
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 152
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 155
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 156
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 156
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GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Instruments and Controls 141
If both the ABS warning light and
the brake system warning light are
on, ABS is not functioning and there
is a problem with the regular brakes.
See your dealer for service.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
0 139.
Four-Wheel-Drive Light
Auto Mode Shown, Other Modes
Similar
If equipped, the four-wheel-drive
light displays what mode the vehicle
is in. The light will show each mode:
2WD, 4HI, AUTO (all transfer
cases); 4LOW and N (two-speed
transfer case only).
The light will flash when a shift is in
progress. Once the shift is complete
the light will be steady. If the light turns amber, there may
be a malfunction with the
four-wheel-drive system. See your
dealer.
See
Four-Wheel Drive 0227.
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 0227.
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)
0 237.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light (2500/3500
Series)
If equipped, this light comes on
briefly while starting the vehicle. If it
does not come on, have the vehicle
serviced.
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.
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150 Instruments and Controls
was reset. This number reflects only
the approximate average fuel
economy that the vehicle has right
now, and will change as driving
conditions change.
Press the thumbwheel while this
display is active to reset the trip
odometer and the average fuel
economy.
Fuel Range :Shows the
approximate distance the vehicle
can be driven without refueling.
LOW will be displayed when the
vehicle is low on fuel. The fuel
range estimate is based on an
average of the vehicle's fuel
economy over recent driving history
and the amount of fuel remaining in
the fuel tank.
Timer : This display can be used as
a timer. To start the timer, press the
thumbwheel while this display is
active. The display will show the
amount of time that has passed
since the timer was last reset. To
stop the timer, press the
thumbwheel briefly while this display
is active and the timer is running. Press the thumbwheel while this
display is active to reset the timer.
Oil Life :
Shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
The oil should be changed as soon
as possible. See Engine Oil0339.
In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended. See Maintenance
Schedule 0441.
The Oil Life display must be reset
after each oil change. It will not
reset itself. Do not reset the Oil Life
display at any time other than when
the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, press the
thumbwheel while the Oil Life
display is active. See Engine Oil
Life System 0341. Tire Pressure :
Shows the
approximate pressures of all four
tires. Tire pressure is displayed in
either kilopascal (kPa) or in pounds
per square inch (psi). If the pressure
is low, the value for that tire is
shown in amber. See Tire Pressure
Monitor System 0389 and
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
0 390.
Air Filter Life : Shows an estimate
of the engine air filter ’s remaining
useful life and the state of the
system. Engine Air Filter Life 95%
means 95% of the current air filter
life remains. Messages will display
based on the engine air filter life and
the state of the system. When the
REPLACE AT NEXT OIL CHANGE
message displays, the engine air
filter should be replaced at the time
of the next oil change. When the
REPLACE SOON message
displays, the engine air filter should
be replaced at the earliest
convenience.
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GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 8/27/19
Instruments and Controls 151
The Air Filter Life display must be
reset after the engine air filter
replacement. To reset, seeEngine
Air Filter Life System 0343.
Brake Pad Life : This displays an
estimate of the remaining life of the
front and rear brake pads.
Messages will display based on
brake pad wear and the state of the
system. Reset the Brake Pad Life
display after replacing the brake
pads. See Brake Pad Life System
0 356.
Fuel Economy : Displays average
fuel economy, the best fuel
economy over the selected
distance, and a bar graph showing
instantaneous fuel economy.
Press the thumbwheel to change
the selected distance. Press and
hold the thumbwheel while this
display is active to reset the best
fuel economy and average fuel
economy. This display can also be
reset by selecting reset in the menu. Engine Hours (Hourmeter) :
Shows the total number of hours the
engine has run. This display also
shows the engine idle hours.
Transmission Fluid
Temperature :
Shows the
temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid in either degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F).
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.
TRAILER OUTPUT shows the
power output to the trailer any time
a trailer with electric brakes is
connected. Output is displayed as a
bar graph. Dotted lines may appear
in the OUTPUT display if a trailer is
not connected. Off Road :
Displays vehicle pitch
and roll information, road wheel
angle, and four-wheel drive (4WD)
status.
Follow Distance : If equipped, the
current follow time to the vehicle
ahead is displayed as a time value
on this page.
Driver Assistance : If equipped,
shows information for Lane Keep
Assist (LKA) and Forward Collision
Alert (FCA).
Info Page Options : Scroll to
choose which info pages appear on
the DIC. Press the thumbwheel to
select or deselect.
Blank Page : Shows no
information.
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GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Instruments and Controls 153
Some vehicle messages or alerts
displayed in the HUD may be
cleared by using the steering wheel
controls.
The HUD control is to the left of the
steering wheel.
To adjust the HUD image:1. Adjust the driver seat.
2. Start the engine.
3. Use the following settings to adjust the HUD.
$:Press or pull to center the
HUD image. The HUD image can
only be adjusted up and down, not
side to side.
!: Press to select the display
view. Each press will change the
display view.
D: Pull and hold to brighten the
display. Press and hold to dim the
display. Continue to hold to turn the
display off.
The HUD image will automatically
dim and brighten to compensate for
outside lighting. Use
Dto adjust
as needed.
The HUD image can temporarily
light up depending on the angle and
position of sunlight on the HUD
display. This is normal.
Polarized sunglasses could make
the HUD image harder to see.
Head-Up Display (HUD) Rotation
Option
If equipped, this feature under the
Options menu of the instrument
cluster allows for adjusting the angle
of the HUD image and changing or
turning off the Speed Limit Sign. HUD Rotation: Press the
thumbwheel while Adjust Rotation is
highlighted to enter Adjust Mode.
Scroll to adjust the angle of the
HUD display. Press the thumbwheel
to confirm and save the setting. This
feature may only be available in
P (Park).
Speed Limit Style Adjustment
If equipped, the speed limit style
can be changed to a speed limit bar
or speed limit sign from the Options
menu in the instrument cluster.
Press the thumbwheel while Speed
Limit Style is highlighted to change
the speed sign style or to turn it off.
HUD Views
There are four views in the HUD.
Some vehicle information and
vehicle messages or alerts may be
displayed in any view.
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GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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154 Instruments and Controls
English Shown, Metric Similar
Speed View : This displays the
speedometer reading in English or
metric units, and speed limit. Some
information only appears on
vehicles that have these features,
and when they are active.
English Shown, Metric Similar
Active Safety View : This displays
the speed view along with a driver
assistance graphic on the left. Driver assistance graphics show
your vehicle, vehicle ahead, gap
setting, and lane status information.
In addition to driver assistance
graphics, pedestrian advisory and
trailer sway indicators will be
displayed.
English Shown, Metric Similar
Navigation/Active OnStar View :
This displays the speed view along
with indicators for vehicle ahead,
Lane Departure Warning/Lane Keep
Assist, trailer sway, and pedestrian
advisory. Turn-by-Turn navigation
information is shown during active
route. The compass heading is
displayed when navigation routing is
not active. Navigation Turn-by-Turn Alerts
shown in the instrument cluster may
also be displayed in any HUD view.
English Shown, Metric Similar
Off Road View : This displays the
speed view along with indicators for
vehicle ahead, Lane Departure
Warning/Lane Keep Assist, trailer
sway, four-wheel drive status, and
pedestrian advisory. Off-road
information such as pitch angle,
steering angle, and rolling angle is
also shown.
Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield to
remove any dirt or film that could
reduce the sharpness or clarity of
the HUD image.
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Driving and Operating 185
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 196
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 197
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 199
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 208
Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Ignition Positions (Key
Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 219
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 221
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . 232
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 233 Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 235
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 237
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 238
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . 242
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Adaptive Cruise Control (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 255
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 257
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System (1500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
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Driving and Operating 191
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt. .
Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and
vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface. For
contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
warranty manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear seat belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
. Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
. Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Remove any underbody air
deflector, if equipped. Re-attach
the air deflector after off-road
driving.
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
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Driving and Operating 199
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See“Rocking the Vehicle to Get It
Out” later in this section.
The Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control can often help to
free a stuck vehicle. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 235. If TC/ESC cannot free the
vehicle, see “Rocking the Vehicle to
Get it Out” following.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains 0404.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
It Out
Caution
Do not hold the steering wheel at
full rotation for more than
15 seconds and/or at an elevated
RPM. Damage may occur to the
power steering system and there
may be loss of power steering
assist. Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then make sure the
wheels are pointed straight ahead.
For four-wheel-drive vehicles, shift
into Four-Wheel Drive High. Turn
the TCS off. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. See
Towing the Vehicle
0424. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle
has them.