GMC Sierra 2009 User Manual

2008 GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual M

Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Airbag System Restraint System Check

Features and Controls

Keys Doors and Locks Windows

Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors Object Detection Systems

OnStar Universal Home Remote System Storage Areas Sunroof

Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s)

............................................... 1-2

............................................... 1-9

............................................. 1-10

....................................... 1-31

......................................... 1-54

........................................................ 2-3

...................................... 2-10

................................................. 2-15

.................................................... 2-37

System

.................................................. 2-58

...................................... 2-45

......................................... 2-56

............................................. 3-1

...................................... 3-22

....................................... 3-76

........................... 1-1

............................ 1-70

..................................... 2-1

............................ 2-18

.......................... 2-43

.......................... 3-4

........... 2-22

................ 2-49

........ 3-33

.................. 3-52

Driving Your Vehicle

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing

Service and Appearance Care

Service Fuel Checking Things Under the Hood All-Wheel Drive Rear Axle Front Axle Headlamp Aiming Bulb Replacement Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Tires Appearance Care Vehicle Identiﬁcation Electrical System Capacities and Speciﬁcations

Maintenance Schedule

Customer Assistance Information

Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy

Index

................................................... 4-41

..................................................... 5-3

......................................................... 5-5

...................................................... 5-58

................................................................ 1

....................................... 4-1

.......................... 5-1

............... 5-10

........................................ 5-45

............................................... 5-46

............................................... 5-47

..................................... 5-49

.................................... 5-52

..................................... 5-98

............................... 5-107

.................................... 5-108

................... 5-116

..................................... 6-1

................................ 6-2

.................... 7-1

........................... 7-14

..... 4-2

......... 5-57

........... 7-2

........... 7-16

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the GMC Truck Emblem, and the names SIERRA and DENALI are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without further notice. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for GMC whenever it appears in this manual.

This manual describes features that may be available in this model, but your vehicle may not have all of them. For example, more than one entertainment system may be offered or your vehicle may have been ordered without a front passenger or rear seats.

Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.

Canadian Owners

A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer/retailer or from:

Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207

1-800-551-4123 www.helminc.com

Propriétaires Canadiens

On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:

Helm Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207

1-800-551-4123 www.helminc.com

Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 15854804 A First Printing

Using this Manual

Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle to learn about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures and words work together to explain things.

{CAUTION:

These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people.

Index

A good place to quickly locate information about the vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found.

Safety Warnings and Symbols

There are a number of safety cautions in this book. A box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about things that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore the warning.

We tell you what the hazard is and what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt.

A circle with a slash through it is a safety symbol which means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.”

iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Vehicle Symbols

You will also ﬁnd notices in this manual.

Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle.

A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The notice tells what to do to help avoid the damage.

When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words.

There are also warning labels on the vehicle which use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage, or indicator.

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats ......................................................1-2

Power Seats ..................................................1-2

Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3

Heated Seats .................................................1-4

Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals ....................1-4

Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6

Head Restraints .............................................1-8

Rear Seats .......................................................1-9

Rear Seat Operation (Split Bench) ....................1-9

Safety Belts ...................................................1-10

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15

Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-24

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-29

Lap Belt ......................................................1-29

Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-30

Child Restraints .............................................1-31

Older Children ..............................................1-31

Infants and Young Children ............................1-34

Child Restraint Systems .................................1-37

Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40

Lower Anchors and Tethers for

Children (LATCH) ......................................1-41

Securing a Child Restraint in a

Rear Seat Position ....................................1-48

Securing a Child Restraint in the

Right Front Seat Position ............................1-50

Airbag System ...............................................1-54

Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-57

When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-59

What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-61

How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-61

What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? .....1-62

Passenger Sensing System ............................1-63

Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-68

Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped

Vehicle

Restraint System Check ..................................1-70

Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-70

Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash ............................................1-71

....................................................1-68

1-1

Front Seats

Power Seats

Driver’s Seat with Power Seat Control, Power

Recline, and Power Lumbar shown

On a vehicle with power seats, the controls used to operate them are located on the outboard side of the seats. To adjust the seat, do any of the following:

• Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the

control forward or rearward.

• Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion by

moving the front of the control up or down.

• Raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion by

moving the rear of the control up or down.

• Raise or lower the entire seat by moving the entire

control up or down.

On seats with power reclining seatbacks, the control is located behind the power seat control on the outboard side of the seats. See “Power Reclining Seatbacks” under Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6.

A vehicle with a memory function allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-4 for more information.

1-2

Power Lumbar

If the seats have power lumbar, the controls used to operate this feature are located on the outboard side of the seats.

• To increase lumbar support, press and hold the front

of the control.

• To decrease lumbar support, press and hold the rear

of the control.

• To raise the height of the lumbar support, press and

hold the top of the control.

• To lower the height of the lumbar support, press and

hold the bottom of the control.

Release the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of lumbar support.

Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-4 for more information.

Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.

1-3

Heated Seats

On vehicles with heated front seats, the controls are located on the driver’s and passenger’s doors.

I(Heated Seatback): Press to turn on the heated

seatback.

J(Heated Seat and Seatback): Press to turn on the

heated seat and seatback. The light on the button will come on to indicate that the

feature is working. Press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium, and low and to turn the heat to the seat off. Indicator lights will show the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium, and one for low.

The heated seats will be canceled ten seconds after the ignition is turned off. To use the heated seat feature after restarting your vehicle, press the heated seat or seatback button again.

Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals

On vehicles with the memory package, the controls for this feature are located on the driver’s door panel.

This feature is used to program and recall memory settings for the driver’s seat, outside mirrors, and the adjustable throttle and brake pedal feature if your vehicle has it.

1-4

To save your positions in memory, do the following:

1. Adjust the driver’s seat, including the seatback recliner and lumbar, both outside mirrors, and the throttle and brake pedals to a comfortable position. See Outside Power Mirrors on page 2-39 and Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal on page 2-25 for more information. Not all mirrors can save and recall the mirror positions.

2. Press and hold button 1 until two beeps sound.

A second seating, mirror, and throttle and brake pedal position can be programmed by repeating the above steps and pressing button 2.

To recall the memory positions, the vehicle must be in PARK (P). Press and release either button 1 or button 2 corresponding to the desired driving position. The seat, outside mirrors, and adjustable throttle and brake pedals will move to the position previously stored. You will hear a single beep.

If you use the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to enter your vehicle and the remote recall memory feature is on, automatic seat, mirror, and adjustable pedal movement will occur. See “MEMORY SEAT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-68 for more information.

To stop recall movement of the memory feature at any time, press one of the power seat controls, memory buttons, power mirror buttons, or adjustable pedal switch.

If something has blocked the driver’s seat and/or the adjustable pedals while recalling a memory position, the driver’s seat and/or the adjustable pedals recall may stop working. If this happens, press the appropriate control for the area that is not recalling for two seconds, after the obstruction is removed. Then try recalling the memory position again by pressing the appropriate memory button. If the memory position is still not recalling, see your dealer for service.

1-5

Easy Exit Seat

The control for this feature is located on the driver’s door panel between buttons 1 and 2.

With the vehicle in PARK (P), the exit position can be recalled by pressing the exit button. A single beep sounds and the driver’s seat moves back.

If the easy exit seat feature is on in the Driver Information Center (DIC), automatic seat movement will occur when the key is removed from the ignition. See “EASY EXIT SEAT” under DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-68 for more information.

Reclining Seatbacks

On vehicles with power reclining seatbacks, the control used to recline them is located on the outboard side of the seat behind the power seat control.

• To recline the seatback, tilt the top of the control

rearward.

• To bring the seatback forward, tilt the top of the

control forward.

1-6

{CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their job when you are reclined like this.

The shoulder belt cannot do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.

The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries.

For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.

Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

1-7

Head Restraints

Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Pull the head restraint up to raise it. To lower the head restraint, press the release button (A), located on the top of the seatback, while you push the head restraint down.

The front seats may have head restraints that also tilt forward and rearward.

To tilt the head restraint, grasp the top of the restraint while pressing the button (B), located on the inboard side of the head restraint, and move it forward or rearward until the desired locking position is reached. Try to move the head restraint after the button is released to make sure that it is locked in place.

The second row seats may have head rests that can be adjusted up and down, but they do not tilt.

1-8

Rear Seats

Rear Seat Operation (Split Bench)

Folding Rear Seat

On a vehicle with a second row 60/40 split seat either side of the rear seat may be folded for added cargo space.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.

Make sure that nothing is on the seat. To fold the seat, slowly pull the seat cushion up. To return the seat to the normal seating position, slowly

pull the seat cushion down.

{CAUTION:

A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.

1-9

Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone

This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts.

{CAUTION:

People riding on the tailgate (if equipped) can easily lose their balance and fall even when the vehicle is operated at low speeds. Falling from a moving vehicle may result in serious injuries or death.

Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you are not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from it and be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s) are restrained properly too.

1-10

{CAUTION:

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly.

Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-36.

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:

You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.

After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.

1-11

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider

1-12

does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...

or the instrument panel...

1-13

or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.

You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense.

Questions and Answers About Safety Belts

Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I

am wearing a safety belt?

A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety

belt or not. But your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down.

Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to

wear safety belts?

A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they

work with safety belts — not instead of them. Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.

1-14

Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from

home, why should I wear safety belts?

A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in a

crash — even one that is not your fault — you and your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers.

Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).

Safety belts are for everyone.

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

This section is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about

safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-31 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-34. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.

It is very important for all occupants to buckle up. Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.

Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.

First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety belt, there is important information you should know.

1-15

Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the ﬂoor in front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.

The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.

1-16

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as

much protection this way.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt snugly against your body.

1-17

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as

much protection this way.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs.

1-18

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not on the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.

1-19

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is over an armrest.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over an armrest like this. The belt would be much too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The belt force would then be applied on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.

1-20

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should

be worn over the shoulder at all times.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.

1-21

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is behind the body.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. You might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.

1-22

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is twisted across the body.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you would not have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer/retailer to ﬁx it.

1-23

Lap-Shoulder Belt

All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder belt except for the center front passenger position (if equipped), which has a lap belt. See Lap Belt on page 1-29 for more information.

Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.

1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.

2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.

The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.

If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger belt out all the way, you may engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again.

Engaging the child restraint locking feature may affect the passenger sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-63.

3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.

If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-30.

Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary.

4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See “Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this section.

1-24

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. Before you close a door, be sure the belt is out of

the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle.

1-25

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger.

Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.

To move it down, squeeze the buttons (A) on the sides of the height adjuster and move the height adjuster to the desired position.

You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide.

After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the buttons to make sure it has locked into position.

Safety Belt Pretensioners

Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side crash or a rollover event.

Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other new parts for your safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-71.

1-26

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