Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-11
Child Restraints
.......................................1-33
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-70
Restraint System Check
............................1-87
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-54
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-64
Storage Areas
.........................................2-66
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-69
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-55
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-73Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-53
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-59
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-60
Noise Control System
...............................5-62
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-64
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-74
Tires
......................................................5-76
Appearance Care
...................................5-116
Vehicle Identi®cation
...............................5-125
Electrical System
....................................5-125
Capacities and Speci®cations
...................5-134
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
7. If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
and the air bag is off, the off indicator will be lit and
stay lit in the inside rearview mirror when the key
is turned to RUN or START. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat
unless the air bag is off.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the restraint.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle's seatback is not pressing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly
recline the vehicle's seatback and adjust the seat
cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is
not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, use the air bag off switch to
turn off the air bag or secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle if one is
available and check with your dealer. See
Air Bag
Off Switch on page 1-76for more on this, including
important safety information.
For heavy duty pickups without the passenger sensing
system, use the air bag off switch to turn the air bag off or
install the infant restraint in a rear seat position.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag ON indicator comes on when you
have a rear-facing child restraint installed in
the right front passenger's seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not turned
off the passenger's frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger's
air bag in¯ates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the in¯ating air bag. Don't use a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger's seat unless the air bag is off.
To remove the child restraint, unhook the top tether
from the top tether anchorage and then disconnect the
LATCH attachments from LATCH anchorages.
If you had turned the air bag off with the switch,
remember to be sure to use the air bag off switch to
turn on the right front passenger's air bag when
you remove the child restraint from the vehicle unless
the person who will be sitting there is a member of
a passenger air bag risk group. See
Air Bag Off Switch
on page 1-76.
1-54
6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder belt to tighten the lap belt portion
and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor.
If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you
may ®nd it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
You should not be able to pull more of the belt
out of the retractor once the lock has been set.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.8. If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
and the air bag is off, the off indicator will be lit and
stay lit in the inside rearview mirror when the key
is turned to RUN or START. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat
unless the air bag is off.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle's seatback is not pressing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly
recline the vehicle's seatback and adjust the seat
cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is
not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, use the air bag off switch to
turn off the air bag or secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle if one is
available and check with your dealer. See
Air Bag
Off Switch on page 1-76for more on this, including
important safety information.
For heavy duty pickups without the passenger sensing
system, use the air bag off switch to turn the air bag off or
install the infant restraint in a rear seat position.
1-68
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not in¯ate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
in¯ating air bag must be kept clear. Don't put
anything between an occupant and an air bag,
and don't attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
When Should an Air Bag In¯ate?
An air bag is designed to in¯ate in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash. The air bag will in¯ate
only if the impact speed is above the system's designed
ªthreshold level.º
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have in¯ated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
In¯ation is determined by the angle of the impact
and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.The air bag system is designed to work properly under
a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See
Off-Road
Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle on
page 4-20
for more tips on off-road driving.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage Air Bags
Depending on the weight of your vehicle you will
have either ªSingle Stage Air Bagsº or ªDual Stage Air
Bagsº. Vehicles that have a passenger sensing
system also have dual stage air bags. If the rearview
mirror in your vehicle has a passenger air bag
status indicator printed on it, your vehicle has the
passenger sensing system and therefore, it has dual
stage air bags. If the rearview mirror in your vehicle does
not have a passenger air bag status indicator printed
on it, then your vehicle does not have the passenger
sensing system and it has single stage air bags.
See
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-40orPassenger Sensing System on page 1-81.
1-73
To turn the right front passenger's air bag on again,
insert your ignition key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the ON or AUTO position.
Passenger Sensing System
If your rearview mirror has one of the indicators pictured
in the following illustrations, your vehicle has a
passenger sensing system. The indicator will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to RUN or START.
The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible on the rearview mirror during the system
check. When the system check is complete, either
the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off will be visible. See
Passenger Air
Bag Status Indicator on page 3-40. If your rearview
mirror does not have either of the indicators pictured
below, then your vehicle does not have the passenger
sensing system. United States with
Passenger Sensing
System
United States without
Passenger Sensing
System
Canada with Passenger
Sensing SystemCanada without
Passenger Sensing
System
1-81
Q:What if I added a snow plow? Will it keep the
air bags from working properly?
A:We've designed our air bag systems to work
properly under a wide range of conditions,
including snow plowing with vehicles equipped
with the optional Snow Plow Prep Package (RPO
VYU). But don't change or defeat the snow
plow's²tripping mechanism.²If you do, it can
damage your snow plow and your vehicle, and it
may cause an air bag in¯ation.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modi®ed. How can I ®nd out whether
this will affect my advanced air bag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the air bag sensing and diagnostic
module (located under the driver's seat), or
the inside rearview mirror can affect the operation
of the advanced air bag system. If you have
questions, call Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance
are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. See²Customer
Satisfaction Procedure²in the Index.
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
1-87
Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-5
Doors and Locks.............................................2-8
Door Locks....................................................2-8
Power Door Locks..........................................2-9
Delayed Locking...........................................2-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks..............2-10
Rear Door Security Locks
(Crew Cab)..............................................2-12
Lockout Protection........................................2-13
Rear Doors..................................................2-13
Tailgate.......................................................2-14
Windows........................................................2-16
Manual Windows..........................................2-16
Power Windows............................................2-17
Swing-Out Windows......................................2-18
Sun Visors...................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-19
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-19
Passlock
ž....................................................2-21Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-21
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-21
Ignition Positions..........................................2-22
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-23
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-25
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-26
Manual Transmission Operation......................2-30
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-35
Parking Brake..............................................2-48
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-49
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-51
Parking Your Vehicle.....................................2-52
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-52
Engine Exhaust............................................2-53
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-53
Mirrors...........................................................2-54
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-54
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
ž, Compass and Temperature
Display....................................................2-55
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
Compass and Temperature Display..............2-57
Outside Manual Mirrors..................................2-60
Outside Camper-Type Mirrors.........................2-60
Outside West Coast-Type Mirrors....................2-61
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-61
Outside Power Camper-Type Mirror.................2-62
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors.....................2-62
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror..................2-63
Outside Curb View Assist Mirrors....................2-63
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-64
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-64OnStaržSystem.............................................2-64
Storage Areas................................................2-66
Glove Box...................................................2-66
Cupholder(s)................................................2-66
Front Storage Area.......................................2-67
Center Console Storage Area.........................2-67
Tonneau Cover............................................2-67
Vehicle Personalization...................................2-69
Memory Seat...............................................2-69
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-2