2005 GMC SIERRA DENALI lights

Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briey when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly – and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle also has a driver information system that
works along with the warning lights and gages. See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-42.
3-26

If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
airbag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag is enabled (may inate).
{CAUTION:
If the 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 airbag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger’s
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s
seat unless the airbag has been turned off.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag. SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-55
for more on this, including important safety information.If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag readiness
light ever come on together, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag
system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front passenger seat
may not have the protection of the frontal
airbag. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 3-29.
3-30

{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. You will also hear a
chime sound when the light is on steady. If the regular
brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system warning light is also on you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes. In addition to both lights, you will
also hear a chime sound on the rst occurrence of
a problem and each time the vehicle is shut off and then
restarted. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-32.
3-33

Headlamp Delay
Press the customization button until HEADLAMP
DELAY appears in the display. To select your
preference for how long the headlamps will stay on
when you turn off the vehicle, press the select button
while HEADLAMP DELAY is displayed on the DIC.
Pressing the select button will scroll through the
following choices:
HEADLAMP DELAY: 10 SEC (default)
HEADLAMP DELAY: 20 SEC
HEADLAMP DELAY: 40 SEC
HEADLAMP DELAY: 1 MIN
HEADLAMP DELAY: 2 MIN
HEADLAMP DELAY: 3 MIN
HEADLAMP DELAY: OFF
The amount of time you choose will be the amount of
time that the headlamps stay on after you turn off
the vehicle. If you choose off, the headlamps will turn
off as soon as you turn off the vehicle.
Choose one of the available options and press the
customization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature.
Perimeter Lights
Press the customization button until PERIMETER
LIGHTS appears in the display. To select your
preference for perimeter lighting, press the select button
while PERIMETER LIGHTS is displayed on the DIC.
Pressing the select button will scroll through the
following choices:
PERIMETER LIGHTS: ON (default):The headlamps
and back-up lamps will come on for 40 seconds, if
it is dark enough outside, when you unlock the vehicle
with the remote keyless entry transmitter.
PERIMETER LIGHTS: OFF:The perimeter lights will
not come on when you unlock the vehicle with the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
Choose one of the available options and press the
customization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature.
Easy Exit Seat
Press the customization button until EASY EXIT SEAT
appears in the display. To select your preference for
seat position exit, press the select button while
EASY EXIT SEAT is displayed on the DIC. Pressing the
select button will scroll through the following choices:
EASY EXIT SEAT: OFF (default):No seat exit
recall will occur.
3-57

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-33.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come on
accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for service.
4-6

Surface Obstacles:Unseen or hidden obstacles can
be hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle
you if you are not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even
the rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some
things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
(There is more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly?
When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
rm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or
other surface features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands if you are not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you cannot control the
vehicle as well or at all.Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it is
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what is not.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving. At the
very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious — or even fatal — accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. SeeDrunken Driving on page 4-2.
4-17

No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes
moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked
regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be
examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not
even aware of it.
4-27

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission uid to use. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
Add uid only after checking the transmission uid while
it is hot. A cold check is used only as a reference. If
the uid level is low, add only enough of the proper uid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It does not take much uid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L).Do not overll.
Notice:Use of automatic transmission uid labeled
other than DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the
H-Specication, may damage your vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by your warranty.
Always use automatic transmission uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the H-Specication.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in
this section.
When the correct uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-24