2008 GMC SIERRA Owner's Manual

Four-Wheel-Drive Light
The four-wheel-drive light
comes on when you shift a
manual transfer case
into four-wheel drive and
the front axle engages.
Some delay between the shifting and the light coming
on is normal.
SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 2-36for more
information.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light comes on when
the Tow/Haul mode has
been activated.
For more information, seeTow/Haul Mode on page 2-34.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will rst indicate empty before you are out of
fuel, and you should get more fuel as soon as
possible.
When the fuel tank is low the FUEL LEVEL LOW
message will appear. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-63for more information.
United StatesCanada
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Here are some situations you may experience with your
fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity to ll the tank.
The gage goes back to empty when you turn off the
ignition.
If you have a diesel engine, see “Fuel Gage” in the
Diesel Engine Supplement.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light, under the fuel
gage, will come on briey
when you are starting
the engine.This light and a chime will come on when the fuel tank
is low on fuel. There will also be a “FUEL LEVEL
LOW” message on the Driver Information Center, see
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-63for more
information. When you add fuel this light and message
should go off. If it does not, have your vehicle
serviced.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
The DIC displays information about your vehicle. It also
displays warning messages if a system problem is
detected.
All messages will appear in the DIC display located
below the tachometer in the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay, the DIC will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine was turned off.
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, see “DIC Operation and
Displays (With DIC Buttons)” later in this section and
DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on
page 3-72for the displays available.
If your vehicle does not have DIC buttons, see “DIC
Operation and Displays (Without DIC Buttons)” later in
this section for the displays available.
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DIC Operation and Displays (With
DIC Buttons)
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, the information below
explains the operation of this system.
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the DIC buttons located on the instrument
panel, next to the steering wheel.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and vehicle system
information, and warning messages if a system problem
is detected.
The DIC also allows some features to be customized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 3-72for more information.
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, you can also use the
trip odometer reset stem to view some of the DIC
displays. See “DIC Operation and Displays (Without DIC
Buttons)” later in this section.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the
trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization,
and set/reset buttons.
The button functions are
detailed in the following
pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometer, fuel range, average economy,
fuel used, timer, and transmission temperature.
Some vehicles also display instantaneous economy and
an Active Fuel Management™ indicator.
T(Vehicle Information):Press this button to display
the oil life, units, tire pressure readings for vehicles
with the Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS), trailer
brake gain and output information for vehicles with
the Integrated Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
engine hours, and Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter programming.
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U(Customization):Press this button to customize the
feature settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-72for more
information.
V(Set/Reset):Press this button to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3
(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to scroll through
the following menu items:
Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until ODOMETER displays.
This display shows the distance the vehicle has
been driven in either miles (mi) or kilometers (km).
Pressing the trip odometer reset stem will also display
the odometer.
To switch between English and metric measurements,
see “Units” later in this section.
Trip Odometer
Press the trip/fuel button until TRIP displays. This
display shows the current distance traveled in either
miles (mi) or kilometers (km) since the last reset for the
trip odometer. Pressing the trip odometer reset stem
will also display the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by pressing the
set/reset button while the trip odometer is displayed.
You can also reset the trip odometer while it is displayed
by pressing and holding the trip odometer reset stem.
The trip odometer has a feature called the retro-active
reset. This can be used to set the trip odometer to
the number of miles (kilometers) driven since the ignition
was last turned on. This can be used if the trip
odometer is not reset at the beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature, press and hold the
set/reset button for at least four seconds. The trip
odometer will display the number of miles (mi) or
kilometers (km) driven since the ignition was last turned
on and the vehicle was moving. Once the vehicle
begins moving, the trip odometer will accumulate
mileage. For example, if the vehicle was driven 5 miles
(8 km) before it is started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is activated, the display will
show 5 miles (8 km). As the vehicle begins moving, the
display will then increase to 5.1 miles (8.2 km),
5.2 miles (8.4 km), etc.
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Fuel Range
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL RANGE displays.
This display shows the approximate number of
remaining miles (mi) or kilometers (km) the vehicle can
be driven without refueling. The display will show
LOW if the fuel level is low.
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. This
estimate will change if driving conditions change.
For example, if driving in traffic and making frequent
stops, this display may read one number, but if
the vehicle is driven on a freeway, the number may
change even though the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different driving conditions
produce different fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel economy than city driving.
Fuel range cannot be reset.
Average Economy
Press the trip/fuel button until AVG ECONOMY displays.
This display shows the approximate average miles
per gallon (mpg) or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km).
This number is calculated based on the number of
mpg (L/100 km) recorded since the last time this menu
item was reset. To reset AVG ECONOMY, press
and hold the set/reset button.
Fuel Used
Press the trip/fuel button until FUEL USED displays.
This display shows the number of gallons (gal) or
liters (L) of fuel used since the last reset of this menu
item. To reset the fuel used information, press and hold
the set/reset button while FUEL USED is displayed.
Timer
Press the trip/fuel button until TIMER displays. This
display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed. The display will show the amount
of time that has passed since the timer was last
reset, not including time the ignition is off. Time will
continue to be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being shown on the DIC.
The timer will record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after which the display will
return to zero.
To stop the timer, press the set/reset button briey while
TIMER is displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and hold the set/reset
button while TIMER is displayed.
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Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until TRANS TEMP displays.
This display shows the temperature of the automatic
transmission uid in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or
degrees Celsius (°C).
Instantaneous Economy and Active Fuel
Management™ Indicator
If your vehicle has this display, press the trip/fuel button
until INST ECONOMY V8 MODE displays. This
display shows the current fuel economy at a particular
moment and will change frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows the instantaneous fuel
economy in miles per gallon (mpg) or liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km). Unlike average economy,
this screen cannot be reset.
An Active Fuel Management™ indicator will display on
the right side of the DIC, while INST ECONOMY
displays on the left side. Active Fuel Management™
allows the engine to operate on either four or eight
cylinders, depending on your driving demands. When
Active Fuel Management™ is active, V4 MODE will
display on the DIC. When Active Fuel Management™ is
inactive, V8 MODE will display. SeeActive Fuel
Management™ on page 2-27for more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu Items
T
(Vehicle Information):Press this button to scroll
through the following menu items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display shows an estimate
of the oil’s remaining useful life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON” underDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-63. You should
change the oil as soon as you can. SeeEngine
Oil (Gasoline Engine) on page 5-15. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. SeeScheduled Maintenance
(Gasoline Engine) on page 6-4for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE display
yourself after each oil change. It will not reset itself.
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Also, be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE display
accidentally 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, see
Engine Oil Life System on page 5-18.
Units
Press the vehicle information button until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to select between
English or Metric units of measurement. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button to select between
ENGLISH or METRIC units. All of the vehicle information
will then be displayed in the unit of measurement
selected.
Tire Pressure
If your vehicle has the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS), the pressure for each tire can be viewed in the
DIC. The tire pressure will be shown in either pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa). Press
the vehicle information button until the DIC displays
FRONT TIRES PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##. Press the
vehicle information button again until the DIC displays
REAR TIRES PSI (kPa) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.
If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected by the
system while driving, a message advising you to
check the pressure in a specic tire will appear in thedisplay. SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-74and
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-63for more
information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes instead of a
value, there may be a problem with your vehicle. If this
consistently occurs, see your dealer/retailer for service.
Trailer Gain and Output
On vehicles with the Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, the trailer brake display appears in the
DIC. Press the vehicle information button until
TRAILER GAIN and OUTPUT display.
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. To adjust this setting,
see “Integrated Trailer Brake Control System” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-55for more information.
OUTPUT shows the power output to the trailer anytime
a trailer with electric brakes is connected. Output is
displayed in 0 to 10 bars. Dashes may appear in
the OUTPUT display. See “Integrated Trailer Brake
Control System” underTowing a Trailer on page 4-55
for more information.
Engine Hours
Press the vehicle information button until ENGINE
HOURS displays. This display shows the total number
of hours the engine has run.
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Relearn Remote Key
This display allows you to match Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitters to your vehicle. To match an RKE
transmitter to your vehicle:
1. Press the vehicle information button until PRESS
V
TO RELEARN REMOTE KEY displays.
2. Press the set/reset button until REMOTE KEY
LEARNING ACTIVE is displayed.
3. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on the
rst transmitter at the same time for about
15 seconds.
On vehicles with memory recall seats, the rst
transmitter learned will match driver 1 and
the second will match driver 2.
A chime will sound indicating that the transmitter is
matched.
4. To match additional transmitters at this time, repeat
Step 3.
Each vehicle can have a maximum of eight
transmitters matched to it.
5. To exit the programming mode, you must cycle the
key to LOCK/OFF.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
DIC Operation and Displays
(Without DIC Buttons)
If your vehicle does not have DIC buttons, the
information below explains the operation of this system.
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the trip odometer reset stem located on the
instrument panel cluster. Pressing the trip odometer
reset stem will also turn off, or acknowledge, DIC
messages.
The DIC displays trip and vehicle system information,
and warning messages if a system problem is detected.
If your vehicle does not have DIC buttons, you can
use the trip odometer reset stem to view the following
displays: odometer, engine hours, trip odometer,
transmission temperature, trailer brake gain and output
information for vehicles with the Integrated Trailer
Brake Control (ITBC) system, oil life, Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS) programming for vehicles with
the TPMS, Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
programming, and display language.
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, you can use the
trip odometer reset stem to view the following
displays: odometer, engine hours, trip odometer, and
display language.
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