2009 GMC SIERRA roof
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Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-3
Front Seats
............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats
..............................................1-14
Safety Belts
.............................................1-16
Child Restraints
.......................................1-38
Airbag System
.........................................1-73
Restraint System Check
............................1-90
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-22
Mirrors
....................................................2-57
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-62
OnStar
®System
......................................2-71
Universal Home Remote System
................2-74
Storage Areas
.........................................2-81
Sunroof
..................................................2-85Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-53
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-85
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-45
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-4
Fuel
......................................................... 5-6
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Rear Axle
...............................................5-49
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-51
Front Axle
...............................................5-53
Noise Control System
...............................5-54
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-55
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-58
2009 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
Page 79 of 596
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
The vehicle may have the following airbags:
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the person seated directly behind the right front
passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury
from the force of an in ating bag, all airbags must in ate
very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts, but do not replace them. Also, airbags
are not designed to deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only restraint. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-77.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
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Page 80 of 596
{CAUTION:
Airbags in ate with great force, faster than the blink
of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very close
to, any airbag when it in ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily close to
the airbag, as you would be if you were sitting on
the edge of your seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it in ates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older children, but not for
young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed
for them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can provide.
Always secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, seeOlder Children on page 1-38or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-41.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-37
for more information.
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Page 82 of 596
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag 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 airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle with
roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an in ating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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Page 84 of 596
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your
vehicle is 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) or above, your vehicle has
single stage airbags. If the GVWR is below 8,500 lb
(3 855 kg) then your vehicle has dual stage airbags.
You can nd the GVWR on the certi cation label on
the rear edge of the driver’s door. SeeLoading
the Vehicle on page 4-32for more information.
In addition, the vehicle may have dual-stage frontal
airbags. Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according
to crash severity. The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage
airbags in ate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
Vehicles with dual stage airbags also have seat position
sensors which enable the sensing system to monitor the
position of the driver seat (all models) and the right front
passenger seat (light-duty regular cab and light-duty
extended cab models only). The seat position sensor
provides information that is used to determine if the
airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full
deployment.The vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-73. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to in ate in moderate to severe side crashes.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to in ate
during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags will in ate if the crash severity is above the
system’s designed threshold level. The threshold level
can vary with speci c vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to in ate in rear
impacts. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either
side of the vehicle is struck, or if the sensing system
predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over, or in
a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have in ated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, in ation is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and severity of
the side impact. In a rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the direction of the roll.
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Page 85 of 596
What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
in ator. Gas from the in ator lls the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The in ator, the
airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body.Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard
seating positions in the rst and second rows. The
rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events,
although no system can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-77for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
In ates?
After the frontal airbags in ate, they quickly de ate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag
in ated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially
in ated for some time after they deploy. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the airbag modules, seeWhat
Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-79.
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Page 90 of 596
Passenger Sensing System
If the vehicle has one of the indicators pictured in the
following illustrations, then the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front passenger position,
unless there is an airbag off switch located in the glove
box. If there is an airbag off switch, the vehicle does
not have a passenger sensing system. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-81for more information.
The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on
the overhead console when the vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible during the system check. If you are
using remote start to start the vehicle from a distance,
if equipped, you may not see the system check.
When the system check is complete, either the word
ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-40.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag and the roof-rail airbags (if equipped)
are not affected by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger seat and safety
belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence
of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the
right front passenger frontal airbag should be enabled
(may in ate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys. United States
Canada
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Page 95 of 596
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console, front sensors,
rollover sensor module, or airbag wiring can affect
the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle may have a passenger
sensing system for the right front passenger’s
position, which includes sensors that are part of the
passenger’s seat. The passenger sensing systemmay not operate properly if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or
with GM covers, upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket
seat heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the passenger sensing
system. This could either prevent proper deployment
of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-84.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
If your vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags, see
Different Size Tires and Wheels on page 5-86
for additional important information.
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