2010 GMC SIERRA DENALI ABS

3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK, or©SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD, orsREV button.
If a station's frequency is weak or if there is static,
decrease the treble.
To quickly adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle
position, press the softkey positioned under the BASS,
MID, or TREB tab for more than two seconds. A beep
sounds and the level adjusts to the middle position.
To quickly adjust all tone and speaker controls to the
middle position, press the
fknob for more than
two seconds until a beep sounds.
EQ (Equalization) : Press this button to choose bass
and treble equalization settings designed for different
types of music. The choices are pop, rock, country, talk,
jazz, and classical. Selecting MANUAL or changing
bass or treble, returns the EQ to the manual bass and
treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved for each source.
If the radio has a Bose
®audio system, the EQ settings
are either MANUAL or TALK.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade) : To adjust balance or fade
on radios without a
`button, press thefknob until
the speaker control tabs display. Continue pressing to
highlight the desired tab, or press the softkey under the
desired tab. Turn the
fknob clockwise or
counterclockwise to adjust the highlighted setting,
or adjust the highlighted setting by pressing either
SEEK arrow,
\FWD, orsREV button until the
desired levels are obtained.
To quickly adjust balance or fade to the middle position,
press the softkey positioned under the BAL or FADE tab
for more than two seconds. A beep sounds and the
level adjusts to the middle position.
To quickly adjust all speaker and tone controls to the
middle position, press the
fknob for more than
two seconds.
If the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) is turned on, the radio
disables FADE and mutes the rear speakers.
`(Balance/Fade): To adjust the balance or fade for
radios with a
`button, press this button or the tune
knob until the desired speaker control tab displays. Turn
the tune knob clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust
the setting.
The setting can also be adjusted by pressing the seek
arrows.
4-84

Finding a Category (CAT) Station
CAT (Category) :The CAT button is used to find XM
stations when the radio is in the XM mode. To find XM
channels within a desired category:
1. Press the BAND button until the XM frequency displays. Press the CAT button to display the
category tabs. Continue pressing the CAT button
until the desired category name displays.
.Radios with CD and DVD can also navigate the
category list by pressing the
\FWD or the
sREV button.
2. Press either of the two buttons below the desired category tab to immediately tune to the first XM
station associated with that category.
3. Turn the
fknob, press the buttons below the right
or left arrows displayed, or press either SEEK
arrow to go to the previous or to the next XM
station within the selected category.
4. To exit the category search mode, press the FAV button or BAND button to display the favorites
again. Undesired XM categories can be removed through the
setup menu. To remove an undesired category:
1. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey located below the XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the category to be
removed.
4. Press the softkey located under the Remove tab until the category name along with the word
Removed displays.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Removed categories can be restored by pressing the
softkey under the Add tab when a removed category is
displayed or by pressing the softkey under the Restore
All tab.
Categories cannot be removed or added while the
vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h).
4-85

Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .5-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24 Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Trailer Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
5-1

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.
The brakes might not have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out much faster with a lot of
heavy braking. Keeping pace with the traffic and
allowing realistic following distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is being
driven, brake normally but do not pump the brakes.
If the brakes are pumped, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, there will still be some
power brake assist but it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is used up, it can take
longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer accessories can affect
vehicle performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 6‑4.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the vehicle begins to
drive away, ABS checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on.
This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light
stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
on
page 4‑36.
Along with ABS, the vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights 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/retailer for
service.
5-4

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at both rear wheels.
ABS can change the brake pressure to each wheel, as
required, faster than any driver could. This can help the
driver steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change the time needed to
get a foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, there will not be enough time to apply the
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let antilock work. The brakes might
vibrate or some noise might be heard, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help more
than even the very best braking.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a Brake Assist feature designed to
assist the driver in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving conditions. This feature
uses the stability system hydraulic brake control module
to supplement the power brake system under conditions
where the driver has quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly stop or slow down
the vehicle. The stability system hydraulic brake control
module increases brake pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates. Minor brake pedal
pulsations or pedal movement during this time is normal
and the driver should continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates The Brake Assist
feature will automatically disengage when the brake
pedal is released or brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
5-5

Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak
system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine speed
management) and by applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when the vehicle is started. It will activate and the
StabiliTrak light will flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction while
driving. If traction control is turned off, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be disabled.
In this mode, engine power is not reduced automatically
and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can
cause the brake-traction control to activate constantly.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle is allowed to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak, ABS and brake
warning lights and any relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could be damaged. The
repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed. The traction control system may activate on dry or
rough roads or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts
of the transmission. When this happens, a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak light will flash and cruise
control will automatically disengage. Cruise control may
be reengaged when road conditions allow. See
Cruise
Control on page 4‑7.
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it
determines that a problem exists with the system. If the
problem does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle,
see your dealer/retailer for service.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can give more traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when traction is low,
this feature will allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
5-8

{WARNING:
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down and they could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in gear when
going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that
let you stay in your own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert—something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
See Off-Road Driving
on page 5‑12for information
about driving off-road.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between the
tires and the road, creating less traction or grip. Wet ice
can occur at about 0°C (32°F) when freezing rain
begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate
gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 5‑4improves vehicle stability during hard stops on a
slippery roads, but apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on
otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
5-27

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforestarting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if the transmission
shifts too often. See Tow/Haul Mode on page 3‑32.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine
is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 6‑34.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING:
Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on
a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
5-58