
2010 GMC Sierra Denali Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Seats and Restraint System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-56
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-73
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39 Object Detection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Universal Home Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76
Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Service and Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50

Power Foldaway Mirrors
To fold the mirrors:1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out to the driving position.
2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to the folded position.
Manual Foldaway Mirrors
Manually fold the mirrors inward to prevent damage
when going through an automatic car wash. To fold,
push the mirror toward the vehicle. Push the mirror
outward, to return to its original position.
Interior Mirror
Vehicles with a manual rearview mirror can be adjusted
to see clearly behind the vehicle. Hold the mirror in the
center to move it up or down and side to side. To
reduce headlamp glare during nighttime use, push the
tab forward for daytime use and pull it for nighttime use.
Vehicles with the automatic dimming feature will
automatically reduce the glare of lights from behind the
vehicle. The dimming feature comes on and the
indicator light illuminates each time the vehicle is
started.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
on page 3‑39for more information.
Steering Wheel Adjustment
The tilt lever is located on the lower left side of the
steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull the lever.
2. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable position.
3. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
See Tilt Wheel on page 4‑3.
1-12

Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
The rear vision camera displays a view of the area
behind the vehicle when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse) on the inside rear view mirror or the
navigation screen, if equipped.
To clean the camera lens, located in the bezel for the
tailgate handle, rinse it with water and wipe it with a soft
cloth.
For more information, seeRear Vision Camera (RVC)
on page 3‑45.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
This feature uses sensors on the rear bumper to detect
objects while parking the vehicle. It operates at speeds
less than 8 km/h (5 mph). URPA uses audio beeps to
provide distance and system information.
Keep the sensors on the vehicle's rear bumper clean to
ensure proper operation.
The system can be disabled by pressing the rear park
aid disable button located next to the radio.
SeeUltrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)
on
page 3‑43for more information.
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can be used to connect
auxiliary electrical equipment, such as a cellular
telephone.
There are two accessory power outlets on the
instrument panel, one inside the center floor console
and one on the rear of the center floor console.
The accessory power outlets are powered, even when
the ignition is in LOCK/OFF. Continuing to use power
outlets while the ignition is in LOCK/OFF may cause the
vehicle's battery to run down.
Universal Remote System
The Universal Home Remote System allows for garage
door openers, security systems, and home automation
devices to be programmed to work with these buttons in
the vehicle.
See Universal Home Remote System
on page 3‑51.
1-23

Sunroof
There are two sunroof
switches located in the
overhead console above
the rearview mirror.
Vent : From the closed position, press the rear of the
passenger side switch to vent the sunroof.
Manual-Open/Manual-Close : To open the sunroof,
press and hold the rear of the driver side switch until the
sunroof reaches the desired position. Press and hold
the front of the driver side switch to close it.
Express-Open/Express-Close : To express-open the
sunroof, fully press and release the rear of the driver
side switch until the sunroof reaches the desired
position. To express-close the sunroof, fully press and
release the front of the driver side switch. Press the
switch again to stop it. The sunroof also has a sunshade that you can pull
forward to block the rays of the sun. The sunshade
must be opened and closed manually.
See
Sunroof on page 3‑61.
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®
The vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin and the StabiliTrak system that assists
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions. Both systems turn on automatically every
time the vehicle is started.
.To turn off traction control, press and release5on
the instrument panel.
Filluminates and the
appropriate DIC message displays. See DIC
Warnings and Messages on page 4‑57.
.To turn off both traction control and Electronic
Stability Control, press and hold
5untilF
illuminates and the appropriate DIC message
displays. See DIC Warnings and Messageson
page 4‑57.
.Press and release the button again to turn on both
systems.
For more information, see StabiliTrak
®Systemon
page 5‑6.
1-24

Section 3 Features and Controls
Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Sliding Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Power Sliding Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-18
Content Theft-Deterrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . 3-20
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
. . . . . . . . . . . .3-22
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Active Fuel Management™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Automatic Transmission Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Outside Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
3-1

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in the center to move it
for a clearer view behind your vehicle. Adjust the mirror
to avoid glare from the headlamps behind you. Push the
tab forward for daytime use and pull it for nighttime use.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic dimming rearview
mirror.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three additional control
buttons for the OnStar®system. See your dealer/retailer
for more information about OnStar®and how to
subscribe to it. See the OnStar®owner's guide for more
information about the services OnStar®provides.
O(On/Off): Press to turn the dimming feature on or off.
The vehicle may also have a Rear Vision Camera
(RVC). See Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
on page 3‑45for more information.
If the vehicle has RVC, the
O(On/Off) button for
turning the automatic dimming feature on or off will not
be available.
Automatic Dimming Mirror Operation
Automatic dimming reduces the glare from the
headlamps of the vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature comes on and the indicator light illuminates
each time the ignition is turned to start.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the mirror. Use a
soft towel dampened with water.
3-39

Resetting the Power Foldaway Mirrors
Reset the power foldaway mirrors if:
.The mirrors are accidentally obstructed while
folding.
.They are accidentally manually folded/unfolded.
.The mirrors will not stay in the unfolded position.
.The mirrors vibrate at normal driving speeds.
Fold and unfold the mirrors one time using the mirror
controls to reset them to their normal position.
A popping noise may be heard during the resetting of
the power foldaway mirrors. This sound is normal after
a manual folding operation.
Automatic Dimming
The driver outside mirror adjusts for the glare of the
headlamps behind you. See Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
on page 3‑39for more information.
Turn Signal Indicator
The vehicle may also have a turn signal indicator on the
mirror. An arrow on the mirror flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory package, the passenger
and/or driver mirror tilts to a preselected position when
the vehicle is in R (Reverse). This feature lets the driver
view the curb when parallel parking. The mirror(s) return
to the original position when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned off or to
OFF/LOCK.
Turn this feature on or off through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC
Buttons)
on page 4‑67for more information.
3-41

If the system is still disabled, after driving forward at
least 40 km/h (25 mph), take the vehicle to your dealer/
retailer.
Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
This vehicle may have a Rear Vision Camera system.
Read this entire section before using it.
{WARNING:
The Rear Vision Camera (RVC) system does not
replace driver vision. RVC does not:
.Detect objects that are outside the camera's
field of view, below the bumper, or underneath
the vehicle.
.Detect children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
or pets.
Do not back the vehicle by only looking at the
RVC screen, or use the screen during longer,
higher speed backing maneuvers or where there
could be cross-traffic. Your judged distances using
the screen will differ from actual distances. (Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
So if you do not use proper care before backing
up, you could hit a vehicle, child, pedestrian,
bicyclist, or pet, resulting in vehicle damage,
injury, or death. Even though the vehicle has the
RVC system, always check carefully before
backing up by checking behind and around the
vehicle.
Vehicles Without Navigation System
The rear vision camera system is designed to help the
driver when backing up by displaying a view of the area
behind the vehicle. When the key is in the ON/RUN
position and the driver shifts the vehicle into
R (Reverse), the video image automatically appears on
the inside rear view mirror. Once the driver shifts out of
R (Reverse), the video image automatically disappears
from the inside rear view mirror.
Turning the Rear Vision Camera System
Off or On
To turn off the rear vision camera system, press and
hold
z, located on the inside rearview mirror, until the
left indicator light turns off. The rear camera vision
display is now disabled.
3-45