2010 GMC SIERRA service

{WARNING:
With the wrong kind of fluid in the brake hydraulic
system, the brakes might not work well. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
.Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake hydraulic system parts. For example,
just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in the brake hydraulic system
can damage brake hydraulic system parts
so badly that they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in the wrong kind
of fluid.
.If brake fluid is spilled on the vehicle's
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake
fluid on the vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately. See Washing Your Vehicle
on
page 6‑113
.
Brake Wear
This vehicle has front disc brakes and could have rear
drum brakes or rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound can come
and go or be heard all the time the vehicle is moving,
except when applying the brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to
an accident. When the brake wear warning sound
is heard, have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the brakes.
6-41

Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque specifications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 6‑126.
If the vehicle has rear drum brakes, they do not have
wear indicators, but if a rear brake rubbing noise is
heard, have the rear brake linings inspected
immediately. Rear brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed for rotation or
changing. Drum brakes have an inspection hole to
inspect lining wear during scheduled maintenance.
When the front brake pads are replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign that brake service
might be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every brake stop, the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. The vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality brake parts.
When parts of the braking system are replaced—for
example, when the brake linings wear down and new
ones are installed —be sure to get new approved
replacement parts. If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes can change —for the
worse. The braking performance expected can change
in many other ways if the wrong replacement brake
parts are installed.
6-42

6. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose ormissing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you
will get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
5.3L engine (4.3L, 4.8L,6.0L and 6.2L similar) 7. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of
the vehicle with the
dead battery. 8. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to
the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step.
10. Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to the
remote negative (−) terminal, on the vehicle with
the dead battery.
11. Start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a while.
12. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
6-47

Federal law prohibits the following acts or the causing
thereof:1. The removal or rendering inoperative by any person, other than for purposes of maintenance,
repair or replacement, of any device or element of
design incorporated into any new vehicle for the
purpose of noise control, prior to its sale or delivery
to the ultimate purchaser or while it is in use; or
2. The use of the vehicle after such device or element of design has been removed or rendered
inoperative by any person.
Among those acts presumed to constitute tampering are
the acts listed below.
Insulation:
.Removal of the noise shields or any underhood
insulation.
Engine:
.Removal or rendering engine speed governor,
if the vehicle has one, inoperative so as to allow
engine speed to exceed manufacturer
specifications.
Fan and Drive:
.Removal of fan clutch, if the vehicle has one,
or rendering clutch inoperative.
.Removal of the fan shroud, if the vehicle has one.
Air Intake:
.Removal of the air cleaner silencer.
.Modification of the air cleaner.
Exhaust:
.Removal of the muffler and/or resonator.
.Removal of the exhaust pipes and exhaust pipe
clamps.
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system. The aim of the headlamps have been preset at
the factory and should need no further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged in a crash, the aim
of the headlamps may be affected and adjustment may
be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high beams at you, this
may mean the vertical aim of your headlamps needs to
be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle is taken to your
dealer/retailer for service if the headlamps need to be
adjusted. It is possible however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.
6-54

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires
made by a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever
have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For additional
information refer to the tire manufacturer.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
.Overloading your vehicle's tires can
cause overheating as a result of too
much flexing. You could have an air-out
and a serious accident. SeeLoading the
Vehicle
on page 5‑30.
.Underinflated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting
accident could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to maintain the
recommended pressure. Tire pressure
(Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
should be checked when your vehicle's
tires are cold. See Inflation - Tire
Pressure
on page 6‑72.
.Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured, or broken by a sudden
impact —such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
.Worn, old tires can cause accidents.
If the tire's tread is badly worn, or if your
vehicle's tires have been damaged,
replace them.
20‐Inch Tires
If your vehicle has the optional 20‐inch
P275/55R20 size tires, they are classified as
touring tires and are designed for on road use.
The low‐profile, wide tread design is not
recommended for “off‐road”driving or commercial
uses such as snow plowing. See Off-Road Driving
on page 5‑11andAdding a Snow Plow or Similar
Equipment
on page 5‑36for additional information.
6-64

Notice:If the vehicle has low‐profile tires, they
are more susceptible to damage from road
hazards or curb impact than standard profile
tires. Tire and/or wheel assembly damage can
occur when coming into contact with road
hazards like, potholes, or sharp edged objects,
or when sliding into a curb. The vehicle
warranty does not cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct inflation pressure
and, when possible avoid contact with curbs,
potholes, and other road hazards.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into the
sidewall. The following illustrations are examples
of a typical P‐Metric and a LT‐Metric tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size code is a combination
of letters and numbers used to define a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail.
6-65

Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size code is a combination
of letters and numbers used to define a particular
tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire Size”
illustration later in this section for more detail. (B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original equipment tires designed
to GM's specific tire performance criteria have a
TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
(C) Dual Tire Maximum Load
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on recommended
tire pressure see Inflation - Tire Pressure
on
page 6‑72
and Loading the Vehicleon page 5‑30.
(D) DOT (Department of Transportation)
:
The Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(E) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following DOT code are the Tire
Identification Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size, and date
the tire was manufactured. The TIN is molded
onto both sides of the tire, although only one side
may have the date of manufacture.
6-67

(F) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(G) Single Tire Maximum Load
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the maximum pressure
needed to support that load when used as a
single. For information on recommended tire
pressure see Inflation - Tire Pressure
on page 6‑72
andLoading the Vehicleon page 5‑30.
Tire Size
The following examples show the different parts of
a tire size.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:The United
States version of a metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in the tire size means
a passenger vehicle tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association. (B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit number that
indicates the tire height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size aspect ratio is 75, as
shown in item C of the tire illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is 75 percent as high
as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias ply construction;
and the letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of the wheel
in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These characters
represent the load index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents the load carry
capacity a tire is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a tire is certified to
carry a load.
6-68