2010 GMC SIERRA ABS

MP3 Radio with a Six-Disc CD Player
To set the time and date:1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the MENU button.
3. Press the
Hbutton to display HR, MIN, MM, DD,
YYYY (hour, minute, month, day, and year).
4. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change that setting.
5. To increase the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise. 6. To decrease the time or date, do one of the
following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob counterclockwise.
To change the time default setting from 12 hour to
24 hour or to change the date default setting from
month/day to day/month: 1. Press the MENU button and then the softkey under the
Htab.
2. Press the softkey located below the forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H, the date MM/DD (month and day),
and DD/MM/ (day and month) displays.
3. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
4. Press the MENU button again to apply the desired option, or let the screen time out.
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Storing a Radio Station as a Favorite
Radios that have a FAV button store radio stations
as favorites.
Drivers are encouraged to set up their radio station
favorites while the vehicle is parked. Tune to favorite
stations using the presets, favorites button, and steering
wheel controls, if the vehicle has this feature.
SeeDefensive Driving on page 5‑2.
FAV (Favorites) : If the vehicle has a FAV button,
a maximum of 36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six softkeys below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the FAV button. Press the
FAV button to go through up to six pages of favorites,
each having six favorite stations available per page.
Each page of favorites can contain any combination
of AM, FM, or XM, if equipped, stations.
The balance/fade and tone settings that were previously
adjusted, are stored with the favorite stations.
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press the FAV button to display the page where the station will be stored. 3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a
beep sounds. When that softkey is pressed and
released, the station that was set, returns.
4. Repeat the steps for each softkey radio station to store as a favorite.
The number of favorites pages can be setup using the
MENU button. To setup the number of favorites pages: 1. Press the MENU button to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the desired number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey located below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press the FAV button, or let the menu time out, to return to the original main radio screen showing
the radio station frequency tabs and to begin the
process of programming favorites for the chosen
amount of numbered pages.
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Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
(AM-FM Radio)
Bass/Treble :To adjust the bass or treble, press
the tune knob or the EQ button until the desired tone
control tab displays. Turn the tune knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the setting.
The display shows the current bass or treble level.
If a station's frequency is weak, or if there is static,
decrease the treble.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Midrange/Treble)
(All Except AM-FM Radio)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange, or Treble) :
To adjust bass, midrange, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until the tone control tabs
display.
2. Highlight the desired tone control tab by doing one of the following:
.Pressing thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the desired tab. 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.
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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.
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.
4-93

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
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24 Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . 5-36
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Trailer Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-77
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 4‑40.
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 (Except With 4.3L V6 Engine)
If this vehicle has StabiliTrak®, it also 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

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.
Steering
Power Steering
If the vehicle is a Two‐mode Hybrid, see the Two‐mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
If power steering assist is lost because the engine stops
or the system is not functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the condition of the tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is
banked, and vehicle speed. While in a curve, speed is
the one factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed, do it before entering
the curve, while the front wheels are straight.
5-8