2010 GMC SIERRA Owner's Manual

Battery
If the vehicle is a Two‐mode Hybrid, see the Two‐mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
This vehicle has a maintenance free battery (or
batteries). Refer to the replacement number on the
original battery label when a new battery is needed.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑16for
battery location.
{DANGER:
Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
{WARNING:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑44for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the black, negative (−) cable
from the battery to keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery or use a battery trickle charger.
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Jump Starting
If the vehicle is a Two-mode Hybrid, see the Two-mode
Hybrid manual for more information.
If the vehicle's battery (or batteries) has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following
steps to do it safely.
{WARNING:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
.They contain acid that can burn you.
.They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
.They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to the vehicle that would not be covered by
the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage the vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other vehicle's system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. If you have a vehicle with a diesel engine with two batteries, you should know before you begin that,
especially in cold weather, you may not be able to
get enough power from a single battery in another
vehicle to start your diesel engine. If your vehicle
has more than one battery, using the battery
that is closer to the starter will reduce electrical
resistance. This is located on the passenger side,
in the rear of the engine compartment.
3. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are, it could cause an
unwanted ground connection. You would not be
able to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
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To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before setting the parking brake. If you
have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear, not in Neutral.
Notice: If you leave the radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
the warranty. Always turn off the radio and other
accessories when jump starting the vehicle.
4. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory power outlets.
Turn off the radio and all the lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save the radio!
5. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the positive (+) and negative (−) terminal locations on
that vehicle.
The positive (+) terminal, is located under a
red plastic cover at the positive battery post.
To uncover the positive (+) terminal, open the
red plastic cover.
The remote negative (−) terminal is a stud located
on the right front passenger side of the engine,
where the negative battery cable attaches. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 6‑16.
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{WARNING:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{WARNING:
Using an open flame near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do not
need to add water to the battery installed in your
new vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be
sure the right amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that first. If you do not,
explosive gas could be present.(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you. Do
not get it on you. If you accidentally get it in your
eyes or on your skin, flush the place with water
and get medical help immediately.
{WARNING:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
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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.
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Notice:If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical shorting may
occur and damage the vehicle. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Always
connect and remove the jumper cables in the
correct order, making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (−) Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote Negative (−) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the vehicle that had the bad battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) terminal cover, to its original position.
Rear Axle
When to Check Lubricant
It is not necessary to regularly check rear axle fluid
unless you suspect there is a leak or you hear an
unusual noise. A fluid loss could indicate a problem.
Have it inspected and repaired.
All axle assemblies are filled by volume of fluid during
production. They are not filled to reach a certain level.
When checking the fluid level on any axle, variations
in the readings can be caused by factory fill differences
between the minimum and the maximum fluid volume.
Also, if a vehicle has just been driven before checking
the fluid level, it may appear lower than normal because
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fluid has traveled out along the axle tubes and has not
drained back to the sump area. Therefore, a reading
taken five minutes after the vehicle has been driven will
appear to have a lower fluid level than a vehicle that
has been stationary for an hour or two. Remember that
the rear axle assembly must be supported to get a
true reading.
How to Check Lubricant
2500HD with 6.0L and 6.2L
All Other Series and Engines
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
.For all 4.3L, 4.8L and 5.3L 1500 Series
applications, the proper level is 0.04 inches to
0.75 inches (1.0 mm to 19.0 mm) below the bottom
of the filler hole, located on the rear axle. Add only
enough fluid to reach the proper level.
.For all 6.0L and 6.2L 1500 Series applications,
the proper level is from 0.6 inches to 1.6 inches
(15 mm to 40 mm) below the bottom of the filler
plug hole, located on the rear axle. Add only
enough fluid to reach the proper level.
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.For all 6.0L and 6.2L 2500HD Series applications,
the proper level is from 0 to 0.5 inches (0 mm to
13 mm) below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
located on the rear axle. Add only enough fluid to
reach the proper level.
.For all 6.6L DURAMAX DIESEL 2500HD Series
applications and all 3500 Series applications, the
proper level is from 0.6 inches to 0.8 inches
(17 mm to 21 mm) below the bottom of the filler
plug hole, located on the rear axle. Add only
enough fluid to reach the proper level.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. SeeRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 7‑12.
Four-Wheel Drive
Lubricant checks in this section also apply to these
vehicles.
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
It is not necessary to regularly check transfer case fluid
unless you suspect there is a leak, or you hear an
unusual noise. A fluid loss could indicate a problem.
Have it inspected and repaired.
How to Check Lubricant
Electric Shift Transfer Case
A. Fill Plug
B. Drain Plug
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