2011 GMC SIERRA cruise control

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15 Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-19
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-20
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-24
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . 5-29
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-29
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light . . . 5-30
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-31
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-31
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-32
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-42
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-45
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-45
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-46
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-46
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-48
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48

Black plate (32,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
seeAnti-Theft Alarm System on
page 2‑12.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑3 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp lights come on when
the fog lamps are in use.
The lights go out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See Fog
Lamps on page 6‑6 for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑73 for more
information.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-19
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-20
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-23
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-34
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-37 Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 9-40
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Active Fuel Management
®. . . 9-44
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-46
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Brake Assist (Except With 4.3L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-70
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-70
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-73
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-76
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-85
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-86
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-86
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-87
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-88
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-90

Black plate (20,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑57.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention
to your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find
a safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes 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. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-21
{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.
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 9‑68 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
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 on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (35,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-35
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal
On vehicles with this feature, you
can change the position of the
throttle and brake pedals.
No adjustment to the pedals can
be made when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse) or while using cruise
control.
The control used to adjust the
pedals is located on the instrument
panel below the climate control
system.Press the bottom of the control to
move the pedals closer. Press the
top of the control to move the
pedals away.
Before you start driving, fully
press the brake pedal to confirm
the adjustment is right for you.
While driving, make only small
adjustments.
The vehicle may have a memory
function which lets pedal settings
be saved and recalled. See
Power
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑4 for
more information.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the
ignition must be in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the regular
brake pedal must be applied.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Fast Idle System
If the vehicle has this feature it is
available only with cruise control.
The manual fast idle switch is
operated using the cruise control
buttons located on the left hand
side of the steering wheel.
This system can be used to
increase engine idle speed
whenever the following conditions
are met:
.The park brake is set.
.The brake pedal is not pressed.
.The vehicle must not be moving
and the accelerator must not be
pressed.To control the fast idle:
.To enable the Fast Idle System,
press and release the Cruise
Control On/Off button and
ensure that the switch LED is lit.
.Press and release the Cruise
Control Set switch. Engine
speed will be held at
approximately 1200 RPM.
When the fast idle is active the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will
display “FAST IDLE ON.”
One of the following actions will turn
off the fast idle:
.Pressing the brake.
.Selecting the Cruise Control
Cancel button.
.Releasing the Parking Brake.
.The transmission shifter is
moved out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral).
.Selecting the Cruise Control
On/Off button when it was
previously on.
.Pressing the Cruise Control Set
switch a second time.
.Pressing the accelerator greater
than a quarter of the down.
.Turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-50 Driving and Operating
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
(Allison®Transmission or
Hydra-Matic®6-Speed
Transmission)
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control
the vehicle's transmission and
vehicle speed while driving down
hill or towing a trailer by letting you
select a desired range of gears. To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus buttons, located on the steering column
shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for current driving
conditions.
When M (Manual Mode) is selected
a number displays next to the M,
indicating the current gear.
This number is the highest gear
that can be used. However, the
vehicle can automatically shift to
lower gears as it adjusts to driving
conditions. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. When 5 (Fifth) is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until
the plus/minus button located on
the steering column lever is used
to change to the gear. Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See
Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑51.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.
If the vehicle has an exhaust
brake, it can also be used, but will
not automatically downshift the
transmission. See Exhaust Brake in
the Duramax Diesel supplement.
Notice: Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.