2011 GMC SIERRA four wheel drive

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-9
¨SEEK:Press to seek the next
radio station. Press and hold for a
few seconds until a beep sounds to
scan for radio stations in ascending
order; press the
©SEEK button
again to stop scanning radio
stations. The radio only seeks and
scans stations with a strong signal
that are in the selected band.
For the AM-FM Radio, press and
hold the
¨SEEK for four seconds
until a double beep sounds to scan
the preset stations. The station
frequency flashes while the radio
is in the scan mode.
sREV: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in descending order.
\FWD: Press to manually tune to
a radio station in ascending order.
FAV (Favorites): Press to select
different favorites pages for stored
radio stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
the radio station while the vehicle
is parked; see Defensive Driving on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button
store radio stations as favorites. Up
to 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.
Radios that do not have a
FAV button store radio stations
as presets. Up to 18 stations
(6 FM1, 6 FM2, and 6 AM), can
be programmed on the six
numbered pushbuttons. Setting Preset Stations
To store presets:
1. Tune to a radio station.
2. Press and hold one of the
six numbered pushbuttons for
three seconds until a beep
sounds.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to store additional radio stations.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to a 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.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.

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 (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-7
Off-Road Driving
Vehicles with four-wheel drive
can be used for off-road driving.
Vehicles without four-wheel drive
and vehicles with 20‐inch tire/wheel
assemblies should not be driven
off-road except on a level, solid
surface.
The airbag system is designed to
work properly under a wide range
of conditions, including off‐road
usage. Always wear your safety belt
and observe safe driving speeds,
especially on rough terrain.
Drinking and driving can be very
dangerous on any road and this is
certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your
reflexes, perceptions, and judgment
can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You could have aserious
—or even fatal —accident
if you drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking.
Off-roading can be great fun but has
some definite hazards. The greatest
of these is the terrain itself. When
off-road driving, traffic lanes are not
marked, curves are not banked, and
there are no road signs. Surfaces
can be slippery, rough, uphill,
or downhill.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers. Failure to operate the
vehicle correctly off‐road could
result in loss of vehicle control
or vehicle rollover.
Off-roading involves some new
skills. That is why it is very
important that you read these
driving tips and suggestions to
help make off-road driving safer
and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work done.
.Make sure there is enough fuel,
that fluid levels are where they
should be, and that the spare
tire is fully inflated.
.Be sure to read all
the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles
in this manual.
.Make sure all underbody
shields, if the vehicle has them,
are properly attached.
.Know the local laws that apply
to off-roading where you will
be driving or check with law
enforcement people in the area.
.Be sure to get the necessary
permission if you will be on
private land.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-24 Driving and Operating
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get
It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four‐Wheel
High. For vehicles with StabiliTrak
®,
turn the traction control part of the
system off. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal
while shifting, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle
has them. If the vehicle does need
to be towed out, see
Towing the
Vehicle on page 10‑103.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING
These hooks, when used, are
under a lot of force. Always pull
the vehicle straight out. Never pull
on the hooks at a sideways angle.
The hooks could break off and
you or others could be injured
from the chain or cable
snapping back.Notice: Never use recovery
hooks to tow the vehicle.
Your vehicle could be damaged
and it would not be covered by
warranty.
For vehicles with recovery hooks at
the front of the vehicle, you can use
them if you are stuck off-road and
need to be pulled to some place
where you can continue driving.

Black plate (41,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-41
WARNING (Continued)
You could be seriously injured.
Plug the cord into a properly
grounded three-prong 110-volt AC
outlet. If the cord will not reach,
use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could
be injured. To be sure the vehicle
will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow. With four-wheel
drive, if the transfer case is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). So, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive
gear —not in N (Neutral). If you
are pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
on page 9‑91. 1. Hold the brake pedal down, then
set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake on page 9‑69
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling
the shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear —not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).

Black plate (42,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
9-42 Driving and Operating
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear—not in
N (Neutral).
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
And, if you leave the vehicle
with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured.
Do not leave the vehicle with
the engine running unless you
have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle
with the engine running, be sure
your vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and
you do not shift your transmission
into P (Park) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, Shifting Into
Park on page 9‑41.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, then you will be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).

Black plate (45,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains Carbon Monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area
that has no fresh air ventilation.
For more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑44.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out
of the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when
the engine is running unless
you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
{WARNING
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the
transfer case in N (Neutral) will
allow the vehicle to roll, even if
the automatic transmission shift
lever is in P (Park). So, be sure
the transfer case is in a drive
gear —not in N (Neutral). Always
set the parking brake.
Follow the proper steps to be
sure the vehicle will not move.
See Shifting Into Park on
page 9‑41.
If pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑91.

Black plate (47,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
WARNING (Continued)
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9‑41. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑91.
{WARNING
If you have Four-Wheel Drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll —even
if the shift lever is in P (Park) —if
the transfer case is in Neutral.
So, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear, Two-Wheel Drive
High or Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low —not in
Neutral. See Shifting Into Park
on page 9‑41. R (Reverse):
Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle is Stuck on page 9‑23.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use N (Neutral)
only. Also, use N (Neutral) when
the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.