
Black plate (77,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-77
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be
free of grease, gasoline or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period
can cause flat spots on the tires
that may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires
or raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle.
The original equipment tires
installed on the vehicle, when
it was new, were designed to meet
General Motors Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. If you need
replacement tires, GM strongly
recommends that you get tires
with the same TPC Spec rating.
This way, the vehicle will continue
to have tires that are designed to
give the same performance and
vehicle safety, during normal use,
as the original tires.GM's exclusive TPC Spec system
considers over a dozen critical
specifications that impact the
overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure
monitoring performance. GM's TPC
Spec number is molded onto the
tire's sidewall near the tire size.
If the tires have an all‐season
tread design, the TPC spec
number will be followed by an
MS for mud and snow. See
Tire
Sidewall Labeling on page 10‑58
for additional information.

Black plate (78,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
10-78 Vehicle Care
GM recommends replacing tires in
sets of four. This is because uniform
tread depth on all tires will help
keep the vehicle performing most
like it did when the tires were new.
Replacing less than a full set of
tires can affect the braking and
handling performance of the vehicle.
SeeTire Inspection on page 10‑73
and Tire Rotation on page 10‑73 for
information on proper tire rotation.
{WARNING
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting to
mount or dismount a tire could
cause injury or death. Only your
dealer or authorized tire service
center should mount or dismount
the tires.
{WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you
to lose control while driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes,
brands, or types (radial and
bias-belted tires), the vehicle
might not handle properly, and
you could have a crash. Using
tires of different sizes, brands,
or types could also cause
damage to the vehicle. Be sure
to use the same size, brand,
and type of tires on all wheels.
This vehicle may have a different
size spare than the road tires
(those originally installed on the
vehicle). When new, the vehicle
included a spare tire and wheel
assembly with a similar overall
diameter as the vehicle's road
tires and wheels, so it is all right
to drive on it. Because this spare
was developed for use on the
vehicle, it will not affect vehicle
handling.
{WARNING
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace the vehicle's
tires with those that do not have
a TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size, load range,
speed rating, and construction type
(radial and bias‐belted tires) as the
vehicle's original tires.

Black plate (79,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-79
Vehicles that have a tire pressure
monitoring system may give an
inaccurate low‐pressure warning
if non‐TPC Spec-rated tires are
installed on the vehicle. Non‐TPC
Spec-rated tires may give a
low‐pressure warning that is
higher or lower than the proper
warning level you would get with
TPC Spec-rated tires. SeeTire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑68.
The vehicle's original equipment
tires are listed on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑25
for more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label and
its location on the vehicle.Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are
a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, this
could affect the way the vehicle
performs, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, and electronic stability
control, the performance of these
systems can be affected.
{WARNING
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety
if tires not recommended for
those wheels are selected.
This increases the chance
of a crash and serious injury.
Only use GM specific wheel
and tire systems developed
for the vehicle, and have them
properly installed by a GM
certified technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10‑77 andAccessories
and Modifications on page 10‑3
for additional information.

Black plate (83,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-83
Tire Chains
{WARNING
If the vehicle has dual wheels
or P265/65R18, P275/55R20,
LT265/70R17, LT265/70R18,
LT265/60R20, P285/50R20,
P285/45R22 or 285/45R22 size
tires, do not use tire chains.
They can damage the vehicle
because there is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on
a vehicle without the proper
amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in
a crash.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on the
vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow
that manufacturer's instructions.
To help avoid damage to the
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust,
or remove the device if it is
contacting the vehicle, and do
not spin the vehicle's wheels.
If you do find traction devices that
will fit, install them on the rear
tires. Notice:
If the vehicle does not
have dual wheels and has a
tire size other than P265/65R18,
P275/55R20, LT265/70R17, LT265/
70R18, LT265/60R20, P285/50R20,
P285/45R22, or 285/45R22, use
tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use chains
that are the proper size for the
tires. Install them on the tires
of the rear axle. Do not use
chains on the tires of the front
axle. Tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer's
instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting the vehicle,
stop and retighten them. If the
contact continues, slow down
until it stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains
on will damage the vehicle.

Black plate (97,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-97
Full-Size Spare Tire
Your vehicle, when new, had a
fully-inflated spare tire. A spare
tire may lose air over time, so
check its inflation pressure regularly.
SeeTire Pressure on page 10‑66
and Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑25 for information regarding
proper tire inflation and loading your
vehicle. For instruction on how to
remove, install or store a spare tire,
see “Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare” and“Storing a
Flat or Spare Tire and Tools” under
Tire Changing on page 10‑86. Notice:
If the vehicle has
four-wheel drive and the different
size spare tire is installed on the
vehicle, do not drive in four-wheel
drive until you can have your
flat tire repaired and/or replaced.
You could damage the vehicle,
and the repair costs would not
be covered by your warranty.
Never use four-wheel drive when
the different size spare tire is
installed on the vehicle.
Your vehicle may have a different
size spare tire than the road tires
originally installed on your vehicle.
This spare tire was developed for
use on your vehicle, so it is all right
to drive on it. If your vehicle has
four-wheel drive and the different
size spare tire is installed, keep
the vehicle in two-wheel drive. After installing the spare tire on your
vehicle, you should stop as soon as
possible and make sure the spare
tire is correctly inflated. Have the
damaged or flat road tire repaired
or replaced as soon as you can
and installed back onto your vehicle.
This way, the spare tire will be
available in case you need it again.
Do not mix tires and wheels of
different sizes, because they will
not fit. Keep your spare tire and its
wheel together. If your vehicle has
a spare tire that does not match
your vehicle's original road tires
and wheels in size and type, do not
include the spare in the tire rotation.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
i-6 INDEX
Fuel (cont.)Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-84
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-85
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-61Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Gasoline
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85 Gauges
Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-90
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-5
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heater Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-4

Black plate (13,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-13
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-13 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Throttle, Adjustable . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-69
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49 Tires (cont.)
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-68
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-82
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-91
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-112
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-90
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . 10-103 Towing (cont.)
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-95
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-124
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-103
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . 9-124
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-95
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . 10-13, 10-16
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-46

Black plate (14,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
i-14 INDEX
U
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . 9-76
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-61 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-67
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Using this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-52
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-103 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Vehicle Identification Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Warning Lights, Gauges,
and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . . . 5-51 Wheels
Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-56
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-41