2012 GMC SIERRA 1500 warning

Black plate (5,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Power Lumbar
To adjust the power lumbar support,
if equipped:
.On vehicles with two-way
lumbar, press and hold the top
or bottom of the control to
increase or decrease lumbar
support.
.On vehicles with four-way
lumbar, press and hold the front
or rear of the control to increase
or decrease lumbar support.To raise or lower the height of
the support, press and hold the
top or bottom of the control.
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job.
The shoulder belt will not be
against your body. Instead, it will
be in front of you. In a crash, you
could go into it, receiving neck or
other injuries.
The lap belt could go up over
your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-6 Seats and Restraints
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To adjust a manual seatback:
1. Lift the lever.The seatback will automatically
fold forward.
2. To recline, move the seatback rearward to the desired position,
then release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This
may cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Heated and Cooled Seat ButtonsShown, Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
front doors. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
H(Cooled Seat): If available,
press to cool the seat.
I(Heated Seatback): Press
to heat the seatback only.
J(Heated Seat and Seatback):
Press to heat the seat and
seatback. Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
On vehicles with heated seats,
the heated seats are canceled
10 seconds after the ignition is
turned off.
On vehicles with heated and cooled
seats, the heated and cooled seats
are canceled when the ignition is
turned off.
To use this feature after restarting
the vehicle, press the desired button
again.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-11
To unfold the seat:
1. Push the seat cushion rearwardwhile pulling the release strap
under the seat cushion. Pull the
seat cushion down until it
latches.
2. Pull up on the seat cushion to make sure it is locked in place.
Make sure the safety belts are
not twisted or caught in the seat
cushion.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.
Rear Seats (All Split
Bench and Hybrid Full
Bench)
Folding Rear Seat
Either side of the rear seat can be
folded for added cargo space.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
Make sure that nothing is on
the seat.
To fold the seat, slowly pull the seat
cushion up. To return the seat to the normal
seating position, slowly pull the seat
cushion down.
Make sure the safety belts are not
twisted or caught in the seat
cushion.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to
be sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-12 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where
a safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑17.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest

Black plate (14,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-14 Seats and Restraints
.Wear the lap part of the belt
low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the
lap belt. If you slid under it, the
belt would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
.Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are
best able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.
.Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted.
.Never wear the shoulder belt
under both arms or behind
your back.
.Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
If the vehicle is a regular cab, then
all seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt. If the
vehicle is a crew or extended
cab, then all seating positions
in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt except for the center front
passenger position (if equipped),which has a lap belt. See
Lap Belt
(Crew and Extended Cab) on
page 3‑19 for more information.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out
all the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.

Black plate (18,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-18 Seats and Restraints
3. Be sure that the belt is nottwisted and it lies flat. The
elastic cord must be under the
belt and the guide on top.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
4. Buckle, position, and releasethe safety belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure the shoulder portion of the
belt is on the shoulder and not
falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting,
the neck.
To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Slide
the guide onto the storage clip.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-20 Seats and Restraints
To make the belt shorter, pull its free
end as shown until the belt is snug.
If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt Extender on page 3‑20.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would
be able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if necessary.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors,
and anchorages are all working
properly. Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt systemfrom doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders on page 5‑17.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care on page 3‑20.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able
to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.