2012 GMC SIERRA 1500 Owners Manual

Black plate (87,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Vehicle Care 10-87
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. See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑58and
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑16
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 10‑76. Notice:
If the vehicle has
four-wheel drive and a different
size spare tire is installed, do
not drive in four-wheel drive until
the flat tire is repaired and/or
replaced. The vehicle could be
damaged and the repairs would
not be covered by the warranty.
Never use four-wheel drive when
a 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 (88,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
10-88 Vehicle Care
Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery on
page 10‑30.
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement 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: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
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

Black plate (89,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Vehicle Care 10-89
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. 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 any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle. 4. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into 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.

Black plate (90,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
10-90 Vehicle Care
If your vehicle has a gasoline
engine, the remote negative (-)
terminal is a stud located on the
right front of the engine, where
the negative battery cable
attaches.
If your vehicle has a diesel
engine, the remote negative (-)
terminal is the negative (-) post
on the auxiliary battery on the
driver side of the engine
compartment.For more information on
the location of the remote
positive (+) and remote
negative (−) terminals, see
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6
{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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
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.

Black plate (91,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Vehicle Care 10-91
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
6. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing
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, 6.2L
and 6.6L 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.

Black plate (92,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
10-92 Vehicle Care
12. Try to start the vehicle thathad the dead battery. If it will
not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
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.

Black plate (93,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Vehicle Care 10-93
Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice:To avoid damage, the
disabled vehicle should be
towed with all four wheels off
the ground. Care must be taken
with vehicles that have low
ground clearance and/or special
equipment. Always flatbed on a
car carrier.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑9.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motor home, see
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” in this
section.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle, such as a motor home.
The two most common types of
recreational vehicle towing are
known as dinghy towing and dolly
towing. Dinghy towing is towing the
vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the
vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What is the towing capacity
of the towing vehicle? Be
sure to read the tow
vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.

Black plate (94,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
10-94 Vehicle Care
Dinghy Towing
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Notice:If the vehicle is
towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the drivetrain
components could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
tow the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive vehicles should
not be towed with all four wheels
on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions
for internal lubrication while being
towed.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to
dinghy tow a four-wheel-drive
vehicle:
1. Position the vehicle being towed
behind the tow vehicle and shift
the transmission to P (Park). 2. Turn the engine off and firmly set
the parking brake.
3. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle.
{WARNING
Shifting a four-wheel-drive
vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). The driver or others
could be injured. Make sure the
parking brake is firmly set before
the transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral).
4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting into
Neutral” underFour-Wheel Drive
on page 9‑40 for the proper
procedure to select the Neutral
position for the vehicle.