
Black plate (14,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
13-14 Customer Information
Requirements vary and may
include minimum age requirements,
insurance coverage, credit card,
etc. You are responsible for fuel
usage charges and may also be
responsible for taxes, levies, usage
fees, excessive mileage, or rental
usage beyond the completion of the
repair.
It may not be possible to provide a
like vehicle as a courtesy rental.
Additional Program
Information
All program options, such as shuttle
service, may not be available at
every dealer. Please contact your
dealer for specific information
about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will be
administered by appropriate dealer
personnel.
General Motors reserves the right
to unilaterally modify, change,
or discontinue Courtesy
Transportation at any time and to
resolve all questions of claimeligibility pursuant to the terms and
conditions described herein at its
sole discretion.
Collision Damage Repair
(U.S. and Canada)
If the vehicle is involved in a
collision and it is damaged, have
the damage repaired by a qualified
technician using the proper
equipment and quality replacement
parts. Poorly performed collision
repairs diminish the vehicle resale
value, and safety performance can
be compromised in subsequent
collisions.
Collision Parts
Genuine GM Collision parts are new
parts made with the same materials
and construction methods as the
parts with which the vehicle was
originally built. Genuine GM
Collision parts are the best choice to
ensure that the vehicle's designed
appearance, durability, and safety
are preserved. The use of Genuine
GM parts can help maintain the GM
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Recycled original equipment parts
may also be used for repair. These
parts are typically removed from
vehicles that were total losses in
prior crashes. In most cases, the
parts being recycled are from
undamaged sections of the vehicle.
A recycled original equipment GM
part may be an acceptable choice
to maintain the vehicle's originally
designed appearance and safety
performance; however, the history of
these parts is not known. Such parts
are not covered by the GM New
Vehicle Limited Warranty, and any
related failures are not covered by
that warranty.
Aftermarket collision parts are also
available. These are made by
companies other than GM and may
not have been tested for the vehicle.
As a result, these parts may fit
poorly, exhibit premature durability/
corrosion problems, and may not
perform properly in subsequent

Black plate (17,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Customer Information 13-17
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specifically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle.
The Owner Manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all
models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Without Portfolio: Owner
Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Current and Past Models
Technical Service Bulletins and
Manuals are available for current
and past model GM vehicles.
ORDER TOLL FREE:
1-800-551-4123 Monday–Friday
8:00 AM –6:00 PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit
Helm, Inc. at: www.helminc.com.
Or write to:
Helm, Incorporated
Attention: Customer Service
47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
Prices are subject to change
without notice and without incurring
obligation. Allow ample time for
delivery.
All listed prices are quoted in U.S.
funds. Make checks payable in U.S.
funds.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Reporting Safety Defects
to the United States
Government
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying
General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it finds
that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
14-6 OnStar
OnStar service cannot work unless
your vehicle is in a place where
OnStar has an agreement with a
wireless service provider for service
in that area, and the wireless
service provider has coverage,
network capacity, reception, and
technology compatible with OnStar’s
service. Service involving location
information about the vehicle cannot
work unless GPS signals are
available, unobstructed, and
compatible with the OnStar
hardware. OnStar service may not
work if the OnStar equipment is not
properly installed or it has not been
properly maintained. If equipment or
software is added, connected,
or modified, OnStar service may not
work. Other problems beyond
OnStar ’s control may prevent
service such as hills, tall buildings,
tunnels, weather, electrical system
design and architecture of the
vehicle, damage to the vehicle in a
crash, or wireless phone network
congestion or jamming. See
Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Services for People with
Disabilities
Advisors provide services to help
subscribers with physical disabilities
and medical conditions.
Push
Qfor help with:
.Locating a gas station with an
attendant to pump gas.
.Finding a hotel, restaurant, etc.,
that meets accessibility needs.
.Providing directions to the
closest hospital or pharmacy in
urgent situations.
TTY Users
OnStar has the ability to
communicate to the deaf,
hard‐of‐hearing, or speech‐impaired
customers while in the vehicle. The available dealer‐installed TTY
system can provide in-vehicle
access to all of the OnStar services,
except Virtual Advisor and OnStar
Turn‐by‐Turn Navigation.
Onstar.com
The website provides access to
account information, manages the
OnStar subscription, and allows
viewing of videos of each service.
Get subscription plan pricing and
sign up for OnStar Vehicle
Diagnostics. Click on the
“My
Account” tab on the home page.
OnStar Personal Identification
Number (PIN)
A PIN is needed to access some of
the OnStar services, like Remote
Door Unlock and Stolen Vehicle
Assistance. You will be prompted to
change the PIN the first time when
speaking with an Advisor. To
change the OnStar PIN, call OnStar
and provide the Advisor with the
current number.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
i-6 INDEX
Fuel (cont'd)Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-68
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-69
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-56Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-56
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69 Gauges
Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-5
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-3
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heater Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
i-12 INDEX
Service (cont'd)Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Scheduling Appointments . . . 13-12
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Snow Plow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-106
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Starting the Vehicle
Messsages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Storage Areas
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22, 2-23
Switches Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-13 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Throttle, Adjustable . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-62
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60

Black plate (13,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
INDEX i-13
Tires (cont'd)Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-60
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-72
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-74
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-94
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-93
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-105
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93 Traction
Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . 9-105
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . 10-11, 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
U
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . 9-61
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Universal Remote System . . . . . 5-56 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-56
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-47
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93