
Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
2012 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-8
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-35
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10 Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-48
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-56
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 Infotainment System
. . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-37
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-35
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53

Black plate (15,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
In Brief 1-15
SeeMemory Seats on page 3‑7 and
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑48.
Easy Exit Driver Seat
This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.
B: Press to recall the easy exit
seat position. The vehicle must be
in P (Park).
See Memory Seats on page 3‑7 and
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑48.
Heated and Ventilated
Seats
Heated and Cooled Seat Buttons
Shown, Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
front doors. To operate, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN.
H: If available, press to cool
the seat.
I: Press to heat the
seatback only.
J: 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.
See Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats on page 3‑9.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the
head restraint height in the proper
position.
See Head Restraints on page 3‑2
and Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
In Brief 1-21
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
O:Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on. For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position will only work when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
AUTO:
Automatically turns on
the headlamps, parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.
;: Turns on the parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps,
parking lamps, taillamps, instrument
panel lights, and license plate
lamps.
For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑3.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑6.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The front wiper control is located on
the turn and lane‐change lever.
The windshield wipers are controlled
by turning the band with
zon it.
8: For a single wipe, turn to8,
then release. For several wipes,
hold the band on
8longer.
9: Turns the windshield
wipers off.
6: Turn the band up for more
frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See“Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.
With Remote Start (without
Remote Start Similar)
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, press
/
to start the engine from outside the
vehicle using the RKE transmitter.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for additional information.
Q(Lock):Press to lock all the
doors.
If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the turn
signal lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred. If enabled
through the DIC, the horn chirps when
Qis pressed again within
three seconds. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑48 for additional
information.
Pressing
Qarms the content
theft‐deterrent system. See
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑11.
K(Unlock): Press once to unlock
only the driver door. If
Kis pressed
again within three seconds, all
remaining doors unlock. The interior
lamps may come on and stay on for
20 seconds or until the ignition is
turned on.
If enabled through the DIC, the turn
signal lamps flash twice to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑48. If enabled through the
DIC, the exterior lights may turn on.
See “Approach Lighting” under
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑48.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
If the delayed locking feature is
active, the alarm will not be
activated until all doors are
closed and the security light
goes off.
3. Close all doors. The security light will stop flashing and go off
after approximately 30 seconds.
The system is armed when the
security light goes off.
If a locked driver door is opened
without using the RKE transmitter, a
10 second pre-alarm will occur. The
horn will chirp and the lights will
flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing
the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter during the 10 second
pre-alarm, the alarm will go off.
The vehicle's headlamps will flash
and the horn will sound for about
30 seconds, then will turn off to save
the battery power.
The theft-deterrent system will not
activate if the doors are locked with
the key or the manual door lock. It activates only if you use the
power door lock switch or the RKE
transmitter. The vehicle can be
started with the correct key if the
alarm is set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.If you do not want to activate
the theft-deterrent system, the
vehicle should be locked with
the door key after the doors are
closed.
.Always unlock a door with the
RKE transmitter.
If the alarm is set off, press unlock
on the RKE transmitter or place the
key in the ignition and turn it to
START.
Testing the Alarm
To test the alarm:
1. Lower the driver window and open the driver door.
2. Press lock on the RKE transmitter. 3. Close the door and wait for the
security light to go out.
4. Reach in through the window, unlock the door with the manual
door lock, and open the door.
This should set off the alarm.
If the alarm does not sound when it
should but the headlamps flash,
check to see if the horn works. The
horn fuse may be blown. To replace
the fuse, see Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 10‑44.
If the alarm does not sound or the
headlamps do not flash, see your
dealer for service.
Immobilizer
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.

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 (10,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats may turn on automatically
during a remote vehicle start. The
heated seats will be canceled when
the ignition is turned on. Press the
desired button to use the heated
seats after the vehicle is started.
The lights on the heated seat
buttons do not turn on during a
remote start.
The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced.
This is normal.
SeeRemote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.Rear Seats
Rear Seats (Extended
Cab Full Bench)
Folding the Rear Seat
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.
To fold the seat:
1. Pull up on the front of the seat cushion while pulling down on
the release strap under the seat
cushion.
2. Pull the seat cushion up until it latches with the seatback.
3. Pull forward on the seat cushion to make sure it is locked in
place.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-18
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-22
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . 5-26
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-26
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-27
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-27
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-28
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-28
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-29
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-40
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-42
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-42
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-43
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-43
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-45
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-45