2012 GMC SIERRA 1500 roof

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 (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel (Base/UplevelVersion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Instrument Panel (Premium Version) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-21
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-28
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-29
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-29
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30 Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-31
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-31
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32
Universal Remote System . . . 1-32
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-35
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-35
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-35
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-36
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-36
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-37

Black plate (33,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
In Brief 1-33
Sunroof
Extended Cab
On vehicles with a sunroof, the
sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN or the Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑29 for more
information. Vent:
From the closed position,
press and hold the rear of the switch
to vent the sunroof. To close the
sunroof, press and hold the front of
the switch.
Open: From the vent position,
the sunroof can be fully opened
either manually or by using the
express-open feature. To open
manually, press the rear of the
switch to the first detent and hold
until the sunroof has reached the
desired position. To open using
express-open, press the rear of the
switch to the second detent and
release. The sunroof will move to
the full open position. To stop the
sunroof partway, press the switch a
second time. Close:
From the vent, or open
position, press and hold the front of
the switch to close the sunroof.
The sunroof also has a roller
sunshade that can be used to block
the rays of the sun. To open the
sunshade, press and unlatch it, and
roll it back. To close, pull it forward
and latch it into the closed position.
See Sunroof (Crew Cab) on
page 2‑23 orSunroof (Extended
Cab) on page 2‑22.

Black plate (34,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
1-34 In Brief
Crew Cab
A. Open or Close
B. Vent
On vehicles with a sunroof, the
sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN or the Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑29 for more
information. Vent:
From the closed position,
press the rear of the passenger side
switch (B) to vent the sunroof.
Manual-Open/Manual-Close: To
open the sunroof, press and hold
the rear of the driver side switch (A)
until the sunroof reaches the
desired position. Press and hold the
front of the driver side switch to
close it.
Express-Open/Express-Close:
To express-open the sunroof, fully
press and release the rear of the
driver side switch (A) until the
sunroof reaches the desired
position. To express-close the
sunroof, fully press and release the
front of the driver side switch. Press
the switch again to stop it. When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.
The sunroof also has a sunshade
that you can pull forward to block
the rays of the sun. The sunshade
must be opened and closed
manually.
If an object is in the path of the
sunroof while it is closing, the
anti-pinch feature will detect the
object and stop the sunroof.
See
Sunroof (Crew Cab) on
page 2‑23 orSunroof (Extended
Cab) on page 2‑22.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors, and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Doors
Rear Doors (Extended Cab) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . 2-11
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Trailer-Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-18
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Rear Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Roof
Sunroof (Extended Cab) . . . . . 2-22
Sunroof (Crew Cab) . . . . . . . . . 2-23

Black plate (19,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in apulsing sound when a window is
partially open. To reduce the sound,
open another window or the sunroof
(if equipped).
Manual Windows
Turn the hand crank on each door
to manually raise or lower the
manual windows.

Black plate (22,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
2-22 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Roof
Sunroof (Extended Cab)
On vehicles with a sunroof, the
sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN or the Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑29 for more
information. Vent:
From the closed position,
press and hold the rear of the switch
to vent the sunroof. To close the
sunroof, press and hold the front of
the switch.
Open: From the vent position,
the sunroof can be fully opened
either manually or by using the
express-open feature. To open
manually, press the rear of the
switch to the first detent and hold
until the sunroof has reached the
desired position. To open using
express-open, press the rear of the
switch to the second detent and
release. The sunroof will move to
the full open position. To stop the
sunroof partway, press the switch a
second time.
Close: From the vent, or open
position, press and hold the front of
the switch to close the sunroof.
The sunroof also has a roller
sunshade that can be used to
block the rays of the sun. The
roller sunshade can be manually
operated with the sunroof in an open or closed position. To open the
sunshade, press and unlatch it, and
roll it back. To close, pull it forward
and latch it into the closed position.
When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.Dirt and debris may collect on the
sunroof seal or in the track. This
could cause an issue with sunroof
operation or noise. It could also
plug the water drainage system.
Periodically open the sunroof and
remove any obstacles or loose
debris. Wipe the sunroof seal and
roof sealing area using a clean
cloth, mild soap, and water. Do not
remove grease from the sunroof.

Black plate (23,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-23
Sunroof (Crew Cab)
A. Open or Close
B. Vent
On vehicles with a sunroof, the
sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN or the Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑29 for more
information.
Vent: From the closed position,
press the rear of the passenger side
switch (B) to vent the sunroof. Manual-Open/Manual-Close:
To
open the sunroof, press and hold
the rear of the driver side switch (A)
until the sunroof reaches the
desired position. Press and hold the
front of the driver side switch to
close it.
Express-Open/Express-Close:
To express-open the sunroof, fully
press and release the rear of the
driver side switch (A) until the
sunroof reaches the desired
position. To express-close the
sunroof, fully press and release
the front of the driver side switch.
Press the switch again to stop it.
When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.
The sunroof also has a sunshade
which can be pulled forward to block
sun rays. The sunshade must be
opened and closed manually. If an object is in the path of the
sunroof while it is closing, the
anti-pinch feature will detect the
object and stop the sunroof.Dirt and debris may collect on the
sunroof seal or in the track. This
could cause an issue with sunroof
operation or noise. It could also plug
the water drainage system.
Periodically open the sunroof and
remove any obstacles or loose
debris. Wipe the sunroof seal and
roof sealing area using a clean
cloth, mild soap, and water. Do not
remove grease from the sunroof.