
Black plate (28,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
1-28 In Brief
Storing Radio Stations
A maximum of 36 stations can be
stored as favorites using the six
softkeys located below the radio
station frequency tabs and by using
the radio FAV button. Press FAV to
go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM
stations.
For more information, see“Storing
Radio Stations” inAM-FM Radio on
page 7‑9.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press
O, to turn the radio on.
2. Press
Hto display HR, MIN,
MM, DD, and YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year). 3. Press the softkey located under
any one of the labels to be
changed.
4. To increase or decrease the time or date, turn
fclockwise or
counter‐clockwise.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for the vehicle's specific
audio system, see Clock on
page 5‑7.
Satellite Radio
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM satellite radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound. A fee is required to receive the
XM service.
For more information, refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)
See Satellite Radio on page 7‑11.
Portable Audio Devices
This vehicle may have an auxiliary
input located on the radio faceplate
and a USB port located in the center
console or on the instrument panel.
External devices such as an iPod
®,
laptop computer, MP3 player, CD
changer, or USB storage device can
be connected to the auxiliary port
using a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) input cable
or the USB port depending on the
audio system.
See “Using the Auxiliary Input
Jack” and“Using the USB Port” in
Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑32.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-7
To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, or seats during
the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays. Or, if the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, press the
trip odometer reset stem until
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays. 3. Press the set/reset button to
start the compass calibration.
Or, if the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, press and hold the
trip odometer reset stem for
two seconds to start the
compass calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle
in tight circles at less than
8 km/h (5 mph) to complete the
calibration. The DIC will display
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the
calibration is complete. The DIC
display will then return to the
previous menu.
Clock
AM-FM Radio and AM‐FM
Radio with CD Player
To set the clock:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton until the hour
numbers begin to flash, then
turn the
fknob to increase or
decrease the hour.
3. Press the
Hbutton until the
minute numbers begin to flash,
then turn the
fknob to increase
or decrease the minutes.
4. Press the
Hbutton until the
12HR or 24HR time format
begins to flash, then turn
the
fknob to change the time
format.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
5-8 Instruments and Controls
5. Press theHbutton again until
the clock display stops flashing
to set the currently displayed
time, or wait until the flashing
stops after five seconds and the
current time displayed
automatically sets.
MP3 Radios with a Single CD
or a Single CD and DVD Player
To adjust the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton to display
HR, MIN, MM, DD, YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change
that setting. 4. To increase the time or date, do
one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the
selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise. To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change
the date default setting from month/
day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press the
Hbutton and then
the softkey located below the
forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H, the
date MM/DD (month and day),
and DD/MM (day and month)
displays.
2. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
3. Press the
Hbutton again to
apply the desired option, or let
the screen time out.
MP3 Radio with a Six-Disc CD
Player
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then
press the
Obutton to turn the
radio on.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Instruments and Controls 5-9
2. Press the MENU button andthen the softkey under the
Htab
to display HR, MIN, MM, DD,
YYYY (hour, minute, month, day,
and year).
3. Press the softkey located under any one of the tabs to change
that setting.
4. To increase the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the softkey below the
selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date, do one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK button.
.Press thesREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise. To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to change
the date default setting from month/
day to day/month:
1. Press the MENU button
and then the softkey under
the
Htab.
2. Press the softkey located below the forward arrow tab. 12H, 24H,
the date MM/DD (month and
day), and DD/MM (day and
month) displays.
3. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
4. Press the MENU button again to apply the desired option, or let
the screen time out.
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can
be used to plug in electrical
equipment, such as a cell phone,
MP3 player, etc.
The vehicle may have two
accessory power outlets located
below the climate control system,
or may have one accessory power
outlet and one cigarette lighter. The
cigarette lighter is designed to fit
only in the receptacle closest to the
driver.
There may be another accessory
power outlet in the rear cargo area.
If the vehicle has a floor console,
there is an accessory power outlet
inside the storage bin and one on
the rear of the floor console.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
Infotainment System 7-7
EQ (Equalization):Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL, or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
Setting the Tone (Bass/
Midrange/Treble) (All Except
AM-FM Radio and Radio
with CD)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange,
or Treble): To adjust the bass,
midrange, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until the tone
control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired tone control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Press thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab. 3. Adjust the setting by doing one
of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV.
If a station's frequency is weak or if
there is static, decrease the treble.
To quickly adjust bass, midrange,
or treble to the middle position,
press the softkey positioned under
the BASS, MID, or TREB tab for
more than two seconds. A beep
sounds and the level adjusts to the
middle position. To quickly adjust all tone and
speaker controls to the middle
position, press the
fknob for more
than two seconds until a beep
sounds.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL, or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
If the radio has a Bose
®audio
system, the EQ settings are either
MANUAL or TALK.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-8 Infotainment System
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (AM-FM Radio
and AM-FM Radio with CD)
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press
`or press thefknob
until the speaker control label
displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) (All Except
AM-FM Radio and Radio
with CD)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade): To
adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
fknob until the
speaker control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired speaker control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Press thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab.
3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV. To quickly adjust all speaker and
tone controls to the middle position,
press the
fknob for more than
two seconds.
If the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) is
turned on, the radio disables FADE
and mutes the rear speakers.
Radio Messages
Calibration Error: The audio
system has been calibrated
for the vehicle from the factory.
If Calibration Error displays, it
means that the radio has not been
configured properly for the vehicle
and it must be returned to your
dealer for service.
Locked or Loc: One of these
messages will display when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked
up the radio. Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or
if an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer.

Black plate (32,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
7-32 Infotainment System
Player Error:This message
displays if there are disc load or
disc eject problems.
.It is very hot. When the
temperature returns to normal,
the disc should play.
.The road is very rough. When
the road becomes smoother, the
disc should play.
.The disc is dirty, scratched, wet,
or upside down.
.The air is very humid. If so, wait
about an hour and try again.
.There was a problem while
burning the disc.
.The label is caught in the CD/
DVD player.
If the disc is not playing correctly, for
any other reason, try a known
good disc.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if
an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it
down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.
Auxiliary Devices
Using the Auxiliary Input Jack
Radios with an auxiliary input jack
located on the lower right side of the
faceplate can connect to an external
audio device such as an iPod
®,
MP3 player, or CD player, for use as
another source for audio listening.
This input jack is not an audio
output; do not plug headphones into
the front auxiliary input jack.
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3 for
more information on driver
distraction.
To use a portable audio player,
connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable to
the radio's front auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, press the radio CD/AUX button to begin
playing audio from the device over
the vehicle speakers.
For optimal sound quality, increase
the portable audio device's volume
to the loudest level.
It is always best to power the
portable audio device through its
own battery while playing.O(Power/Volume):
Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase
or decrease the volume of the
portable player. Additional volume
adjustments might have to be made
from the portable device if the
volume is not loud or soft enough.
BAND: Press to listen to the radio
when a portable audio device is
playing. The portable audio device
continues playing.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to
play a CD when a portable audio
device is playing. Press again and
the system begins playing audio
from the connected portable audio

Black plate (48,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2012 - CRC - 11/15/11
9-48 Driving and Operating
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parkedso that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and press and hold the regular brake
pedal. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑54 for more information.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
Neutral light starts blinking. This
will take at least 10 seconds.
Then slowly release the dial to
the four low position. The
N (Neutral) light will come on
when the transfer case shift to
N (Neutral) is complete. 7. If the engine is running, verify
that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse) for
one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for
one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY, which will turn the
engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of
N (Neutral) do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off, and shift the
transmission to N (Neutral).
3. Turn the transfer case dial to Two-Wheel Drive High. After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the vehicle.
Notice: Shifting the transmission
into gear before the requested
mode indicator light has stopped
flashing could damage the
transfer case. To help avoid
damaging the vehicle, always wait
for the mode indicator lights to
stop flashing before shifting the
transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired
position.
Excessively shifting the transfer
case into or out of the different
modes may cause the transfer case
to enter the shift protection mode.
This will protect the transfer case
from possible damage and will only
allow the transfer case to respond
to one shift per 10 seconds. The
transfer case may stay in this mode
for up to three minutes.