2013 GMC SIERRA 1500 AUX

Black plate (91,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
Driving and Operating 9-91
Fifth-wheel or gooseneck kingpin
weight should be 15 to 25 percent of
the trailer weight up to the maximum
amount specified in the trailering
chart for the vehicle. See“Weight of
the Trailer” underTrailer Towing on
page 9‑73 for more information.
The hitch should be located in the
pickup bed so that its centerline is
over or slightly in front of the rear
axle. Take care that it is not so far
forward that it will contact the back
of the cab in sharp turns. This is
especially important for short box
pickups. Trailer pin box extensions
and sliding fifth-wheel hitch
assemblies can help this condition.
There should be at least six inches
of clearance between the top of the
pickup box and the bottom of the
trailer shelf that extends over
the box.
Make sure the hitch is attached to
the tow vehicle frame rails. Do not
use the pickup box for support.Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains
may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. If the trailer being
towed weighs up to 2 271 kg
(5,000 lbs) with a factory-installed
step bumper, safety chains may be
attached to the attaching points on
the bumper; otherwise, safety
chains should be attached to holes
on the trailer hitch platform. Always
leave just enough slack so the
combination can turn. Never allow
safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 900 kg (2,000 lbs) needs to
have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Do not tap into the vehicle's
hydraulic brake system.
Auxiliary Battery
The auxiliary battery provision can
be used to supply electrical power
to additional equipment that may be
added, such as a slide-in camper.
If the vehicle has this provision, this
relay will be located on the driver
side of the vehicle, next to the
underhood electrical center.
Be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
any electrical equipment that is
installed.
Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended
periods will drain the battery.
Always turn off electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not use equipment that

Black plate (92,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
9-92 Driving and Operating
exceeds the maximum amperage
rating of 40 amperes for the
auxiliary battery provision.
Trailer Wiring Harness
The vehicle is equipped with one of
the following wiring harnesses for
towing a trailer or hauling a slide-in
camper.
Basic Trailer Wiring
All regular, extended cab and crew
cab pickups have a seven-wire
trailer towing harness.
For vehicles not equipped with
heavy duty trailering, the harness is
secured to the vehicle's frame
behind the spare tire mount. The
harness requires the installation of a
trailer connector, which is available
through your dealer.
If towing a light-duty trailer with a
standard four-way round pin
connector, an adapter is available
from your dealer.Heavy-DutyTrailer Wiring Harness
Package
For vehicles equipped with heavy
duty trailering, the harness
connector is mounted in the bumper.
The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:
.Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
.Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
.Brown: Taillamps
.White: Ground
.Light Green: Back-up Lamps
.Red: Battery Feed*
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuses for these two circuits are
installed in the underhood electrical
center, but the wires are not
connected. They should be
connected by your dealer or a
qualified service center. The fuse
and wire for the ITBC is factory
installed and connected if the
vehicle is equipped with an ITBC.
The fuse for the battery feed is not
required if the vehicle has an
auxiliary battery. If the vehicle does
not have an auxiliary battery, have
your dealer or authorized service
center install the required fuse.
If charging a remote (non-vehicle)
battery, press the Tow/Haul Mode
button, if equipped, located at the
end of the shift lever. This will boost
the vehicle system voltage and
properly charge the battery. If the
trailer is too light for Tow/Haul
Mode, or the vehicle is not equipped
with Tow/Haul, turn on the

Black plate (104,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
9-104 Driving and Operating
WARNING (Continued)
Maintaining a proper front and
rear weight distribution ratio is
necessary to provide proper
braking performance.
Total vehicle reserve capacity is the
difference between the GVWR and
the weight of the truck with full fuel
and passengers. It is the amount of
weight that can be added to the
vehicle before reaching the GVWR.
Keep in mind that reserve capacity
numbers are intended as a guide
when selecting the amount of
equipment or cargo the truck can
carry. If unsure of the vehicle's front,
rear, or total weight, go to a weigh
station and weigh the vehicle. Your
dealer can also help with this. The total vehicle reserve capacity
for the vehicle can be found in the
lower right corner of the
Certification/Tire label as shown
previously.
See your dealer for additional
advice and information about using
a snow plow on the vehicle. Also,
see
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑15.
Emergency Roof Lamp
Provisions
Vehicles with the RPO VYU snow
plow prep package also have an
emergency roof lamp provision
package, RPO TRW. Wiring for the
emergency roof lamp is provided
above the overhead console. See
Auxiliary Roof-Mounted Lamp on
page 6‑6 for switch location.
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab
We are aware that some vehicle
owners might consider having the
pickup box removed and a
commercial or recreational body
installed. Owners should be aware
that, as manufactured, there are
differences between a chassis cab
and a pickup with the box removed
which could affect vehicle safety.
The components necessary to adapt
a pickup to permit its safe use with
a specialized body should be
installed by the body builder.

Black plate (42,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
10-42 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
36 Windshield Wiper
37 SEO B2 Upfitter Usage (Battery)
38 Electric Adjustable Pedals
39 Climate Controls (Battery)
40 Airbag System (Ignition)
41 Amplifier
42 Audio System
43 Miscellaneous (Ignition), Cruise
Control
44 Not Used
45 Airbag System (Battery)
46 Instrument Panel Cluster
47 Power Take-Off Fuses
Usage
48 Auxiliary Climate Control (Ignition)
49 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL)
50 Rear Defogger
51 Heated Mirrors
52 SEO B1 Upfitter Usage (Battery)
53 Accessory Power Outlet
54 SEO Upfitter Usage
55 Climate Controls (Ignition)
56 Engine Control Module, Secondary
Fuel Pump
(Ignition) J-Case
Fuses Usage
57 Cooling Fan 1
58 Not Used
59 Heavy Duty Antilock Brake
System
60 Cooling Fan 2
61 Antilock Brake System 1
62 Starter
63 Stud 2 (Trailer Brakes)
64 Left Bussed Electrical Center 1
65 Not Used
66 Not Used
67 Transfer Case

Black plate (84,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
10-84 Vehicle Care
5. Open the hood on the othervehicle 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.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 10‑5
{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.
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 (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
i-2 INDEX
AuxiliaryDevices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Roof Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-33
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49
Brake Pedal and AdjustableThrottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38 Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-37
Pick-up Box Identification and Fender Marker
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
INDEX i-3
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
CheckEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-32
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Securing . . . . . . . . . . 3-54, 3-56, 3-57
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-94
Climate Control Systems . . . 8-1, 8-4 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-4
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-14
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Connections
OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-6 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Customer Information Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . 13-16
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2, 13-4D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-14
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-19
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Devices Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-6
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28

Black plate (6,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 8/14/12
i-6 INDEX
General InformationService and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-71
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-5
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2 Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Heater Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-4
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-56
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-11
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
I
Idle System
Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40 Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Panel
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-41
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-2
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-48
Lamps Auxiliary RoofMounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1