2015 GMC SIERRA 1500 towing

Black plate (1,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
2015 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-4
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-45
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-52
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-46 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-33
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-50
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 9-56
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-97
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50

Black plate (2,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
2015 GMC Sierra Owner ManualM
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-16
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-13
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14 OnStar
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-6
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (3,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
In Brief 1-3
1.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6-6.
2. Integrated Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) System (If Equipped).
See Towing Equipment on
page 9-87.
3. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6-1.
Fog Lamps on page 6-5 (If
Equipped).
4. Air Vents on page 8-8.
5. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on
page 6-4.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5-4.
6. Favorite Switches (Out of View). See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-3.
Volume Switches (Out of View).
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-3.
7. Instrument Cluster on page 5-10. 8.
Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6-4.
9. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9-33.
Tow/Haul Selector Button (If
Equipped). See Tow/Haul Mode
on page 9-37.
Range Selection Mode (Allison
Transmission
®and Hydra-Matic®
6-Speed Button) (If Equipped).
See Manual Mode on page 9-36.
10. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System on
page 6-3.
11. Infotainment on page 7-1.
12. Electronic Transfer Case Control (If Equipped). See
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9-38.
Card Holder (If Equipped). See
Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4-1.
13. Parking Brake on page 9-48. 14. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5-22.
15. Cruise Control on page 9-53.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9-59 (If
Equipped).
16. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5-2 (Out of View).
17. Horn on page 5-4.
18. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10-4.
19. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-3 (If Equipped).
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Controls (If Equipped). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) on page 5-30 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) on page 5-32.
20. Heated and Cooled Front
Seats on page 3-8 (If
Equipped).

Black plate (21,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
In Brief 1-21
Automatic Transfer Case
This transfer case knob is to the left
of the steering column.
The different drive options that may
be available are described following.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction
conditions are variable. Do not use AUTO mode to park on
a steep grade with poor traction
such as ice, snow, mud or gravel. In
AUTO mode only the rear wheels
will hold the vehicle from sliding
when parked. If parking on a steep
grade, use 4
mto keep all four
wheels engaged.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
this setting when extra traction is
needed, such as on snowy or icy
roads or in most off-road situations.
N (Neutral): Shift to this setting
only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10-93 orTrailer Towing on
page 9-72.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting sends maximum power to all
four wheels. Choose Four-Wheel
Drive Low when driving in deep
sand, mud, or snow, and while
climbing or descending steep hills.
See Four-Wheel Drive on
page 9-38.
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System
The base radio and base radio with
connectivity information is included
in this manual. See the infotainment
manual for information on the
uplevel radios, audio players,
phone, navigation system, Rear
Seat Entertainment (RSE), and
voice or speech recognition,
if equipped.
Radio(s)
O
: Press to turn the system on.
Press and hold to turn it off. When
on, press to mute; press again to
unmute. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
RADIO: Press to choose between
FM, AM, and SiriusXM
®,
if equipped.
MEDIA: Press to change the audio
source between CD, USB, SD card,
AUX, and Bluetooth
®Audio,
if equipped.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
It is possible for the immobilizer
system to learn new or replacement
keys. Up to eight keys can be
programmed for the vehicle. To
program additional keys, seeKeys
on page 2-1. To program additional
transmitters, see Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2-3.
Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the vehicle
theft system in the vehicle.
See your dealer to get a new key
blank cut exactly as the ignition key
that operates the system.Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{Warning
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Manual Mirrors
If equipped, adjust manual mirrors
by moving the mirror up and down
or left to right to see a little of the
side of the vehicle and to have a
clear view behind the vehicle. Using hood-mounted air deflectors
and add-on convex mirror
attachments could decrease mirror
performance.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
If equipped, adjust trailer-tow
mirrors for a clearer view of the
objects behind you. Manually pull
out the mirror head to extend it for
better visibility when towing a trailer.
The lower portion of the mirror is
convex. A convex mirror's surface is
curved to see more from the driver

Black plate (16,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
2-16 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Heated Mirrors
1
(Rear Window Defogger):
If equipped, the rear window
defogger also heats the side
mirrors.
W(Heated Side Mirrors):
If equipped, press to turn the heated
mirrors on or off.
If the vehicle has trailer-tow mirrors,
only the upper glass of the mirror is
heated. The lower convex part of
the towing mirrors is not heated.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Climate Control Systems (with
Heater Only) on page 8-1 orClimate
Control Systems (with Air
Conditioning) on page 8-3 orDual
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8-5.
Automatic Dimming
Mirror
If equipped, the driver outside mirror
automatically adjusts for the glare of
the headlamps from behind. This
feature comes on when the vehicle
is started.
Blind Spot Mirrors
If equipped, there is a small convex
mirror built into the upper and outer
corner of the driver outside rearview
mirror. It can show objects that may
be in the vehicle's blind zone.
Driving with the Blind Spot
Mirror
Actual Mirror View

Black plate (35,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
Seats and Restraints 3-35
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.
{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. Topurchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13-11.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. Theoperation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, roof-rail airbag
modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console,
front sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
In addition, the vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad

Black plate (23,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
7299746) - 2015 - crc - 11/11/13
Instruments and Controls 5-23
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. The following may correct an
emission control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling the Tank on
page 9-67. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up. If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It may require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See
Fuel on page 9-64.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Depending on where you live, your
vehicle may be required to
participate in an emission control
system inspection and maintenance
program. For the inspection, the
emission system test equipment will
likely connect to the vehicle's Data
Link Connector (DLC).