GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234758) - 2016 - crc - 11/9/15
Instruments and Controls 153
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action that may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
Vor the trip odometer
reset stem on the base cluster.
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY LOW START
VEHICLE
When the vehicle’ s battery is
severely discharged, this message
will display and four chimes will
sound. Start the vehicle
immediately. If the vehicle is not
started and the battery continues to
discharge, the climate controls,
heated seats, and audio systems
will shut off and the vehicle may
require a jump start. These systems
will function again after the vehicle
is started.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
battery voltage drops below
expected levels and features are
disabled. Turn off all unnecessary
accessory features.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument cluster. See Charging
System Light 0140. Driving with this
problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
TRANSPORT MODE ON
This message is displayed when the
vehicle is in transport mode. Some
features can be disabled while in
this mode, including Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE), remote start,
and the vehicle alarm system. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for service
to turn transport mode off.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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284 Driving and Operating
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, seeShifting
Into Park 0283.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission. You will then be
able to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to:
.
Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park).
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN and the
regular brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0434. To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park): 1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press the shift lever all
the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, then have the vehicle
serviced soon.
This vehicle may have the Safety
Belt Assurance System, which may
prevent the vehicle from shifting out
of P (Park). See Safety Belt
Messages 0158.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 355
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Tire Pressure for High-SpeedOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 421
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 433
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING: Most motor vehicles,
including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive
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356 Vehicle Care
harm. Engine exhaust, many parts
and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals.
SeeBattery - North America 0382
and Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the warranty. Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 085.
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Vehicle Care 359
1. Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0434.
2. Battery - North America 0382.
3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0371.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0370.
5. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped). See
“How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6 Speed Transmission) 0367
or Automatic Transmission
Fluid (8 Speed
Transmission) 0370.
6. Remote Negative (–) Location. See Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
7. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling
System 0371.
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363. 9. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0380.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer
Fluid 0379.
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0392.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 361
1. Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0434.
2. Battery - North America 0382.
3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0371.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0370.
5. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped). See
“How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6 Speed Transmission) 0367
or Automatic Transmission
Fluid (8 Speed
Transmission) 0370.
6. Remote Negative (–) Location (Out of View). See Jump
Starting - North America 0434.
7. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling
System 0371.
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363. 9. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer
Fluid 0379.
11. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0380.
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0392.
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Vehicle Care 363
1. Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0434.
2. Battery - North America 0382.
3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0371.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0370.
5. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped). See
“How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6 Speed Transmission) 0367
or Automatic Transmission
Fluid (8 Speed
Transmission) 0370.
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0363.
8. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System 0371. 9. Remote Negative (–) Location.
See Jump Starting - North
America 0434.
10. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering
Fluid (1500 Series) 0378 or
Power Steering Fluid (2500/
3500 Series) 0378.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer
Fluid 0379.
12. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0380.
13. Auxiliary Battery (If Equipped). SeeBattery - North
America 0382.
14. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0392.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine
and/or an Allison Transmission, see
the Duramax diesel supplement.
For an eAssist vehicle, see the
Silverado/Sierra supplement.Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
. Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0366.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
GMC Sierra Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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382 Vehicle Care
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the
paint finish can be damaged.
Immediately wash off any painted
surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove
the cap and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0358 for battery location.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Batteries also
contain other chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer. WASH HANDS AFTER
HANDLING.
See California Proposition
65 Warning 0355.
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting -
North America 0434 for tips on
working around a battery without
getting hurt. Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to
Maintenance Schedule
0 454 to determine when to check
the lubricant.