2017 GMC SIERRA 1500 traction control

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
138 Instruments and Controls
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light is on and not flashing, the
TCS and potentially the StabiliTrak
system have been disabled.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
message may display. Check the
DIC messages to determine which
feature(s) is no longer functioning
and whether the vehicle requires
service. SeeRide Control System
Messages 0149.
If the light is on and flashing, the
TCS and/or the StabiliTrak system
is actively working. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0284.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the vehicle.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light goes off.
Caution
The engine coolant temperature
warning light indicates that the
vehicle has overheated. Driving
with this light on can damage the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
engine and it may not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. See
Engine Overheating0360.
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on when the
engine has overheated.
If this happens, pull over and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating 0360.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
Instruments and Controls 149
Assist (LKA), Lane Departure
Warning (LDW), and Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) features. Take
the vehicle to your dealer.
SERVICE PARKING ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Parking Assist
system. Do not use this system to
help you park. See your dealer for
service.
Ride Control System
Messages
SERVICE STABILITRAK
If this message displays, it means
there may be a problem with the
StabiliTrak system. If you see this
message, try to reset the system.
Stop; turn off the engine for at least
15 seconds; then start the engine
again. If this message still comes
on, it means there is a problem. You
should see your dealer for service.
The vehicle is safe to drive;
however, you do not have the
benefit of StabiliTrak, so reduce
your speed and drive accordingly.
SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL
This message displays when there
is a problem with the Traction
Control System (TCS). When this
message displays, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly. See your dealer
for service. SeeTraction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0284.
STABILITRAK INITIALIZING
This message may come on if the
StabiliTrak system has not fully
initialized because of road
conditions or the incorrect tire size.
When the StabiliTrak system is fully
initialized, the message will turn off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0284. If this
message continues to be displayed
for multiple ignition cycles and on
different road surfaces, see your
dealer for service.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
traction control has been turned off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0284.
TRACTION CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
traction control is active. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0284.
STABILITRAK OFF
This message displays when the
StabiliTrak system has been turned
off. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin and realize the
full benefits of the stability
enhancement system, you should
normally leave StabiliTrak on. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0284.
STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
The following conditions can cause
this message to appear:
. The system is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
. The brake system warning light
is on. See Brake System
Warning Light 0134.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
176 Infotainment System
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . 177
Overview (Base Radio withTouchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Overview (Base Radio) . . . . . . . 179
Home Page (Base Radio) . . . . 181
Home Page (Base Radio with Touchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Radio
AM-FM Radio (Base Radio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
AM-FM Radio (Base Radio with Touchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Satellite Radio (Base Radio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Satellite Radio (Base Radio with Touchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 190
Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 190
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 USB Port (Base Radio) . . . . . . . 193
USB Port (Base Radio with
Touchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Auxiliary Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Voice Recognition
Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview) . . . . . . . . . 210
Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls - Base Radio) . . . . . . 212
Bluetooth (Voice Recognition - Base Radio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls - Base Radio with
Touchscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Trademarks and License
Agreements
Trademarks and LicenseAgreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Introduction
Infotainment
Base radio information is included in
this manual. See the infotainment
manual for information on other
available infotainment systems.
Read the following pages to
become familiar with the Base
Radio features.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road for
too long or too often while using
any infotainment feature can
cause a crash. You or others
could be injured or killed. Do not
give extended attention to
infotainment tasks while driving.
Limit your glances at the vehicle
displays and focus your attention
on driving. Use voice commands
whenever possible.
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid
distraction by disabling some

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
210 Infotainment System
Voice Recognition for OnStar
(If Equipped)
“OnStar”:Begin OnStar Voice
Recognition.
Bluetooth Speech Recognition
(If Equipped)
Voice Pass-Thru allows access to
the speech recognition commands
on the cell phone. See your cell
phone manufacturer ’s user guide to
see if the cell phone supports this
feature.
Activating this function will start the
Bluetooth Speech Recognition on a
connected phone.
The steering wheel controls are
used to operate this function.
Press and hold
gto activate.
A voice session begins so that voice
commands can be given to Siri
®or
many other controls provided by the
cell phone.
Press
@to exit or pressito
close and return to the previous
application prior to the start of Voice
Pass-Thru.
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview)
Instructions for using the cell phone
may differ between infotainment
systems. The base radio and base
radio with touchscreen instructions
are included in this manual. See the
infotainment manual for instructions
on the uplevel radios.
Bluetooth-capable systems can
interact with many cell phones,
allowing:
. Placement and receipt of calls in
a hands-free mode.
. Sharing of the cell phone’s
address book or contact list with
the vehicle.
To minimize driver distraction,
before driving, and with the vehicle
parked:
. Become familiar with the
features of the cell phone.
Organize the phone book and
contact lists clearly and delete duplicate or rarely used entries.
If possible, program speed dial
or other shortcuts.
. Review the controls and
operation of the infotainment
system.
. Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See “Pairing”in
this section.
. If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to use
that feature to access the
address book or contact list.
. See “Deleting a Paired Phone”
and/or “Deleting a Bluetooth
Device” in this section.
{Warning
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment system.
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
Driving and Operating 237
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 246
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 247
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 249
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 258
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 262
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 266
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 267
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 283
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 286
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 290
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 291
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 301
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
238 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 333
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
242 Driving and Operating
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface. For
contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
warranty manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.
Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped. .
Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Remove any underbody air
deflector, if equipped. Re-attach
the air deflector after off-road
driving.
. See Hill Descent Control
(HDC) 0286
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower air
dam. However, driving without the
air dam reduces fuel economy.
Caution
Operating the vehicle for
extended periods without the front
fascia lower air dam installed can
cause improper airflow to the
engine. Reattach the front fascia
air dam after off-road driving.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
Driving and Operating 243
Loading the Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving
{Warning
.Unsecured cargo on the
load floor can be tossed
about when driving over
rough terrain. You or your
passengers can be struck
by flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly.
. Keep cargo in the cargo
area as far forward and as
low as possible. The
heaviest things should be
on the floor, forward of the
rear axle.
. Heavy loads on the roof
raise the vehicle's center of
gravity, making it more likely
to roll over. You can be
seriously or fatally injured if
the vehicle rolls over. Put
heavy loads inside the
cargo area, not on the roof. For more information about loading
the vehicle, see
Vehicle Load Limits
0 250 andTires 0383.
Environmental Concerns
.
Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have been
set aside for public off-road
recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
. Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife.
. Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn 0266.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{Warning
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.
When driving on hills:
. Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
. Maintain a slow speed.
. When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
. Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
. Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.