
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
26 In Brief
Premium Recommended Fuel
Use premium 93 octane unleaded
gasoline in your vehicle. Unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating as
low as 87 may be used, but it will
reduce performance and fuel
economy. SeeFuel0300.
E85 or FlexFuel
FlexFuel Possible
Certain models are compatible with
E85 fuel. See Fuel0300.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and, on most vehicles, displays a
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change. Resetting the Oil Life System
To reset the engine oil life system:
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0141.
If the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) to access this
display.
2. Press and hold the
Vbutton on
the DIC, or the trip odometer
reset stem if the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, for
several seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%.
The oil life system can also be reset
as follows: 1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the display
shows 100%, the system is
reset.
See Engine Oil Life System 0351.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
. Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
. Combine several trips into a
single trip.
. Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
Seats and Restraints 105
If you turned the airbag off with the
switch (if equipped), turn on the
front outboard passenger airbag
when you remove the child restraint
from the vehicle unless the person
who will be sitting there is a member
of a passenger airbag risk group.
SeeAirbag On-Off Switch 073 for
more information, including
important safety information.
Heavy-Duty Crew Cab Only
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint 087.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front outboard
passenger airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. Always secure a
rear-facing child restraint in a
rear seat.
If a child restraint uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 088 for
top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. When using the lap-shoulder belt to
secure the child restraint in this
position, follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
following instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
Move the seat upward or the
seatback to an upright position,
if needed, to get a tight
installation of the child
restraint.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle's safety belt
through or around the restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
132 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
If the vehicle has the passenger
sensing system, the overhead
console will have a passenger
airbag status indicator. See
Passenger Sensing System075 for
important safety information.
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. Then, after several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol, to let
you know the status of the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag is
allowed to inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light 0130 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
306 Driving and Operating
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. The
combination will not accelerate as
quickly and is longer so it is
necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making TurnsCaution
Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the vehicle.
The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering. When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear
before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
The Tow/Haul Mode may be used if
the transmission shifts too often.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0273. When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few
minutes before turning the engine
off. If the overheat warning comes
on, see
Engine Overheating 0360.Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
418 Vehicle Care
four-wheel drive and a different size
spare tire is installed, drive only in
two-wheel drive.
After installing the spare tire on the
vehicle, stop as soon as possible
and check that the spare tire is
correctly inflated.
Have the damaged or flat road tire
repaired or replaced and installed
back onto the vehicle as soon as
possible so the spare tire will be
available in case it is needed again.
Do not mix tires and wheels of
different sizes, because they will not
fit. Keep your spare tire and its
wheel together. If the vehicle has a
spare tire that does not match the
original road tires and wheels in size
and type, do not include the spare in
the tire rotation.Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America
For an eAssist vehicle, see the
Silverado/Sierra supplement.
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery - North
America 0366.
If the vehicle's battery (or batteries)
has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure
to use the following steps to do it
safely.
{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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the State of California to cause
cancer.WASH HANDS AFTER
HANDLING.
See California Proposition
65 Warning 0340.
{Warning
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
. They contain acid that can
burn you.
. They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
. They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 5/3/16
422 Vehicle Care
6.6L
‐ To the negative (−) post on
the auxiliary battery, on the
vehicle with the dead battery.
11. Start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a
while.
12. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Caution
If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct order,
making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other
metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
Reverse the sequence exactly when
removing the jumper cables.
After starting the disabled vehicle
and removing the jumper cables,
allow it to idle for several minutes.
Towing the Vehicle
Caution
Incorrectly towing a disabled
vehicle may cause damage. The
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Do not lash or hook to
suspension components. Use the
proper straps around the tires to
secure the vehicle.
Use only a flatbed tow truck for
towing a disabled vehicle. Never
use a sling type lift or damage will
occur. Use ramps to help reduce
approach angles if necessary.
A towed vehicle should have its
drive wheels off the ground.
Consult a professional towing
service if the disabled vehicle must
be towed.