GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
340 Driving and Operating If a cargo carrier is used in the
trailer hitch receiver, choose a
carrier that positions the load as
close to the vehicle as possible.
Make sure the total weight,
including the carrier, is no more than
half of the maximum allowable
tongue weight for the vehicle or
227 kg (500 lb), whichever is less.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the inflation pressures
found on the Certification/Tire label
on the center pillar or see Vehicle
Load Limits 0 265 . Make sure not to
exceed the GVWR limit for the
vehicle, or the RGAWR, with the tow
vehicle and trailer fully loaded for
the trip including the weight of the
trailer tongue. If using a
weight-distributing hitch, make sure
not to exceed the RGAWR before
applying the weight distribution
spring bars. Weight of the Trailering
Combination It is important that the combination
of the tow vehicle and trailer does
not exceed any of its weight ratings
— GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR, Trailer
Weight Rating, or Tongue Weight.
The only way to be sure it is not
exceeding any of these ratings is to
weigh the tow vehicle and trailer
combination, fully loaded for the trip,
getting individual weights for each of
these items.
Towing Equipment Hitches The correct hitch equipment helps
maintain combination control. Many
trailers can be towed with a
weight-carrying hitch which simply
features a coupler latched to the
hitch ball, or a tow eye latched to a
pintle hook. Other trailers may
require a weight-distributing hitch
that uses spring bars to distribute
the trailer tongue weight among the
tow vehicle and trailer axles. Fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches
may also be used. See “ Weight of
the Trailer Tongue ” under Trailer
Towing 0 323 for rating limits with
various hitch types.
If a step-bumper hitch will be used,
the bumper could be damaged in
sharp turns. Make sure there
is ample room when turning to avoid
contact between the trailer and the
bumper.
Consider using sway controls with
any trailer. Ask a trailering
professional about sway controls or
refer to the trailer manufacturer's
recommendations and instructions.
Weight-Distributing Hitch and
Adjustment A weight-distributing hitch may be
useful with some trailers. Use the
following guidelines to determine if a
weight-distributing hitch should
be used.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Driving and Operating 349A GM dealer may be able to
diagnose and repair problems with
the trailer. However, any diagnosis
and repair of the trailer is not
covered under the vehicle warranty.
Contact your trailer dealer for
assistance with trailer repairs and
trailer warranty information.
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while
being towed. If the vehicle is towing
a trailer and the TSC detects that
sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at
each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If the vehicle
is equipped with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,
and the trailer has the electric
actuated brake system, StabiliTrak
may also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
warning light will flash on the instrument cluster. Vehicle speed
must be reduced. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak can reduce
engine torque to help slow the
vehicle. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0 299 .
{ WarningEven if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC, trailer sway could result
in loss of control and the vehicle
could crash. If excessive trailer
sway is detected, slow down to a
safe speed. Check the trailer and
vehicle to help correct possible
causes. These could include an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration,
excessive vehicle-trailer speed,
or improperly inflated or incorrect
vehicle or trailer tires. See Towing
Equipment 0 340 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations. Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 357 .
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 355
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 356
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements . . . . . 357
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 367
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(6 Speed Transmission) . . . . . 368
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(8 Speed Transmission) . . . . . 371
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 371
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 376
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Power Steering Fluid (1500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Power Steering Fluid (2500/
3500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Battery - North America . . . . . . 383
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 386
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 387
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 388
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 388
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 389
Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Electrical System High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Electrical System Overload . . . 392
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
(Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Wheels and Tires Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 402
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
356 Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Different Size Tires and
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 421
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 434
Jump Starting Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Recreational Vehicle
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
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:
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 381Caution (Continued) freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{ Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced. CautionContinuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in Capacities and
Specifications 0 470 .
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service may be required. Replacing Brake System Parts Always replace brake system parts
with new, approved replacement
parts. If this is not done, the brakes
may not work properly. The braking
performance expected can change
in many other ways if the wrong
replacement brake parts are
installed or parts are improperly
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 359 for the location of the
reservoir.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
400 Vehicle Care Number Usage
20 –
22 HVAC/Auxiliary
HVAC/Ignition
23 Instrument cluster/
Ignition sensing
diagnostic module/
Ignition
24 –
25 Data link connector/
Driver seat module
26 Passive entry/Passive
start/HVAC
27 –
28 –
29 Park enable/
Electrically adjustable
pedals
30 SEO
31 Accessory/Run/Crank
32 Heated steering wheel
33 –
34 Instrument cluster
36 – Number Usage
37 –
38 4WD TREC
40 Left doors
41 Driver power seat
43 Left heated, cooled or
ventilated seats (if
equipped)
44 Right heated, cooled
or ventilated seats (if
equipped)
45 –
49 Retained accessory
power
50 Run/Crank Wheels and Tires Tires Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{ Warning.
Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous. .
Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a
result of too much
flexing. There could be a
blowout and a serious
crash. See Vehicle Load
Limits 0 265 .
(Continued)
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 401Warning (Continued).
Underinflated tires pose
the same danger as
overloaded tires. The
resulting crash could
cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently
to maintain the
recommended pressure.
Tire pressure should be
checked when the tires
are cold..
Overinflated tires are
more likely to be cut,
punctured, or broken by
a sudden impact — such
as when hitting a pothole.
Keep tires at the
recommended pressure.
.
Worn or old tires can
cause a crash. If the
tread is badly worn,
replace them.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) .
Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc. .
Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires. .
Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
All-Season Tires This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfaces and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be “ MS. ”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0 401 .
Winter Tires This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
402 Vehicle Care for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see Buying New Tires 0 418 .
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
.
Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.
Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability. Low-Profile Tires If the vehicle has P275/55R20,
P285/50R20, or P285/45R22
size tires, they are classified as
low-profile tires.
CautionLow-profile tires are more
susceptible to damage from road
hazards or curb impact than
standard profile tires. Tire and/or
wheel assembly damage can
occur when coming into contact
with road hazards like potholes,
or sharp edged objects, or when
sliding into a curb. The warranty
does not cover this type of
damage. Keep tires set to the
correct inflation pressure and
when possible, avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other road
hazards. All-Terrain Tires This vehicle may have all-terrain
tires. These tires provide good
performance on most road surfaces,
weather conditions, and for off-road
driving. See Off-Road Driving 0 257 .
The tread pattern on these tires may
wear more quickly than other tires.
Consider rotating the tires more
frequently than at 12 000 km
(7,500 mi) intervals if irregular wear
is noted when the tires are
inspected. See Tire Inspection
0 414 .
Tire Sidewall Labeling Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger and light truck tire
sidewall.