2017 GMC SIERRA overheating

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 Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 357
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService 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 andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
374 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0376.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0464.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring
it on the ground, or into sewers,
streams, or bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
376 Vehicle Care
Light-Duty
Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure CapHeavy-Duty
Coolant Surge Tank
Pressure Cap
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one full
turn. If a hiss is heard, wait for
that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the FULL
COLD mark. 4. With the coolant surge tank
pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until the
engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates approximately
90 °C (195 °F).
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
FULL COLD mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
If the vehicle has the Duramax
diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature
gauge in the vehicle's instrument
cluster. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0138.
In addition, there are ENGINE
OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE,
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE, and ENGINE POWER IS
REDUCED messages in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
See Engine Cooling System
Messages 0159 andEngine Power
Messages 0160.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 377
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0478.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and 6.2L
V8 Engines
Check to see if the engine cooling
fans are running. If the engine is
overheating, the fans should be
running. If they are not, do not
continue to run the engine and have
the vehicle serviced.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
The ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message, along with a low coolant
condition, can indicate a serious
problem. If there is an engine overheat
warning, but no steam is seen or
heard, the problem may not be too
serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when the vehicle:
.
Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
. Tows a trailer; see Trailer Towing
0 323.
If the ENGINE OVERHEATED
STOP ENGINE or the ENGINE
OVERHEATED IDLE ENGINE
message appears with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
400 Vehicle Care
Number Usage20 –
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/CrankWheels 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 0265.
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Vehicle Care 409
Caution
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards. The Tire and Loading
Information label on the vehicle
indicates the original equipment
tires and the correct cold tire
inflation pressures. The
recommended pressure is the
minimum air pressure needed to
support the vehicle's maximum
load carrying capacity.
For additional information
regarding how much weight the
vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see
Vehicle
Load Limits 0265. How the
vehicle is loaded affects vehicle
handling and ride comfort. Never
load the vehicle with more
weight than it was designed to
carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month
or more. Do not forget the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one. See
Full-Size Spare Tire
0434 for
additional information.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
Proper tire inflation cannot be
determined by looking at the tire.
Check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are cold, meaning
the vehicle has not been driven
for at least three hours or no
more than 1.6 km (1 mi).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no
further adjustment is necessary.
If the inflation pressure is low,
add air until the recommended
pressure is reached. If the

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
Index 501
Customer SatisfactionProcedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 481
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 487
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 486
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 473
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 305
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152, 154 Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 308
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 31
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 262
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 264
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396, 398
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 359
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Cooling System Messages . . . 159
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 137
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Overheated Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 282
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9955992) - 2017 - crc - 4/18/17
506 Index
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Operating Mode Overheated EngineProtection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Operation Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 483
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . 378
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189, 193
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Parking
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 388
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 281
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Parking or Backing
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 306 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 81
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . 357
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Phone Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . 222, 224, 228, 233
Pickup Conversion to
Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Port USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206, 208
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 277
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Power Assist Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . 70
Privacy
Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 485
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 480
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .357, 383, 435
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 484
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . 197, 199
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200, 201
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 64
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 306
Rear Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Recognition Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464