GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{ DangerDanger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{ WarningWarning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage. A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “ Do
Not, ” “ Do not do this, ” or “ Do not let
this happen. ”
Symbols The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M : Shown when the owner ’ s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
* : Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0 : Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“ see page. ” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
9 : Airbag Readiness Light
# : Air Conditioning
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$ : Brake System Warning Light
" : Charging System
I : Cruise Control
` : Do Not Puncture
^ : Do Not Service
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
O : Exterior Lamps
_ : Flame/Fire Prohibited
. : Fuel Gauge
+ : Fuses
3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j : ISOFIX/LATCH System Child
Restraints
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
In Brief 5
In Brief Instrument Panel Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 16
Throttle and Brake Pedal
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Vehicle Features Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 25
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 26
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 28
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 28
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Universal Remote System . . . . . 29
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Performance and Maintenance Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuel (Gasoline - Except
L86 6.2L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Fuel (Gasoline - L86 6.2L
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 32
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
In Brief 71. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0 182 .
2. Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) System (If Equipped).
See Towing Equipment 0 325 .
3. Exterior Lamp Controls 0 176 .
Fog Lamps 0 181 (If
Equipped).
4. Air Vents 0 231 .
5. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 181 .
Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 130 .
6. Favorite Switches (Out of
View). See Steering Wheel
Controls 0 129 .
Volume Switches (Out of View).
See Steering Wheel Controls
0 129 .
7. Instrument Cluster 0 138 .
8. Hazard Warning Flashers
0 180 .
9. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0 265 . Tow/Haul Selector Button (If
Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0 271 .
Range Selection Mode (If
Equipped). See Manual Mode
0 268 .
10. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0 179 .
11. Infotainment 0 186 .
12. Passenger Airbag On-Off
Switch (If Equipped) (Out of
View). See Airbag On-Off
Switch 0 84 .
13. Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats 0 65 (If Equipped).
14. Power Outlet 110/120V
Alternating Current (If
Equipped). See Power Outlets
0 133 .
15. Power Outlets 0 133 (If
Equipped).
16. USB Port 0 197 (If Equipped).
17.
g Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0 282 .0 Pedal Adjust Switch (If
Equipped). See Adjustable
Throttle and Brake Pedal
0 256 .
{ Cargo Lamp 0 183 .
X Parking Assist Button (If
Equipped). See Assistance
Systems for Parking or Backing
0 289 .
A Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
(1500 Series) 0 297 (If
Equipped).
5 Hill Descent Control Switch
(If Equipped). See Hill Descent
Control (HDC) 0 284 .
q Exhaust Brake Switch (If
Equipped). See “ Exhaust
Brake ” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
g Power Take Off (PTO)
Switch (If Equipped). See the
Duramax diesel supplement.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
28 In Brief vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when
driving in a forward gear.
See Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0 294 .
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) If equipped, LDW may help avoid
unintentional lane departures at
speeds of 56 km/h (35 mph) or
greater. LDW uses a camera sensor
to detect the lane markings. The
LDW light,
@ , is green if a lane
marking is detected. If the vehicle
departs the lane, the light will
change to amber and flash. In
addition, beeps will sound or the
driver seat will pulse.
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(2500/3500 Series) 0 295 .
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) If equipped, LKA may help avoid
crashes due to unintentional lane
departures. It may assist by gently
turning the steering wheel if the vehicle approaches a detected lane
marking without using a turn signal
in that direction. It may also provide
a Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert as the lane marking is crossed.
The system will not assist or alert if
it detects that you are actively
steering. Override LKA by turning
the steering wheel. LKA uses a
camera to detect lane markings
between 60 km/h (37 mph) and
180 km/h (112 mph).
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(2500/3500 Series) 0 295 and Lane
Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series)
0 297 .
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC) If equipped, RVC shows a view of
the area behind the vehicle on the
infotainment display when the
vehicle is shifted into R (Reverse) to
aid with parking and low-speed
backing maneuvers.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0 289 .Parking Assist If equipped, Rear Parking
Assist (RPA) uses sensors on the
rear bumper to assist with parking
and avoiding objects while in
R (Reverse). It operates at speeds
less than 8 km/h (5 mph). RPA may
show a warning triangle on the
infotainment display and a graphic
on the instrument cluster to provide
the object distance. In addition,
multiple beeps or seat pulses may
occur if very close to an object.
The vehicle may also have the Front
Parking Assist system.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0 289 .
Power Outlets Accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone, MP3
player, etc.
The vehicle may have up to four
accessory power outlets.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
In Brief 31.
Press and release
g again to
turn on both systems.
StabiliTrak will automatically turn on
if the vehicle exceeds 56 km/h
(35 mph). Traction control will
remain off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0 282 .
Tire Pressure Monitor This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The low tire pressure warning light
alerts to a significant loss in
pressure of one of the vehicle's
tires. If the warning light comes on,
stop as soon as possible and inflate
the tires to the recommended
pressure shown on the Tire and Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0 248 . The
warning light will remain on until the
tire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
may be an early indicator that the
tire pressures are getting low and
the tires need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. Maintain
the correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
0 399 .
Tire Fill Alert (If Equipped)
This feature provides visual and
audible alerts outside the vehicle to
help when inflating an underinflated
tire to the recommended cold tire
pressure. See “ Tire Fill Alert (If
Equipped) ” under Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation 0 400 .Fuel (Gasoline - Except
L86 6.2L Engine) Regular Fuel
Use only unleaded gasoline rated
87 octane or higher in your vehicle.
Do not use gasoline with an octane
rating lower as it may result in
vehicle damage and lower fuel
economy. See Fuel 0 299 .
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 35
{ WarningIf the key is unintentionally
rotated while the vehicle is
running, the ignition could be
moved out of the RUN position.
This could be caused by heavy
items hanging from the key ring,
or by large or long items attached
to the key ring that could be
contacted by the driver or
steering wheel. If the ignition
moves out of the RUN position,
the engine will shut off, braking
and steering power assist may be
(Continued) Warning (Continued) impacted, and airbags may not
deploy. To reduce the risk of
unintentional rotation of the
ignition key, do not change the
way the ignition key and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
if equipped, are connected to the
provided key rings.
The ignition key and key rings, and
RKE transmitter, if equipped, are
designed to work together as a
system to reduce the risk of
unintentionally moving the key out
of the RUN position. The ignition
key has a small hole to allow
attachment of the provided key ring.
It is important that any replacement
ignition keys have a small hole. See
your dealer if a replacement key is
required.
The combination and size of the
rings that came with your keys were
specifically selected for your
vehicle. The rings are connected to
the key like two links of a chain to reduce the risk of unintentionally
moving the key out of the RUN
position. Do not add any additional
items to the ring attached to the
ignition key. Attach additional items
only to the second ring, and limit
added items to a few essential keys
or small, light items no larger than
an RKE transmitter.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 43
Doors Tailgate
{ WarningIt is extremely dangerous to ride
on the tailgate, even when the
vehicle is operated at low speeds.
People riding on the tailgate can
easily lose their balance and fall
in response to vehicle
maneuvers. Falling from a moving
vehicle may result in serious
injuries or death. Do not allow
people to ride on the tailgate. Be
sure everyone in your vehicle is in
a seat and using a seat belt
properly.
If equipped, to lock or unlock the
tailgate, use the RKE transmitter or
the key. See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 0 37 .
Open the tailgate by lifting up on its
handle while pulling the
tailgate down. To shut the tailgate, firmly push it
upward until it latches.
After closing the tailgate, pull it back
to be sure it latches securely.
Power Assist Steps If equipped, the power assist steps,
when enabled, will extend when the
door is opened. They will retract
three seconds after the door is
closed or immediately if the vehicle
starts moving.
Keep hands, children, pets, objects,
and clothing clear of the power
assist steps when in motion.
The steps will reverse direction if
there is an obstruction. Remove the
obstruction, then open and close the
door on the same side to complete
the motion. If the obstruction is not
cleared, the assist steps remain
extended.
Slight movement of the steps while
extended is normal. Kick Switch
1. Place the vehicle in P (Park)
and unlock the doors.
2. Kick the switch to extend the
power assist step to the tire.
A DIC message displays.
3. Kick the switch again to return
to normal operation.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 47When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and
the key appears to be undamaged,
try another ignition key. It may be
necessary to check the fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers 0 381 .
If the engine still does not start with
the other key, the vehicle needs
service. If the vehicle does start, the
first key may be faulty. See your
dealer. It is possible for the immobilizer
system to learn new or replacement
keys. Up to eight keys can be
programmed for the vehicle. To
program additional keys, see Keys
0 34 . To program additional
transmitters, see your dealer.
Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the vehicle
theft system in the vehicle.
See your dealer to get a new key
blank cut exactly as the ignition key
that operates the system. Exterior Mirrors Convex Mirrors
{ WarningA convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Manual Mirrors If equipped, adjust manual mirrors
by moving the mirror up and down
or left to right to see a little of the
side of the vehicle and to have a
clear view behind the vehicle.