GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
284 Driving and Operating CautionDo not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release
g . The traction off light
idisplays in the instrument cluster.
The appropriate message will
display in the DIC. To turn TCS on
again, press and release
g . The
traction off light
i displayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
gis pressed, the system will not turn
off until the wheels stop spinning.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold
g until the traction
off light
i and the StabiliTrak OFF
light
g come on and stay on in the
instrument cluster, then release. The
appropriate message will display in
the DIC. To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release
g . The
traction off light
i and the
StabiliTrak OFF light
g in the
instrument cluster turn off.
StabiliTrak will automatically turn on
if the vehicle exceeds 56 km/h
(35 mph). Traction control will
remain off.
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature and a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature.
See Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
0 334 or Hill Start Assist (HSA)
0 282 .
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 343 .
Hill Descent
Control (HDC) If equipped, Hill Descent Control
(HDC) sets and maintains vehicle
speed while driving down steep grades in a forward or reverse gear.
The HDC switch is on the center
stack, below the climate controls.
Press
5 to enable or disable HDC.
Vehicle speed must be below
50 km/h (31 mph).
When enabled, the HDC light
displays on the instrument cluster.
A blinking HDC light indicates the
system is actively applying the
brakes to maintain vehicle speed.
HDC can maintain vehicle speeds
between 1 and 30 km/h (1 and
19 mph) on grades greater than or
equal to 10%.
If HDC is to be used for more than
three minutes or on grades steeper
than 25%, the transfer case should
be put into Four-Wheel Drive Low
(4
n ) to reduce the possibility of
brake overheating.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 285Noise from the hydraulic brake
control module is normal when HDC
is active.
When HDC is activated, the initial
HDC speed is set to the current
driving speed. It can be increased or
decreased by pressing +RES or
SET- on the steering wheel, or by
applying the accelerator or brake
pedal. This adjusted speed
becomes the new set speed.
HDC will remain enabled between
30 and 60 km/h (19 and 37 mph);
however, vehicle speed cannot be
set or maintained in this range. HDC
will automatically disable if the
vehicle speed is above 80 km/h
(50 mph) or above 60 km/h
(37 mph) for at least 30 seconds. 5 must be pressed again to
re-enable HDC. HDC may disable
after an extended period of use.
If this happens, HDC will require
time to cool down. The length of
time HDC remains active depends
on road conditions, grade, set
speed, vehicle loading, and outside
temperature.
When enabled, if the vehicle speed
is above 30 km/h (19 mph) and
below 60 km/h (37 mph), a DIC
message will display.
Locking Rear Axle Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle. Cruise Control With cruise control a speed of about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more can be
maintained without keeping your
foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
{ WarningCruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 287Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or
* is pressed, the
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more,
press +RES briefly. The vehicle
returns to the previous set speed.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.
Press and hold +RES until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.
To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, briefly press
+RES. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Instrument Cluster 0 138 .
The increment value used depends
on the units displayed. Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.
Press and hold SET – until the
desired lower speed is reached,
then release it.
.
To slow down in small
increments, briefly press SET – .
For each press, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Instrument Cluster 0 138 .
The increment value used depends
on the units displayed.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previous set cruise speed. While
pressing the accelerator pedal or
shortly following the release to
override cruise control, briefly pressing SET – will result in cruise
control set to the current vehicle
speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends on the vehicle
speed, the load, and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep
hills, pressing the accelerator pedal
may be necessary to maintain
vehicle speed.
While going downhill:
.
Vehicles with a 6-speed
automatic transmission and a
gasoline engine have Cruise
Grade Braking to help maintain
driver selected speed.
Cruise Grade Braking is enabled
when the vehicle is started and
cruise control is active. It is not
enabled in Range Selection
Mode. It assists in maintaining
driver selected speed when
driving on downhill grades by
using the engine and
transmission to slow the vehicle.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
288 Driving and Operating To disable and enable Cruise
Grade Braking for the current
ignition key cycle, press and
hold the Tow/Haul button for
five seconds. A DIC message
displays.
.
Vehicles with a diesel engine
have Cruise Grade Braking
enabled when Tow/Haul Mode is
on, the exhaust brake is on,
or both are on.
For other forms of descent control,
see Hill Descent Control (HDC)
0 284 , Automatic Transmission
0 265 , and Tow/Haul Mode 0 271 . Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to end cruise
control:
.
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
.
Press
* .
.
Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
.
To turn off cruise control,
press
5 .
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if
5 is pressed
or the ignition is turned off. Driver Assistance
Systems This vehicle may have features that
work together to help avoid crashes
or reduce crash damage while
driving, backing, and parking. Read
this entire section before using
these systems.
{ WarningDo not rely on the Driver
Assistance Systems. These
systems do not replace the need
for paying attention and driving
safely. You may not hear or feel
alerts or warnings provided by
these systems. Failure to use
proper care when driving may
result in injury, death, or vehicle
damage. See Defensive Driving
0 236 .
(Continued)
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 289Warning (Continued)Under many conditions, these
systems will not:
.
Detect children,
pedestrians, bicyclists,
or animals.
.
Detect vehicles or objects
outside the area monitored
by the system.
.
Work at all driving speeds.
.
Warn you or provide you
with enough time to avoid a
crash.
.
Work under poor visibility or
bad weather conditions.
.
Work if the detection sensor
is not cleaned or is covered
by ice, snow, mud, or dirt.
.
Work if the detection sensor
is covered up, such as with
a sticker, magnet, or metal
plate.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) .
Work if the area surrounding
the detection sensor is
damaged or not properly
repaired.
Complete attention is always
required while driving, and you
should be ready to take action
and apply the brakes and/or steer
the vehicle to avoid crashes.
Audible or Safety Alert Seat
Some driver assistance features
alert the driver of obstacles by
beeping. To change the volume of
the warning chime, see “ Comfort
and Convenience ” under Vehicle
Personalization 0 165 .
If equipped with the Safety Alert
Seat, the driver seat cushion may
provide a vibrating pulse alert
instead of beeping. To change this,
see “ Collision/Detection Systems ”
under Vehicle Personalization
0 165 . Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing If equipped, the Rear Vision Camera
(RVC), Rear Parking Assist (RPA),
and Front Parking Assist (FPA) may
help the driver park or avoid objects.
Always check around the vehicle
when parking or backing.
The RVC and RPA will not work
properly if the tailgate is down. If the
tailgate is down, do not use these
systems.
Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
When the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse), the RVC displays an
image of the area behind the vehicle
in the infotainment display. The
previous screen displays when the
vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse)
after a short delay. To return to the
previous screen sooner, press any
button on the infotainment system,
shift into P (Park), or reach a vehicle
speed of approximately
12 km/h (8 mph).
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
290 Driving and Operating
1. View Displayed by the
Camera
1. View Displayed by the
Camera
2. Corners of the Rear Bumper Displayed images may be farther or
closer than they appear. The area
displayed is limited and objects that
are close to either corner of the
bumper or under the bumper do not
display.
A warning triangle may display on
the infotainment display to show
that RPA has detected an object.
This triangle changes from amber to
red and increases in size the closer
the object.
{ WarningThe camera(s) do not display
children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
crossing traffic, animals, or any
other object outside of the
cameras ’ field of view, below the
bumper, or under the vehicle.
Shown distances may be different
from actual distances. Do not
drive or park the vehicle using
only these camera(s). Always
check behind and around the
(Continued) Warning (Continued) vehicle before driving. Failure to
use proper care may result in
injury, death, or vehicle damage.
Parking Assist
With RPA, and if equipped with FPA,
as the vehicle moves at speeds of
less than 8 km/h (5 mph) the
sensors on the bumpers may detect
objects up to 2.5 m (8 ft) behind and
1.2 m (4 ft) in front of the vehicle
within a zone 25 cm (10 in) high off
the ground and below bumper level.
These detection distances may be
shorter during warmer or humid
weather. Blocked sensors will not
detect objects and can also cause
false detections. Keep the sensors
clean of mud, dirt, snow, ice, and
slush; and clean sensors after a car
wash in freezing temperatures.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 291
{ WarningThe Parking Assist system does
not detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, animals, or objects
located below the bumper or that
are too close or too far from the
vehicle. It is not available at
speeds greater than 8 km/h
(5 mph). To prevent injury, death,
or vehicle damage, even with
Parking Assist, always check the
area around the vehicle and
check all mirrors before moving
forward or backing. The instrument cluster may have a
parking assist display with bars that
show “ distance to object ” and object
location information for the Parking
Assist system. As the object gets
closer, more bars light up and the
bars change color from yellow to
amber to red.
When an object is first detected in
the rear, one beep will be heard
from the rear, or both sides of the
Safety Alert Seat will pulse two
times. When an object is very close
(<0.6 m (2 ft) in the vehicle rear,
or <0.3 m (1 ft) in the vehicle front),
a continuous beep will sound from
the front or rear, or both sides of the Safety Alert Seat will pulse five
times. Beeps for FPA are higher
pitched than for RPA.
Turning the Features On or Off Press
X on the center stack to
turn the Front and Rear Parking
Assist on or off. The indicator light in
the button comes on when the
features are on and turns off when
the features have been disabled.
Front and Rear Parking Assist can
be turned off, on, or on with towbar
through vehicle personalization. See
“ Park Assist ” under Vehicle
Personalization 0 165 . If the parking
assist is turned off through vehicle
personalization, the parking assist
button on the center stack will be
disabled. To turn the parking assist
on again, select On in vehicle
personalization. The On with Towbar
setting allows for the parking assist
to work properly with an attached
trailer hitch. Turn off parking assist
when towing a trailer.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
292 Driving and Operating To turn the rear parking assist
symbols or guidance lines on or off,
see “ Rear Camera ” under Vehicle
Personalization 0 165 .
Assistance Systems for
Driving If equipped, when driving the
vehicle in a forward gear, Forward
Collision Alert (FCA), Lane
Departure Warning (LDW), and/or
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) can help to
avoid a crash or reduce crash
damage.
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System If equipped, the FCA system may
help to avoid or reduce the harm
caused by front-end crashes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
quickly, FCA provides a red flashing
alert on the windshield and rapidly
beeps or pulses the driver seat.
FCA also lights an amber visual
alert if following another vehicle
much too closely. FCA detects vehicles within a
distance of approximately 60 m
(197 ft) and operates at speeds
above 8 km/h (5 mph).
{ WarningFCA is a warning system and
does not apply the brakes. When
approaching a slower-moving or
stopped vehicle ahead too rapidly,
or when following a vehicle too
closely, FCA may not provide a
warning with enough time to help
avoid a crash. It also may not
provide any warning at all. FCA
does not warn of pedestrians,
animals, signs, guardrails,
bridges, construction barrels,
or other objects. Be ready to take
action and apply the brakes. See
Defensive Driving 0 236 .
FCA can be disabled with either the
FCA steering wheel control or,
if equipped, through vehicle
personalization. See “ Collision/
Detection Systems ” under Vehicle
Personalization 0 165 . Detecting the Vehicle Ahead
FCA warnings will not occur unless
the FCA system detects a vehicle
ahead. When a vehicle is detected,
the vehicle ahead indicator will
display green. Vehicles may not be
detected on curves, highway exit
ramps, or hills, due to poor visibility;
or if a vehicle ahead is partially
blocked by pedestrians or other
objects. FCA will not detect another
vehicle ahead until it is completely
in the driving lane.
{ Warning
FCA does not provide a warning
to help avoid a crash, unless it
detects a vehicle. FCA may not
detect a vehicle ahead if the FCA
sensor is blocked by dirt, snow,
(Continued)