GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
234 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 244
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 245
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 247
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 255
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 260
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 264
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 265
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 282
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 284
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 288
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 289
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (2500/3500
Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) (1500 Series) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 300
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
300 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
.Fuel with a posted octane
rating of less than the
recommended fuel. Using
this fuel will lower fuel
economy and performance,
and may decrease the life of
the emissions catalyst.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance may be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehicle
may not pass a smog-check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0150. If this occurs, return to your authorized
dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post
fuel octane ratings in anti-knock
index (AKI). For fuel not to use in a
foreign country, see
“Prohibited
Fuels” inFuel 0299.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER detergent gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel0299.
If TOP TIER detergent gasoline is
not available, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment Cleaner added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer. If your vehicle is able to use E85 or
FlexFuel, GM Fuel System
Treatment Cleaner - FlexFuel is the
only recommended additive for use.
Do not use any other additives with
an E85 or FlexFuel vehicle. See
E85 or FlexFuel
0300.
E85 or FlexFuel
Vehicles with a yellow sticker on the
fuel door can use either unleaded
gasoline or fuel containing up to
85% ethanol (E85). All other
vehicles should use only the
unleaded gasoline as described in
Fuel 0299.
The use of E85 or FlexFuel is
encouraged when the vehicle is
designed to use it. E85 or FlexFuel
is made from renewable sources.
To help locate fuel stations that
carry E85 or FlexFuel, the U.S.
Department of Energy has an
alternative fuels website. See
www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/
stations.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Driving and Operating 301
E85 or FlexFuel should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798 or
CAN/CGSB–3.512 in Canada. Do
not use the fuel if the ethanol
content is greater than 85%. Fuel
mixtures that do not meet ASTM or
CGSB specifications can affect
driveability and could cause the
malfunction indicator lamp to
come on.
For the 6.0L V8 engine, after
refueling, the vehicle calculates the
composition of the fuel. It is not
recommended to repeatedly switch
between fuels. If fuels are switched
frequently, add as much fuel as
possible and do not add less than
11 L (3 gal) when refueling. Drive at
least 11 km (7 mi) immediately after
refueling to allow the vehicle to
adapt to the change in ethanol
concentration.
Because E85 or FlexFuel has less
energy per liter (gallon) than
gasoline, the vehicle will need to be
refilled more often. SeeFilling the
Tank 0301.Caution
Some additives are not
compatible with E85 or FlexFuel
and can harm the vehicle's fuel
system. Do not add anything to
E85 or FlexFuel. Damage caused
by additives would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal
parts in the fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be
covered under the vehicle
warranty.
Filling the Tank
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel supplement
for more information.
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death.
. To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not reenter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
(Continued)
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Index 495
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 178
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
F
FanEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Features Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 180
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Floor Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . 126
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
Fluid AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . . . . . 354, 357
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Four-Wheel Drive Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 Fluid (cont'd)
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 294
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 272, 370
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . . 153
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 65
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 156
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 264
Requirements, California . . . . . 300 Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Fuses
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 381
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385, 386
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Gauges
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 143
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Transmission Temperature . . . . 145
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 446
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303