GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Instruments and Controls 173Make sure the hand-held transmitter
has a new battery for quick and
accurate transmission of the
radio-frequency signal.
Programming the Universal
Remote System For questions or programming help,
see www.homelink.com/gm or call
1-800-355-3515. For calls placed
outside the U.S., Canada, or Puerto
Rico, international rates will apply
and may differ based on landline or
mobile phone.
Programming involves
time-sensitive actions, and may time
out causing the procedure to be
repeated.
To program up to three devices:
1. Hold the end of the hand-held
transmitter about 3 to 8 cm (1
to 3 in) away from the
Universal Remote system
buttons with the indicator light
in view. The hand-held
transmitter was supplied by the
manufacturer of the garage
door opener receiver. 2. At the same time, press and
hold both the hand-held
transmitter button and one of
the three Universal Remote
system buttons to be used to
operate the garage door. Do
not release either button until
the indicator light goes from a
slow to a rapid flashing light.
Then release both buttons.
Some garage door openers
may require substitution of
Step 2 with the procedure
under “ Radio Signals for Some
Gate Operators ” later in this
section.
3. Press and hold the newly
programmed Universal Remote
system button for five seconds
while watching the indicator
light and garage door
activation.
.
If the indicator light stays on
continuously or the garage
door moves when the
button is pressed, then
programming is complete.
There is no need to
complete Steps 4 – 6. .
If the indicator light does
not come on or the garage
door does not move, a
second button press may
be required. For a second
time, press and hold the
newly programmed button
for five seconds. If the light
stays on or the garage door
moves, programming is
complete.
.
If the indicator light blinks
rapidly for two seconds,
then changes to a solid light
and the garage door does
not move, continue with
programming Steps 4 – 6.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
176 Lighting
Lighting Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 176
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 180
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Task Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . 182
Interior Lighting Instrument Panel Illumination
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Battery Load Management . . . 185
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 185
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Exterior Lighting Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
O : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to
O again to turn the
automatic headlamps or DRL
back on.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Lighting 177For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is in
P (Park).
AUTO : Automatically turns on the
headlamps, parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
roof marker lamps (if equipped),
front/rear sidemarker lamps, and
license plate lamps.
; : Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps and fog lamps,
if equipped.
2 : Turns on the headlamps
together with the parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
roof marker lamps (if equipped),
front/rear sidemarker lamps, and
license plate lamps.
When the headlamps are turned on
while the vehicle is on, the
headlamps turn off automatically
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off,
the headlamps will stay on for
10 minutes before turning off to
prevent the battery from being drained. Turn the headlamp control
off and then back to the headlamp
on position to make the headlamps
stay on for an additional 10 minutes.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on
or in ACC/ACCESSORY.
K : If equipped, turns on the task
lighting. See Task Lighting 0 182 .
IntelliBeam System If equipped, this system turns the
vehicle's high-beam headlamps on
and off according to surrounding
traffic conditions.
The system turns the high-beam
headlamps on when it is dark
enough and there is no other traffic
present.
This light
b comes on in the
instrument cluster when the
IntelliBeam system is enabled. Turning On and Enabling
IntelliBeam
To enable the IntelliBeam system,
press the button on the end of the
turn signal lever when the exterior
lamp control is in the AUTO or
2 position. The blue high-beam on
light appears on the instrument
cluster when the high beams are on.
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high
beams when driving over 40 km/h
(25 mph).
There is a sensor near the top
center of the windshield that
automatically controls the system.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Lighting 185The exterior lamps and dome lamp
remain on for a set amount of time,
then automatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0 167 .
Battery Load
Management The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which
estimates the battery's temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts
the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. The voltmeter
gauge or the voltage display on the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
if equipped, may show the voltage moving up or down. This is normal.
If there is a problem, an alert will be
displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories. Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed and it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible.
Battery Power Protection This feature shuts off the dome and
reading lamps, if they are left on for
more than 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned off. The cargo
lamp shuts off after 20 minutes. This
prevents the battery from
running down.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver The exterior lamps turn off about
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off, if the parking lamps or
headlamps have been manually left
on. This protects against draining
the battery. To restart the 10-minute
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
208 Driving and Operating If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See “ Rocking the Vehicle to Get It
Out ” later in this section.
The Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control can often help to
free a stuck vehicle. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 243 . If TC/ESC cannot free the
vehicle, see “ Rocking the Vehicle to
Get it Out ” following. { WarningIf the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains 0 382 .
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
It Out Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then make sure the
wheels are pointed straight ahead.
For four-wheel-drive vehicles, shift
into Four-Wheel Drive High. Turn
the TCS off. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. See
Towing the Vehicle 0 398 . Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle
has them.
Recovery Hooks
{ WarningNever pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
from the front.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 219while the vehicle is off. It also
unlocks the steering column,
if equipped with a locking steering
column. Use this position if the
vehicle must be pushed or towed.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0 225 .
From ON/RUN, push the key all the
way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If the key is left in ACC/
ACCESSORY with the engine off,
the battery could drain and the
vehicle may not start.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes. The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.
If the key is left in ON/RUN with the
engine off, the battery could drain
and the vehicle may not start.
3 (START) : This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
returns to ON/RUN for driving.
Ignition Positions
(Keyless Access) Vehicles equipped with Keyless
Access have pushbutton starting.
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter must be in the vehicle for
the system to operate. If the
pushbutton start is not working, the
vehicle may be near a strong radio
antenna signal causing interference
to the Keyless Access system.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless Access)
0 33 or Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Key
Access) 0 41 .
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be on or in Service Mode, and
the brake pedal must be applied.
{ Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
220 Driving and Operating Stopping the Engine/LOCK/
OFF (No Indicator Lights) : When
the vehicle is stopped, press
ENGINE START/STOP once to turn
the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0 225 .
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
turn off.
The vehicle may have an electric
steering column lock. The lock is
activated when the ignition is turned
off and either front door is opened.
A sound may be heard as the lock
actuates or releases. The steering
column lock may not release with
the wheels turned off center. If this
happens, the vehicle may not start.
Move the steering wheel from left to right while attempting to start the
vehicle. If this does not work, the
vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).
This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop.
4. Hold the brake pedal down,
Shift to P (Park) with an
automatic transmission. The
shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition off.
5. Continue to hold the brake
pedal down.
6. Set the parking brake, see
Electric Parking Brake 0 241 . 7. Press ENGINE START/STOP
once to turn the ignition off.
8. Release the brake pedal.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) : This mode allows
some electrical accessories to be
used when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to off after
five minutes to prevent battery
rundown.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) : This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button once will turn the ignition
on. Once engine cranking begins,
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
222 Driving and Operating CautionCranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start
after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below − 18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there
while holding the key in START
or ENGINE START/STOP for
up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the key or button and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, do the same thing.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race
the engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Stop/Start System If equipped, the Stop/Start system
will shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. It has components
designed for the increased number
of starts.
{ Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may
restart and move unexpectedly.
(Continued) Warning (Continued) Always shift to P (Park), and then
turn the ignition off before exiting
the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer
0 143 . When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart.
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the
engine to automatically restart
before the brake pedal is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or
Auto Starts may occur because:
.
The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle
interior.
.
The vehicle battery charge
is low.