2019 GMC SIERRA DENALI engine oil

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
276 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing General Towing
Information Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle to tow a trailer. Read the
entire section before towing a trailer.
To tow a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle 0 398 . To tow
the vehicle behind another vehicle
such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0 399 .
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
{ Warning
You can lose control when towing
a trailer if the correct equipment is
not used or the vehicle is not
driven properly. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy or the
(Continued) Warning (Continued) trailer brakes are inadequate for
the load, the vehicle may not stop
as expected. You and others
could be seriously injured. The
vehicle may also be damaged,
and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Pull a trailer only if all the steps in
this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer
with the vehicle.
Driving with a Trailer Trailering is different than just
driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering tips
and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Read this section
carefully before pulling a trailer.
When towing a trailer:
.
Become familiar with and follow
all state and local laws that
apply to trailer towing. These
requirements vary from state to
state.
.
State laws may require the use
of extended side view mirrors.
Even if not required, you should
install extended side view
mirrors if your visibility is limited
or restricted while towing.
.
Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi) of vehicle
use to prevent damage to the
engine, axle, or other parts.
.
It is recommended to perform
the first oil change before heavy
towing.
.
During the first 800 km (500 mi)
of trailer towing, do not drive
over 80 km/h (50 mph) and do
not make starts at full throttle.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 279The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle could show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run, preferably on
level ground, with the transmission
in P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating 0 331 .
Viewing Systems If equipped, the viewing systems on
the vehicle can improve visibility
while hitching, backing, and driving
with a trailer. See Driver Assistance
Systems 0 253 . Parking on Hills
{ WarningTo prevent serious injury or death,
always park your vehicle and
trailer on a level surface when
possible.
When parking your vehicle and your
trailer on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do
not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks
under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, gradually release the
brake pedal to allow the chocks
to absorb the load of the trailer.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then
apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal. Leaving After Parking on a Hill 1. Apply and hold the brake
pedal.
.
Start the engine.
.
Shift into a gear.
.
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is
clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick
up and store the chocks.
Launching and Retrieving
a Boat Backing the Trailer into the Water
{ Warning
.
Have all passengers get out
of the vehicle before
backing onto the sloped part
of the ramp. Lower the
driver and passenger side
windows before backing
onto the ramp. This will
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 281the drive mode that is
appropriate for the road
conditions.
CautionIf the vehicle tires begin to spin
and the vehicle begins to slide
toward the water, remove your
foot from the accelerator pedal
and apply the brake pedal. Seek
help to have the vehicle towed up
the ramp.
Maintenance when Trailer
Towing The vehicle needs service more
often when used to tow trailers. See
Maintenance Schedule 0 415 . It is
especially important to check the
automatic transmission fluid, engine
oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling
system, and brake system before
and during each trip.
Check periodically to see that all
nuts and bolts on the trailer hitch
are tight. Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
0 331 .
Trailer Towing If equipped with a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
CautionTowing a trailer improperly can
damage the vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. To tow a trailer
correctly, follow the directions in
this section and see your dealer
for important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Trailering is different than just
driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering tips
and safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of
your passengers. Read this section
carefully before pulling a trailer.
Trailer Weight
{ WarningNever exceed the towing capacity
for your vehicle.
Safe trailering requires monitoring
the weight, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature, and
how frequently the vehicle is used to
tow a trailer.
Trailer Weight Ratings
When towing a trailer, the combined
weight of the vehicle, vehicle
contents, trailer, and trailer contents

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Vehicle Care 311
Vehicle Care General Information General Information . . . . . . . . . . 312
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements . . . . . 313
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Vehicle Checks Doing Your Own
Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Engine Compartment
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 323
Automatic Transmission
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Engine Air Filter Life
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 326
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 331
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . 335
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Battery - North America . . . . . . 337
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 342
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 343
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 343
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 344
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 345
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Headlamp Aiming Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Bulb Replacement Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 349
Electrical System Electrical System Overload . . . 349
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 350
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
(Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Wheels and Tires Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 360
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Vehicle Care 3171. Remote Negative ( – ) Location.
See Jump Starting - North
America 0 395 .
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under
Cover). See Jump Starting -
North America 0 395 .
3. Battery - North America 0 337 .
4. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 350 .
5. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System
0 327 .
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
7. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“ Checking Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
8. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0 327 .
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 326 .
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 336 . 11. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid
0 334 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Vehicle Care 3191. Remote Negative ( – ) Location.
See Jump Starting - North
America 0 395 .
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under
Cover). See Jump Starting -
North America 0 395 .
3. Battery - North America 0 337 .
4. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 350 .
5. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System
0 327 .
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“ Checking Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
8. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0 327 .
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 326 .
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 336 . 11. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid
0 334 .

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Vehicle Care 3211. Remote Negative ( – ) Location.
See Jump Starting - North
America 0 395 .
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under
Cover). See Jump Starting -
North America 0 395 .
3. Battery - North America 0 337 .
4. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0 350 .
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“ Checking Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
6. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System
0 327 .
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “ When
to Add Engine Oil ” under
Engine Oil 0 321 .
8. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0 327 .
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0 326 .
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0 336 . 11. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “ Adding Washer
Fluid ” under Washer Fluid
0 334 .
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Engine Oil For diesel engine vehicles, see
“ Engine Oil ” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“ Selecting the Right Engine Oil ”
in this section.
.
Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “ Checking
Engine Oil ” and “ When to Add
Engine Oil ” in this section. .
Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0 323 .
.
Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “ What to Do with
Used Oil ” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 316 for the location.
{ WarningThe engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the
oil level.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
322 Vehicle Care Follow these guidelines:
.
To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground.
Check the engine oil level after
the engine has been off for at
least two hours. Checking the
engine oil level on steep grades
or too soon after engine shutoff
can result in incorrect readings.
Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
.
If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
paper towel or cloth, then push it
back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and
check the level. When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick and
the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then recheck
the level. See “ Selecting the Right
Engine Oil ” later in this section for
an explanation of what kind of oil to
use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see Capacities and
Specifications 0 430 .
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If the oil level is
(Continued) Caution (Continued) above the operating range (i.e.,
the engine has so much oil that
the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows
the proper operating range), the
engine could be damaged. Drain
the excess oil or limit driving of
the vehicle, and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 316 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0 425 .