GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Introduction 3
{ 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.
CautionCaution 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.
u : Air Conditioning System
G : Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9 : Airbag Readiness Light
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$ : Brake System Warning Light
9 : Dispose of Used Components
Properly
P : Do Not Apply High Pressure
Water
B : Engine Coolant Temperature
_ : Flame/Fire Prohibited
H : Flammable
[ : Forward Collision Alert
R : Fuse Block Cover Lock
Location
+ : Fuses
j : ISOFIX/LATCH System Child
Restraints
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
4 Introduction
Q : Keep Fuse Block Covers
Properly Installed
| : Lane Change Alert
@ : Lane Departure Warning
A : Lane Keep Assist
* : Malfunction Indicator Lamp
: : Oil Pressure
X : Park Assist
~ : Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O : Power
7 : Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I : Registered Technician
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Seat Belt Reminders
I : Side Blind Zone Alert
h : Start/Stop
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor
d : Traction Control/StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
a : Under Pressure
V : Vehicle Ahead Indicator
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Keys, Doors, and Windows 55.
Always unlock a door with the
RKE transmitter.
Unlocking the driver door with
the key will not disarm the
system or turn off the alarm.
How to Detect a Tamper
Condition If
K is pressed on the RKE
transmitter and the horn chirps three
times, an alarm occurred previously
while the alarm system was armed.
If the alarm has been activated, a
message will appear on the DIC.
Immobilizer See Radio Frequency Statement
0 443 .
Immobilizer Operation This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the vehicle is
turned off.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the ignition is turned
from off to on.
The security light, in the instrument
cluster, comes on if there is a
problem with arming or disarming
the theft-deterrent system.
When 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 vehicle will not change ignition
modes (ACC/ACCESSORY, on, off),
and the RKE transmitter appears to
be undamaged, try another
transmitter. Or, you may try placing the transmitter in the transmitter
pocket in the center console. See
Keys 0 30 .
If the ignition modes will not change
with the other transmitter or in the
transmitter pocket, your vehicle
needs service. If the ignition does
change modes, the first transmitter
may be faulty. See your dealer who
can service the theft-deterrent
system and have a new RKE
transmitter programmed to the
vehicle.
It is possible for the immobilizer
system to learn a new or
replacement transmitter. Up to eight
transmitters can be programmed for
the vehicle.
Do not leave the transmitter or
device that disarms or deactivates
the vehicle theft system in the
vehicle.
When equipped with a key, 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 0 350 .
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Instruments and Controls 133
Rear of Front Center Console
The vehicle has one accessory
power outlet under the climate
control system and one accessory
power outlet on the rear of the
center console, if equipped, or on
the rear of the bench seat,
if equipped.
Lift the cover to access and replace
when not in use. { WarningPower is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
CautionLeaving electrical equipment
plugged in for an extended period
of time while the vehicle is off will
drain the battery. Always unplug
electrical equipment when not in
use and do not plug in equipment
that exceeds the maximum
15 amp rating.
Certain power accessory plugs may
not be compatible with the
accessory power outlet and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If a problem is experienced, see
your dealer. When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0 306 .
CautionHanging heavy equipment from
the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty. The power
outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Power Outlet 110/120-Volt
Alternating Current If equipped, the vehicle has two
alternating current power outlets.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/15/18
Lighting 181
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the
way up or down to signal a turn.
Partially raise or lower the lever for
less than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three
times. It will flash six times if Tow/
Haul Mode is active. Holding the
turn signal lever for more than
one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until the lever is
released. The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb could
be burned out. If equipped with LED
turn signals, see your dealer.
Replace any burned out bulbs. If a
bulb is not burned out, check the
fuse. See Fuses and Circuit
Breakers 0 350 .
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime
sounds at each flash of the turn
signal. A message may appear in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Vehicle Messages 0 166 . To
turn the chime and message off,
move the turn signal lever to the off
position. Fog Lamps
If equipped, the fog lamp control is
near the exterior lamp control to the
left of the steering column.
The ignition must be on for the fog
lamps to come on.
# : Press to turn the fog lamps on
or off. A light will come on in the
instrument cluster.
When the fog lamps are turned on,
the parking lamps automatically
turn on.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-1500-11698638) - 2019 - crc - 5/16/18
Driving and Operating 289Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions If the vehicle is not equipped with
an integrated trailer brake controller,
and the trailer has electric brakes, a
trailer brake controller needs to be
installed on the vehicle. The brake
controller should be installed by
your dealer or a qualified service
center.
If equipped, there is a trailer brake
jumper harness provided with the
vehicle. The connector on the trailer
brake jumper harness is attached to
a mating connector to the left of the
steering wheel behind the knee
bolster. The four blunt cut wires on
the jumper harness need to be
connected to an aftermarket electric
trailer brake controller. The harness
contains the following circuits:
Electric Trailer
Brakes Blue
Battery Feed Red/Violet or
Red/Black
Brake Apply
Signal White/Blue Ground Black
The fuse for the electric trailer brake
circuit is in the engine compartment
fuse block, but the wires may not be
connected. They should be
connected by your dealer or a
qualified service center.
Refer to the aftermarket electric
trailer brake controller owner's
manual to determine wire color
coding of the electric trailer brake
controller. The wire colors on the
brake controller may be different
from the vehicle.
Trailer Lamps Always check all trailer lamps are
working at the beginning of each
trip, and periodically on longer trips.
If equipped, the trailering app will
monitor the brake lamps, turn signal
lamps, running lamps and reverse
lamps on the trailer. DIC messages
may be displayed if lighting circuit
issues are detected on the trailer. The trailer bulbs can be observed
by starting the trailer light test
sequence. See Trailering App
0 296 .
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer When properly connected, the trailer
turn signals will illuminate to indicate
the vehicle is turning, changing
lanes, or stopping. When towing a
trailer, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will illuminate even if the
trailer is not properly connected or
the bulbs are burned out.
Tow/Haul Mode For instructions on how to enter
Tow/Haul Mode, see Driver Mode
Control 0 246 .
Tow/Haul assists when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load. See Tow/Haul Mode 0 234 .
Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be
most effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at least
75% of the vehicle's Gross
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 .