
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 8/27/19
174 Lighting
The 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 Personalization0156.
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/
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178 Climate Controls
Air Delivery Mode Controls :
Press
z,Y, or[to change the
direction of the airflow. Any
combination of the three controls
can be selected. An indicator light
comes on in the selected mode
button.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following. An
indicator light will illuminate:
z: Air is directed to the
windshield, outboard a/c outlets,
and side window outlets.
Y: Air is directed to the a/c outlets.
[:Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air directed to the
windshield, outboard a/c outlets,
and side window outlets.
0MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield and the fan runs at a
higher speed if not already above a
medium fan speed. This mode
overrides the previous mode
selected and clears fog or frost from
the windshield more quickly. When the control is pressed again, the
system returns to the previous mode
setting and fan speed.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
@:
Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle. It can also be
used to help reduce outside air and
odors that enter the vehicle.
Avoid using recirculation for long
periods of time in cold or damp
conditions. Using recirculation in
cold or damp conditions can result
in window fogging.
A/C : Press to turn the air
conditioning on or off. An indicator
light comes on to show that the air
conditioning is enabled. If the fan is
turned off, the air conditioner will not
run. The A/C light will stay on even
if the outside temperatures are
below freezing.
Rear Window Defogger
1REAR : If equipped, press to
turn the rear window defogger on or
off. An indicator light on the button
comes on to show that the rear
window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only
works when the engine is running.
The defogger turns off if the ignition
is turned off or to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If equipped with heated outside
mirrors, press
fto turn them on or
off. See Heated Mirrors 043.
Caution
Using a razor blade or sharp
object to clear the inside rear
window can damage the rear
window defogger. Repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not clear the inside
rear window with sharp objects.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Climate Controls 181
or passenger side temperature
display shows the temperature
setting increasing or decreasing.
SYNC :Press to link the passenger
temperature setting to the driver
setting. The SYNC indicator light will
turn on. When the passenger setting
is adjusted, the SYNC indicator light
will turn off.
Air Delivery Mode Control : Press
z,Y, or[to change the
direction of the airflow. Any
combination of the three controls
can be selected. An indicator light
comes on in the selected mode
button.
Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following:
z: Air is directed to the
windshield, outboard a/c outlets,
and side window outlets.
Y: Air is directed to the a/c outlets.
[:Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air directed to the
windshield, outboard a/c outlets,
and side window outlets.
0MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield and the fan runs at a
higher speed if not already above a
medium fan speed. This mode
overrides the previous mode
selected and clears fog or frost from
the windshield more quickly. When
the control is pressed again, the
system returns to the previous mode
setting and fan speed.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
@: Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle. It can also be
used to help reduce outside air and
odors that enter the vehicle. Avoid using recirculation for long
periods of time in cold or damp
conditions. Using recirculation in
cold or damp conditions can result
in window fogging.
A/C :
Press to turn the air
conditioning on or off. An indicator
light comes on to show that the air
conditioning is enabled. If the fan is
turned off, the air conditioner will not
run. The A/C light will stay on even
if the outside temperatures are
below freezing.
Rear Window Defogger
1REAR : If equipped, press to
turn the rear window defogger on or
off. An indicator light on the button
comes on to show that the rear
window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only
works when the engine is running.
The defogger turns off if the ignition
is turned off or to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If equipped with heated outside
mirrors, press
fto turn them on or
off. See Heated Mirrors 043.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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254 Driving and Operating
Driving in Narrow Lanes
Vehicles in adjacent traffic lanes or
roadside objects may be incorrectly
detected when located along the
roadway.
Do Not Use ACC on Hills and
When Towing a Trailer
Do not use ACC when driving on
steep hills or when towing a trailer.
ACC will not detect a vehicle in the
lane while driving on steep hills.
If the brakes are applied, ACC
disengages.
Disengaging ACC
There are three ways to
disengage ACC:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal. .
Press
*.
. Press
J.
Erasing Speed Memory
The ACC set speed is erased from
memory if
Jis pressed or if the
ignition is turned off.
Weather Conditions Affecting ACC
If the interior temperature is
extremely high, the instrument
cluster may indicate that ACC is
temporarily unavailable. This can be
caused by extreme hot weather
conditions with direct sunlight on the
front camera. ACC will return to
normal operation once the cabin
temperature is lower.
Conditions that are associated with
low visibility, such as fog, rain,
snow, or road spray, may limit ACC
performance. Water droplets from
rain or snow that remain on the
windshield may also limit ACC’s
ability to detect objects. Lighting Conditions Affecting ACC
The ACC front camera can be
affected by poor lighting conditions,
and ACC may have limited
performance when:
.
There are changes in brightness,
such as entering and exiting
tunnels, bridges, and
overpasses.
. Low sun angles cause the
camera to not detect objects,
or it is more difficult to detect
objects in the same traffic lane.
. Lighting is poor in the evening or
early morning
. There are multiple changes in
brightness or shadows along the
vehicle roadway.
. In a tunnel without the
headlamps on, or in a tunnel
when there is a vehicle in front
that does not have its
taillamps on.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Driving and Operating 255
.Subjected to strong light from
opposing lane traffic in the front
of the vehicle, such as
high-beam headlamps from
oncoming traffic.
Accessory Installations and
Vehicle Modifications
Do not install or place any object
around the front camera windshield
area that would obstruct the front
camera view.
Do not install objects on top of the
vehicle that overhang and obstruct
the front camera, such as a canoe,
kayak, or other items that can be
transported on the vehicle roof.
Do not modify the hood, headlamps,
or fog lamps, as this may limit the
camera’s ability to detect an object.
Cleaning the Sensing System
The camera sensor on the
windshield behind the rearview
mirror can become blocked by
snow, ice, dirt, mud, or debris. This
area needs to be cleaned for ACC
to operate properly. The vehicle headlamps may need to
be cleaned due to dirt, snow, or ice.
Objects that are not illuminated
correctly may be difficult to detect.
If ACC will not operate, regular
cruise control may be available. See
“Switching Between ACC and
Regular Cruise Control”
previously
in this section. Always consider
driving conditions before using
either cruise control system.
For cleaning instructions, see
“Washing the Vehicle” under
Exterior Care 0429.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.
{Warning
Do 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
0 187.
Under many conditions, these
systems will not: (Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
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Index 491
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 171
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 165
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 167
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
F
FanEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 169
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
FlexFuel
E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Floor Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . 114
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 343
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Four-Wheel DriveTransfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 227, 361
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . . 141
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Front Pedestrian Braking
(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 60
Fuel
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Economy, Driving for Better . . . 186
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . 283, 285
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 145
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 219
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . 280, 281
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Fuses
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 370
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374, 376G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Gauges
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 132
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 439
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

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Index 493
Lamps (cont'd)On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 274
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 278
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 142
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 172
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 139 Lights (cont'd)
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Check Engine (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 144
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 140
Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 144
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 145
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Four-Wheel-Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 167
Hill Descent Control . . . . . . . . . . 141
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 141
Lane Keep Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 135
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Lights (cont'd)
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . . . 242
Lock Steering Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 145
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 441

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
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494 Index
Maintenance Schedule (cont'd)Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 137
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Messages Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Mirror
Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Blind Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Trailer Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 44
Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Driver Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
N
NavigationConnected Services . . . . . . . . . . 484
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . . . 362
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 341
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . 132
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 84
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 465
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Operating Mode
Overheated EngineProtection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Operation Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . 352
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Overview Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
P
ParkShifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Parking Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 364
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 219
Parking or Backing Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 257
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136