GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
402 Vehicle Care
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Vehicle Care 403
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the
vehicle is significantly pulling to one
side or the other. Some slight pull to
the left or right, depending on the
crown of the road and/or other road
surface variations such as troughs
or ruts, is normal. If the vehicle is
vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels may need
to be rebalanced. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset and be
mounted the same way as the one it
replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.
{Warning
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
422 Vehicle Care
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) before
setting the parking brake. If you
have a four-wheel-drive
vehicle, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear, not in
N (Neutral).
Caution
If any accessories are left on or
plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible, turn
off or unplug all accessories on
either vehicle when jump starting.
4. Turn the ignition off on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all the lamps
that are not needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could
save the radio! 5. Open the hood on the other
vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on that
vehicle.
The positive (+) terminal is
under a red plastic cover at the
positive battery post. To
uncover the positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic
cover.
For more information on the
location of the remote
positive (+) and remote
negative (−) terminals, see
Engine Compartment Overview
0332.
{Warning
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing, and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{Warning
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need more
light.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{Warning
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Vehicle Care 427
Warning (Continued)
negative battery cable and cover
the negative battery post and
cable with a non-conductive
material. If the battery is left
connected or the battery cable
contacts the post, the Electric
Parking Brake may activate
during towing, which could cause
a crash.
8. Disconnect the negative (–) battery cable. See “Negative
Battery Cable Disconnection”
in Battery - North America
0 358.
9. Shift the transmission to P (Park).
Caution
If the steering column is locked,
vehicle damage may occur.
10. Move the steering wheel to make sure the steering column
is unlocked.
11. If the vehicle has an ignition key, keep it in the towed
vehicle in ACC/ACCESSORY
to prevent the steering column
from locking. If the vehicle is
equipped with Keyless Access,
keep the RKE transmitter
outside of the vehicle and
manually lock the doors.
Access the vehicle by using
the key in the door lock. See
Door Locks 025.
Disconnecting the Towed Vehicle
Before disconnecting from the tow
vehicle: 1. Park on a level surface. Secure the vehicle with wheel blocks. 2. Re-connect the negative (–)
battery. See Battery - North
America 0358.
3. Turn on the ignition with the engine off. For vehicles with a
key, turn the ignition to ON/
RUN with the engine off. If the
vehicle is equipped with
Keyless Access, with your foot
off the brake pedal, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
five seconds until the green
light comes on in the button.
See Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) 0208 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 210.
4. Set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake 0233.
5. Disconnect from the tow vehicle.
6. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
7. Shift the transfer case to 2
m
(Two-Wheel Drive High). When
the shift to 2
m(Two-Wheel
Drive High) is complete, the
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Vehicle Care 429
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Locks
Locks are lubricated at the factory.
Use a de-icing agent only when
absolutely necessary, and have the
locks greased after using. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0453.
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
{Warning
Do not power wash any part of
the vehicle’s interior, including the
vinyl floor covering. This could
damage safety and other systems
in the vehicle, which would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Do not use petroleum-based,
acidic, or abrasive cleaning
agents as they can damage the
vehicle's paint, metal, or plastic
parts. If damage occurs, it would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from
your dealer. Follow all
manufacturer directions regarding
correct product usage, necessary
safety precautions, and
appropriate disposal of any
vehicle care product.
Caution
Avoid using high-pressure
washes closer than 30 cm (12 in)
to the surface of the vehicle. Use
of power washers exceeding
8,274 kPa (1,200 psi) can result
in damage or removal of paint
and decals.
Caution
Do not power wash any
component under the hood that
has this
esymbol.
This could cause damage that
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Underhood Component Power
Washing
If power washing underhood
components, do not exceed these
limits:
. Fluid pressures of 110 bar
(1600 psi)
. Fluid temperatures of 25°C
(77°F)
. Nozzle must remain 30 cm
(12 in) or farther from
components.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/4/19
488 Index
IndexA
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . 219
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . 245
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 322
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Additional Information
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . 344
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . 177, 179
Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Passenger Sensing System . . . . 78 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . 74
Airbags
Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 137
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Alert Lane Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Side Blind Zone (SBZA) . . . . . . 274
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . 232 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-13337776) - 2020 - CRC - 4/4/19
Index 489
Assistance Program,Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 257
Auto Stop
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . 270
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
B
Battery Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Battery (cont'd)
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Battery - North America . . . . 358, 419
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 364
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Brake Electric Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 140
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . 356
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 AutomaticEmergency (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Braking System Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 272
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 208
Bulb Replacement Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 369
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .329, 358, 419, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
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490 Index
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 114
Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 138
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 363
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 87
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . 105, 108, 109
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 177 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Climate Control Systems (cont'd)
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 470
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 486
Control Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Control Light Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . 134
Engine TemperatureWarning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177, 179
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 245
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 466 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Customer Information
Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 470
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 476
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 475
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26