GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
236 Driving and Operating
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
When the ignition is turned from on to off,
the following features (if equipped) will
continue to function for up to 10 minutes,
or until the driver door is opened. These
features will also work when the ignition is
in RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY:
.Infotainment System
.Power Windows (during RAP this
functionality will be lost when any door
is opened)
.Sunroof (during RAP this functionality will
be lost when any door is opened)
.Auxiliary Power Outlet
.Audio System
.OnStar System
Shifting Into Park
{Warning
It can be dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set.
The vehicle can roll. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
To be sure the vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
use the steps that follow. With
four-wheel drive, if the transfer case is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be free to
roll, even if the shift lever is in P (Park).
Be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear. If towing a trailer, seeDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips 0288.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake
0 247.
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position by pulling the shift lever toward
you and moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case (if equipped) is in a drive gear –not in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition off. For Key Access, push the ignition key in, towards the
steering column and then turn the
ignition off.
5. For Key Access, remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your hand, the
vehicle is in P (Park). For Keyless Access, take the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter with you.Leaving the Vehicle with the Engine
Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle
with the engine running. The vehicle
could move suddenly if the shift lever is
not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive and the
transfer case is in N (Neutral), the vehicle
will be free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). So be sure the transfer case
is in a drive gear
–not in N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, it could overheat and
even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the
engine running, be sure the vehicle is in
P (Park) and the parking brake is firmly set
before you leave it. After moving the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular brake
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
300 Driving and Operating
Trailer Brakes
Loaded trailers over 900 kg (2,000 lb) must
be equipped with brake systems and with
brakes for each axle. Trailer braking
equipment conforming to Canadian
Standards Association (CSA) requirement
CAN3-D313, or its equivalent, is
recommended.
State or local regulations may require
trailers to have their own braking system if
the loaded weight of the trailer exceeds
certain minimums that can vary from state
to state. Read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes so they are installed,
adjusted, and maintained properly. Never
attempt to tap into your vehicle's hydraulic
brake system. If you do, both the vehicle
antilock brakes and the trailer brakes may
not function, which could result in a crash.
Auxiliary Battery
If equipped, the vehicle's auxiliary battery
can be used to supply electrical power to
additional equipment that may be added,
such as a slide-in camper.Locate the auxiliary battery connector under
the hood on the driver side of the vehicle,
next to the engine compartment fuse block.
Follow the proper installation instructions
included with any electrical equipment that
is installed.
Caution
To prevent draining the auxiliary battery,
always turn off electrical equipment
when not in use and do not use any
equipment that may exceed the
maximum amperage rating of 30 amps.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Basic Trailer Wiring
If the vehicle is not equipped with a trailer
connector on the rear bumper, a 7-wire
trailering harness is tied to the vehicles
frame. The harness requires the installation
of a trailer connector, which is available
through your dealer.
Use only a round, seven-wire connector with
flat blade terminals meeting SAE J2863
specifications for proper electrical
connectivity.The seven-wire harness contains the
following trailer circuits:
Stop/Turn
Signal Left Yellow/Blue
Stop/Turn Signal
Right Green/Violet
Tail/Parking Lamps Gray/Brown
Reverse Lamps White/Green
Battery Feed Red/Green
Ground White
Electric Trailer Brake Blue
If equipped, the trailer wiring harness, with
a 7-pin connector and a 4-pin connector, is
mounted on the vehicle's rear bumper.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Driving and Operating 301
The trailer connectors contain the following
circuits.
1. Ground
2. Tail Lamps3. Left Turn/Brake
4. Right Turn/Brake
1. Left Turn/Brake
2. Tail Lamps
3. Reverse Lamps
4. Battery Feed
5. Right Turn/Brake
6. Electric Brakes
7. Ground
If equipped, trailering camera connectors are
available in the bumper trailer receptacle in
place of the four pin connector. The inside
trailer auxiliary camera should be installed on the top left hand side (A) and the rear
trailer auxiliary camera (B) should be
installed on the top right hand side.If equipped with the fifth wheel/ gooseneck
trailer package, the harness connector is
mounted on the inside of the pickup bed
behind the rear wheel.
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
318 Driving and Operating
If Tow/Haul Mode is off and this setting is
on for a Trailer Profile, each time the
ignition is turned on a reminder will appear
to turn on Tow/Haul Mode when the Trailer
Profile is active.
If Tow/Haul Mode is on and this setting is
on for a Trailer Profile, the reminder will not
appear when the Trailer Profile is active.
Trailer Length Indicator
Touch Trailer Length Indicator to view the
Trailer Length Indicator settings page. If this
setting is ON a guideline is displayed in the
side mirror camera view to indicate the rear
of the attached trailer. If this setting is OFF
the guideline will not be displayed.
This setting will default to OFF if the trailer
length indicator feature is not set up. See
"Towing Assistance" for details on the setup.
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is used for
vehicle service and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0115.
A device connected to the DLC —such as
an aftermarket fleet or driver-behavior
tracking device —may interfere with
vehicle systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash. Such devices
may also access information stored in the
vehicle’s systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can damage
the vehicle or cause components to not
work and would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check with your
dealer before adding electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the vehicle's
12-volt battery, even if the vehicle is not
operating. The vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to add anything electrical to the
vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 069 and
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 069.
For information on wiring auxiliary switches,
see www.gmupfitter.com or contact your
dealer.
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar
Equipment
Caution
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) with a
snow plow mounted to the vehicle. The
vehicle could overheat and be damaged.
Before installing a snow plow on the vehicle,
follow these guidelines:
Caution
If the vehicle does not have the snow
plow prep package, RPO VYU, adding a
plow can damage the vehicle, and the
repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Unless the vehicle was
built to carry a snow plow, do not add
(Continued)
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
356 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
65 Auxiliary underhood electrical center
66 Cooling fan motor left 67 Active fuel management 2
68 –
69 Starter Pinion (LD) / Starter Motor (HD Gas)
71 Cooling fan
72 Cooling fan right/Lower
73 Trailer stop/turn lamp left
74 Trailer Interface Module 1
75 DEFC
76 Electric RNG BDS
78 Engine control module
79 Auxiliary battery
80 Cabin cooling pump 81 Trailer stop/turn lamp right Fuses
Usage
82 Trailer Interface Module 2
83 FTZM
84 Trailer brake 85 ENG
86 Engine control module 87 Injector B even
88 O2 B sensor
89 O2 A sensor
90 Injector A odd 91 Engine control module throttle control
92 Cool fan clutch/ Aeroshutter Relays
Usage
5 Headlamp
18 DC/AC inverter
23 Rear window defogger
35 Parking lamp
36 Run/Crank
43 –
59 A/C clutch
64 Starter Motor (LD & HD DSL)
70 Starter Pinion (LD) / Starter Motor (HD Gas)
77 Powertrain
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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360 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
F23 MISC R/C
F24 Instrument panel cluster ignition/Overhead
F25 Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ignition/
Heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning auxiliary
F26 USB ports/Special equipment option retained
accessory power
F27 Accessory power outlet/ retained accessory power
F28 Accessory power outlet/ Battery
F30 Sensing and diagnostic module/Parking brake
F31 Body control module 4
F32 Special equipment option/ Data link connection
F33 Body control module 8
F34 Cargo lamp
F40 CGM F41 Infotainment 1 Fuses
Usage
F42 TCP
F43 –
F44 Active vibration management
F45 Body control module 2
F46 Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning/Battery 1
F47 Instrument panel cluster/ Battery
F48 Transmission control module
F49 Body control module 1 F50 –
F51 Battery 1
F52 Battery 2
F53 –
F54 Sunroof F55 Driver power seat
F56 DC DC TRANS 1 F57 DC DC TRANS 2
F58 Infotainment 2 Circuit
Breakers Usage
1 Accessory power outlet 2
2 Accessory power outlet 1/ Cigarette Lighter
3 Accessory power outlet 3
4 Accessory power outlet 4
Relays Usage
K1 Run/Crank
K2 Retained accessory power/ Accessory 1
K4 Retained accessory power/ Accessory 2
K5 –
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has high-quality
tires made by a leading tire
manufacturer. See the warranty manual
for information regarding the tire
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Cana-
da/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Index 449
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . .431
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . 274
Assistance Systems for Parking andBacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Audio Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Auto Stop
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . 347
Auxiliary Roof Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Auxiliary Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . .158
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346B
Battery
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 147
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . .343, 391
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Blind Spot Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180, 181
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Brake Electric Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Automatic Emergency (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Braking System
Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Bulb Replacement
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
(CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 350
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . 322
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .322, 343, 391, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
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Index 453
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
HD Radio Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . 141
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 350
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . .52
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204, 206
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . .55
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204, 206
I
If the System Needs Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 230
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . 347
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Indicator
Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . .72
Information Publication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 148
J
Jack Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . 391
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 13
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Lamps Auxiliary Roof Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . 144
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 147
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Malfunction Indicator (CheckEngine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 88
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77