2021 GMC SIERRA Owner's Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
24 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Use the key to unlock the tailgate.
Open the tailgate by lifting up on its handle
while pulling the tailgate down.
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it upward
until it latches.
After closing the tailgate, pull it back to be
sure it is latched securely.
Some tailgates have an electric latch. If the
battery is disconnected or has low voltage,
the tailgate will not open. The tailgate will
resume operation when the battery is
reconnected or recharged.
Power Release Tailgate
{Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of
the power tailgate as it is opening and
closing, and keep hands away from the
tailgate hinges when in use. You or
others could be injured if caught in the
path of the power tailgate or tailgate
hinges.
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make
sure the area behind the tailgate is clear
before opening it.
In the case of a dead battery, the tailgate
can be opened manually. Contact your
dealer or Roadside Assistance.
If equipped, to lock or unlock the tailgate,
use the RKE transmitter or the key. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 010 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Keyless Access) 013.
The vehicle must be in P (Park).
To open the tailgate:
.Pressxtwice quickly on the RKE
transmitter until the tailgate moves.
.Press5on the center stack.
.Press the touch pad on the tailgate
handle after unlocking all doors. Use the
top of the tailgate to pull against if

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Keys, Doors, and Windows 25
assistance is required. If equipped with
Keyless Access, a locked tailgate can be
opened if the RKE transmitter is within
1 m (3 ft).
To close the tailgate, firmly push it upward
until it latches. Pull it back to be sure it is
latched securely.
Power Tailgate
{Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of
the power tailgate as it is opening and
closing, and keep hands away from the
tailgate hinges when in use. You or
others could be injured if caught in the
path of the power tailgate or tailgate
hinges.
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make
sure the area behind the tailgate is clear
before opening it. If equipped with a power open/close
tailgate, the tailgate can be opened or
closed in several ways. To open the tailgate,
do one of the following:
.Pressxtwice quickly on the RKE
transmitter until the tailgate moves. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 010 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Keyless Access) 013.
If equipped with Keyless Access, a locked
tailgate can be opened if the RKE
transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft).
.Press5on the center stack.
.Press the touch pad on the tailgate
handle after unlocking all doors.
To close the tailgate, do one of the
following:
.Pressxon the RKE transmitter once,
then quickly press and hold
xuntil the
tailgate completely closes. If
xis
released prior to it being fully closed, the
tailgate will reopen.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
26 Keys, Doors, and Windows
.Press and hold5on the center stack
until the tailgate is fully closed. If
5
is released prior to the tailgate being
fully closed, it will reopen. A chime will
sound when the tailgate is fully closed.
.Press the touch pad on the tailgate
handle.
A chime sounds and the taillamps flash
during the closing operation. If the warning
chime is not functioning, the tailgate will
not power close. Power opening is still
enabled. See your dealer for service.
The power tailgate may be temporarily
disabled after repeated power cycling over a
short period of time. If this occurs, the
tailgate can still be operated manually.
The vehicle must be in P (Park) to operate
the power tailgate. If the vehicle is shifted
out of P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the tailgate will continue to
completion. If the vehicle is accelerated
while the tailgate is still closing, the tailgate
may stop and reverse direction. Make sure
the tailgate is closed and latched before
driving. Lift-to-Close Operation
To close the tailgate using the lift-to-close
feature, lift the tailgate from the full-open
position to at least 10 cm (4 in) and hold it
momentarily. Then, the tailgate will start
closing automatically. If the tailgate is lifted
more than halfway between open and close,
then it will not close automatically.
Obstacle Detection
If the tailgate encounters an obstacle during
a power open cycle, it will stop on the
obstacle. After removing the obstruction, the
tailgate can be allowed to open. If the
tailgate encounters an obstacle during the
closing cycle, it will stop and reverse to
full open.If the tailgate encounters multiple obstacles,
the power function will deactivate. After
removing the obstructions, manually close
the tailgate to resume normal power
operation.
Manual Operation
The tailgate can be manually closed from
the full-open position when the tailgate is
lifted in a continuous motion. If the tailgate
motion is stopped between the full-open
and half-closed positions, the lift-to-close
feature can engage and power close the
tailgate. If the touch pad is pressed during
power operation, the tailgate will stop and
allow manual operation. The tailgate must
be held after stopping, or it will continue
to open.
MultiPro Tailgate
{Warning
Make sure there is no one in the way of
the power tailgate as it is opening and
closing, and keep hands away from the
tailgate hinges when in use. You or
others could be injured if caught in the
path of the power tailgate or tailgate
hinges.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Keys, Doors, and Windows 27
Caution
To avoid damage to the tailgate, make
sure the area behind the tailgate is clear
before opening it.
If equipped with this feature, the vehicle
must be in P (Park).
Switches in the inner tailgate prevent the
primary tailgate from being opened when
the inner tailgate is not fully closed. To open the primary tailgate:
.Pressxtwice quickly on the RKE
transmitter until the tailgate moves. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 010 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Keyless Access) 013.
If equipped with Keyless Access, the
tailgate can be opened if the RKE
transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft).
.Press5on the center stack.
.Press the lower touch pad on the tailgate
handle after unlocking all doors. Use the
top of the tailgate to pull against if
assistance is required.
To close the primary tailgate, firmly push it
upward until it latches. Pull it back to be
sure it is latched securely.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
28 Keys, Doors, and Windows
To open the inner tailgate, press the upper
touch pad on the tailgate handle after
unlocking all doors. Pull the top of the
tailgate to open.
Caution
Do not open the inner tailgate with the
primary tailgate open if there is a hitch
ball or trailer attached. This may damage
the tailgate.
To close the inner tailgate with the primary
tailgate closed, firmly push or pull it upward
until it latches. Pull it back to be sure it is
latched securely.
To close the inner tailgate with the primary
tailgate open:
.Hold the primary tailgate and firmly close
the inner tailgate.
.Raise the inner tailgate so it meets the
primary tailgate and close together at the
same time.
When using the tailgate step as a load stop,
the load must be secured as the load could
shift. See Cargo Tie-Downs 097.
Tailgate Step
{Warning
To avoid personal injury, keep hands
away from the hinges when operating
the tailgate step. With the primary and inner tailgates open,
the tailgate step can be lowered to access
the pickup bed.
Using the Step
Caution
When using the tailgate as a step, the
load rating is 170 kg (375 lb), which
includes a person and cargo. Overloading
the tailgate step can cause damage to
the tailgate system.
.To lower the tailgate step, press the
button at the center of the step. Make
sure it lowers to the fully open position.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Keys, Doors, and Windows 29
.To close the tailgate step, lift it firmly.
Make sure that both side latches are
engaged.
Do not place a load on top of the step when
using it as a load stop.Using the Assist Handle
The assist handle helps with entering the
pickup box. To use:
1. Lift up on the handle until it locks in the open position.
2. To return the assist handle, pull the release lever toward the ball end of the
handle and push the handle back to the
closed position.
Applying Loads to Tailgates
Caution
Do not put ramp loads on the inner
tailgate alone. Damage to the inner
tailgate may occur.
Preferred Method
Alternate Method

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
30 Keys, Doors, and Windows
When applying any load to the tailgate,
distribute the weight evenly across the
width of the tailgate. This applies to all
tailgate types.
.Use a load-distributing member (1).
.Secure the ramp to the bumper (2).
Power Assist Steps
{Warning
To avoid personal injury or property
damage, before entering or exiting the
vehicle, be sure the power assist step is
fully extended. Do not step on the power
assist step while it is moving. Never place
hands or other body parts between the
extended power assist step and the
vehicle.
If equipped, the power assist steps, when
enabled, will extend when the door is
opened. They will retract three seconds after
the door is closed or immediately if the
vehicle starts moving.
Keep hands, children, pets, objects, and
clothing clear of the power assist steps
when in motion. The steps will reverse direction if there is an
obstruction. If possible, carefully remove the
obstruction, then open and close the door
on the same side to complete the motion.
If the obstruction is not cleared, the assist
steps remain extended.
Slight movement of the steps while
extended is normal.
Kick Switch
1. Place the vehicle in P (Park) and unlock
the doors. 2. Kick the switch to extend the power
assist step to the tire. A Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
displays.
3. Kick the switch again to return to normal operation.
Center Stack Switch
The power assist steps can be extended to
the tire by pressing
j. When extending
the steps with
j, the kick switch is
disabled. The vehicle must be in P (Park) or
N (Neutral).

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-14632426) - 2021 - CRC - 11/5/20
Keys, Doors, and Windows 31
To extend the steps:
.Pressjto extend both steps. A DIC
message displays.
.Pressjagain to extend to the tire.
A DIC message displays.
.Pressjagain to return to normal
operation.
Enable/Disable
To enable or disable the power assist steps,
press and hold
jfor four seconds. A DIC
message displays.
Cleaning
Clean the power assist steps regularly. For
an automatic car wash, extend the steps
while in N (Neutral) using the center stack
switch. The steps will stow when shifting
into D (Drive).
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent features;
however, they do not make the vehicle
impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
The indicator light, on the instrument panel
near the windshield, indicates the status of
the system.
Off : Alarm system is disarmed.
On Solid : Vehicle is secured during the
delay to arm the system.
Fast Flash : Vehicle is unsecured. A door or
the hood is open.
Slow Flash : Alarm system is armed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Turn off the vehicle. 2. Lock the vehicle in one of two ways:
.Use the RKE transmitter.
.With a door open, pressQon the
interior of the door.
3. After 30 seconds, the alarm system will arm and the indicator light will begin to
slowly flash. Pressing
Qon the RKE
transmitter a second time will bypass
the 30-second delay and immediately
arm the alarm system.
The vehicle alarm system will not arm if the
doors are locked with the key.
If the driver door is opened without first
unlocking with the RKE transmitter, the horn
will chirp and the lights will flash to indicate
pre-alarm. If the vehicle is not started,
or the door is not unlocked by pressing
K
on the RKE transmitter during the 10-second
pre-alarm, the alarm will be activated.
The alarm will also be activated if a
passenger door or the hood is opened
without first disarming the system. When
the alarm is activated, the turn signals flash
and the horn sounds for about 30 seconds.
The alarm system will then re-arm to
monitor for the next unauthorized event.