GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-15883563) - 2022 - CRC - 11/19/21
Instruments and Controls 103
L:PressLon the windshield wiper
control to spray windshield washer fluid and
activate the wipers. The front 360 degree
viewing camera will also be washed,
if equipped. The wipers will continue until
Lis released or the maximum wash time
is reached. When
Lis released, additional
wipes may occur depending on how long
the windshield washer had been activated.
See Washer Fluid 0358 for information on
filling the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Clear snow and ice from the wiper blades
before using them. If frozen to the
windshield, carefully loosen or thaw them.
Damaged blades should be replaced. See
Wiper Blade Replacement 0364.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper
motor.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use the
washer until the windshield is warmed.
Otherwise the washer fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking your vision.
{Warning
Before driving the vehicle, always clear
snow and ice from the hood, windshield,
washer nozzles, roof, and rear of the
vehicle, including all lamps and windows.
Reduced visibility from snow and ice
buildup could lead to a crash.
Wipe Parking
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are on LO, HI, or
3, they will
immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper control is ON then
moved to OFF before the driver door is
opened or within 10 minutes, the wipers will
restart and move to the base of the
windshield.
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are performing wipes due to windshield
washing, the wipers continue to run until
they reach the base of the windshield.
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). The
compass receives its heading and other
information from the Global Positioning
System (GPS) antenna, Electronic Stability
Control (ESC), and vehicle speed information.
The compass system is designed to operate
for a certain number of miles or degrees of
turn before needing a signal from the GPS
satellites. When the compass display shows
CAL, drive the vehicle for a short distance in
an open area where it can receive a GPS
signal. The compass system will
automatically determine when a GPS signal
is restored and provide a heading again.
Clock
Set the time and date using the
infotainment system. See "Time/Date" under
Settings (Uplevel Radio) 0187 or
Settings (Base Radio) 0185.
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136 Instruments and Controls
All HUD views may briefly display audio
information when the driver uses the
steering wheel controls to adjust the audio
settings appearing in the instrument cluster.
Incoming phone calls appearing in the
instrument cluster, may also display in any
HUD view.
Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield to remove
any dirt or film that could reduce the
sharpness or clarity of the HUD image.
Clean the HUD lens with a soft cloth
sprayed with glass cleaner. Wipe the lens
gently, then dry it.
HUD Troubleshooting
Check that:
.Nothing is covering the HUD lens.
.The HUD brightness setting is not too
dim or too bright.
.The HUD is adjusted to the proper height.
.Polarized sunglasses are not worn.
.The windshield and HUD lens are clean.
If the HUD image is not correct, contact
your dealer. The windshield is part of the HUD system.
See
Windshield Replacement 0365.
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) indicate the status
of the vehicle or some action that may be
needed to correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be acknowledged and
cleared by pressing the thumbwheel. The
messages that require immediate action
cannot be cleared until that action is
performed.
All messages should be taken seriously;
clearing the message does not correct the
problem.
If a SERVICE message appears, see your
dealer.
Follow the instructions given in the
messages. The system displays messages
regarding the following topics:
.Service Messages
.Fluid Levels
.Vehicle Security
.Brakes
.Steering
.Ride Control Systems
.Driver Assistance Systems
.Cruise Control
.Lighting and Bulb Replacement
.Wiper/Washer Systems
.Doors and Windows
.Seat Belts
.Airbag Systems
.Engine and Transmission
.Tire Pressure
.Battery
Engine Power Messages
REDUCED ACCELERATION DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when the vehicle's
propulsion power is reduced. A reduction in
propulsion power can affect the vehicle's
ability to accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no observed reduction in
performance, proceed to your destination.
Under certain conditions the performance
may be reduced the next time the vehicle is
driven. The vehicle may be driven while this
message is on, but maximum acceleration
and speed may be reduced. Anytime this
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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Driving and Operating 213
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather
driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir
filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth.
SeeTires 0377.
.Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains
is different than driving on flat or rolling
terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in good
shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, and
cooling system.
.Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a
long downhill slope can cause brake
overheating, can reduce brake
performance, and could result in a loss of
braking. Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
.Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
.Pay attention to special road signs (e.g.,
falling rocks area, winding roads, long
grades, passing or no-passing zones) and
take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Caution
To avoid damage to the wheels and
brake components, always clear snow and
ice from inside the wheels and
underneath the vehicle before driving.
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0247.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0245.
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Vehicle Care 341
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 342
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 343
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 345
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 350
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check (Mechanical
Shifter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 370
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . 373
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . 375
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 382
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 385
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 385
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 391
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 392
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 393
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 394
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 407
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 411
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346 Vehicle Care
1. Remote Negative (–) Location. SeeJump
Starting - North America 0407.
2. Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North America 0407.
3. Battery - North America 0361.
4. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0370.
5. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System 0352.
6. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0348.
7. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0348.
8. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0352.
9. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0351.
10. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 360.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0358.
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348 Vehicle Care
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See“Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0358.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, careful attention must be paid to
engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect your
investment:
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0350.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” in this
section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0345 for
the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays, check the oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To get an accurate reading, park the
vehicle on level ground. Check the engine
oil level after the engine has been off for
at least two hours. Checking the engine
oil level on steep grades or too soon after
engine shutoff can result in incorrect
readings. Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to starting.
Remove the dipstick and check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, the engine
must be off for at least 15 minutes if the
engine is warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it with a clean paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched area at
the tip of the dipstick and the engine has
been off for at least 15 minutes, add 1 L (1
qt) of the recommended oil and then
recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for an
explanation of what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see Capacities
and Specifications 0439.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil levels above
or below the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful to the
engine. If the oil level is above the
operating range (i.e., the engine has so
(Continued)
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358 Vehicle Care
Caution (Continued)
cause engine damage. Allow the engine
to cool before attempting any repair.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change
the oil, and reset the oil life system. See
Engine Oil0348.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has the Duramax diesel
engine, see the Duramax diesel supplement.
The vehicle has electric cooling fan(s). The
fans may be heard spinning at low speed
during most everyday driving. The fans may
turn off if no cooling is required. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing, high
outside temperatures, or operation of the air
conditioning system, the fans may change
to high speed and an increase in fan noise
may be heard. This is normal and indicates
that the cooling system is functioning
properly. The fans will change to low speed
when additional cooling is no longer
required.
The electric engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been turned off. This is
normal and no service is required.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs to be
added, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. Use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall below
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The vehicle has a low washer fluid message
on the DIC that comes on when the washer
fluid is low. The message is displayed for
15 seconds at the start of each ignition cycle.
When the WASHER FLUID LOW ADD FLUID
message displays, washer fluid will need to
be added to the windshield washer fluid
reservoir.
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview 0345 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
.When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer instructions
for adding water.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake linings have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake linings are worn and
GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 1500 Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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414 Vehicle Care
Caution
Do not tow this vehicle with two wheels
on the ground, or vehicle damage could
occur. This damage would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Dolly towing this vehicle is not allowed with
either the front or the rear tires on the
ground for two-wheel drive or four-wheel
drive, regardless of transfer case.
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
Lubricants 0434.
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.
Cleaning Underhood Components
Caution
Do not power wash any component
under the hood that has this
e
symbol.(Continued)