2023 GMC SIERRA top tier

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
Driving and Operating 203
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . 204
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . 219
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . 221
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . 223
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 227
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 229
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 230
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 238
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 257
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . 260
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . 262
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling the Tank (Pickup Models) . . . . . . . 265
Filling the Tank (Chassis Cab and Box Delete Models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . 268

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
218 Driving and Operating
Using heavier suspension components
to get added durability might not
change the weight ratings. Ask your
dealer to help load the vehicle the
right way.
{Warning
Things you put inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a sudden
stop or turn, or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area of the
vehicle. Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so
that some of them are above the
tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in the vehicle.
.When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to. There is also important loading
information for off-road driving in this
manual. See
“Loading the Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving“ underOff-Road
Driving 0208.
Two-Tiered Loading
Depending on the model of the pickup,
an upper load platform can be created
by positioning three or four 5 cm (2 in)
by 15 cm (6 in) wooden planks across
the width of the pickup box. The planks
must be inserted in the pickup box
depressions.
When using this upper load platform,
be sure the load is securely tied down
to prevent it from shifting. The load's
center of gravity should be positioned
in a zone over the rear axle. The zone is
located in the area between the front
of each wheel well and the rear of each
wheel well. The center of gravity height
must not extend above the top of the
pickup box flareboard. Any load that extends beyond the
vehicle's taillamp area must be properly
marked according to local laws and
regulations.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) of the front or
rear axle.
Add-On Equipment
When carrying removable items, a limit
on how many people carried inside the
vehicle may be necessary. Be sure to
weigh the vehicle before buying and
installing the new equipment.
Caution
Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not overload the
vehicle.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) of the front or
rear axle.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
Driving and Operating 263
Warning (Continued)
If LDW only detects lane markings on one
side of the road, it will only warn you
when departing the lane on the side
where it has detected a lane marking.
Always keep your attention on the road
and maintain proper vehicle position
within the lane, or vehicle damage,
injury, or death could occur. Always keep
the windshield, headlamps, and camera
sensors clean and in good repair. Do not
use LDW in bad weather conditions.
How the System Works
LDW utilizes a camera sensor installed on
the windshield ahead of the rearview mirror
to detect lane markings.
To turn LDW on and off, press
@on the
center stack. The control indicator will light
when LDW is on.
When LDW is on,@is green if LDW is
available to warn of a lane departure. If the
vehicle crosses a detected lane marking
without using the turn signal in that
direction,
@changes to amber and flashes.
Additionally, there will be three beeps, on
the right or left, depending on the lane
departure direction. LDW will not alert if the
turn signal is active in the direction of lane
departure or if LDW detects that you are
accelerating, braking or actively steering.
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel
GM recommends the use of TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline to keep the engine clean,
reduce engine deposits, and maintain
optimal vehicle performance. Look for the
TOP TIER Logo or see www.toptiergas.com
for a list of TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
marketers and applicable countries.
Recommended Fuel
For diesel engine vehicles, see “Fuel for
Diesel Engines” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
If the vehicle has a yellow sticker on the
fuel door, E85 or FlexFuel can be used. If the
vehicle does not have a yellow sticker, do
not use gasoline with ethanol levels greater
than 15% by volume. See E85 or FlexFuel
0 264.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
264 Driving and Operating
Regular unleaded gasoline meeting ASTM
specification D4814 with a posted octane
rating (R+M)/2 of 87 or greater is
recommended. Do not use gasoline with a
posted octane rating of less than 87, as this
will result in reduced performance and
driveability. If heavy knocking is heard when
using gasoline rated at 87 or greater, the
engine needs service.
Prohibited Fuels
Caution
Do not use fuels with any of the
following conditions; doing so may
damage the vehicle and void its
warranty:
.For vehicles that are not FlexFuel, fuel
labeled greater than 15% ethanol by
volume, such as mid-level ethanol
blends (16–50% ethanol), E85,
or FlexFuel.
.Fuel with any amount of methanol,
methylal, ferrocene, and aniline. These
fuels can corrode metal fuel system
parts or damage plastic and rubber
parts.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Fuel containing metals such as
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT), which can damage
the emissions control system and
spark plugs.
.Fuel with a posted octane rating of
less than the recommended fuel. Using
this fuel will lower fuel economy and
performance, and may decrease the
life of the emissions catalyst.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post fuel
octane ratings in anti-knock index (AKI). For
fuel not to use in a foreign country, see
Prohibited Fuels0264.
Fuel Additives
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is highly
recommended for use with your vehicle.
If your country does not have TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, add ACDelco Fuel
System Treatment Plus−Gasoline to the
vehicle’s gasoline fuel tank at every oil
change or 15 000 km (9,000 mi), whichever
occurs first. TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
and ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus−Gasoline will help keep your vehicle’s
engine fuel deposit free and performing
optimally.
E85 or FlexFuel
Vehicles with a yellow fuel sticker on the
fuel door can use either unleaded gasoline
or fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
All other vehicles should use only the
unleaded gasoline as described in
Recommended Fuel
0263.
The use of E85 or FlexFuel is encouraged
when the vehicle is designed to use it. E85
or FlexFuel is made from renewable sources.
To help locate fuel stations that carry E85 or
FlexFuel, the U.S. Department of Energy has
an alternative fuel website. See
www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/stations.
E85 or FlexFuel should meet ASTM
Specification D 5798 or CAN/CGSB–3.512 in
Canada. Do not use the fuel if the ethanol
content is greater than 85%. Fuel mixtures
that do not meet ASTM or CGSB
specifications can affect driveability and
could cause the malfunction indicator lamp
to come on.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
420 Index
F
FanEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Filter Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Floor Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Fog Lamp Light
Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234, 321
Four-Wheel-Drive
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Fuel
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 268
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265, 266
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Fuses Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 329
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . 333, 334
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Gauges Engine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 111
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . 170
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Guidance
Problems with the Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali 2500 HD/3500 HD Owner Manual (GMNA-
Localizing-U.S./Canada-16504257) - 2023 - CRC - 5/9/22
426 Index
Steering (cont'd)Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Steps Power Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Storage Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Floor Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Underseat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
System Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Brake Pad Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 System (cont'd)
Engine Air Filter Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Global Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Rear Cross Traffic Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Taillamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Task Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Teen Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
All-Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 Tires (cont'd)
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . 353
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 354
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . 351
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Towing App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285