GMC Sierra 2005 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-10
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-30
Airbag System ......................................... 1-63
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-80
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8
Windows ................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-21
Mirrors .................................................... 2-57
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-68
HomeLink
®
Wireless Control System ........... 2-70
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-74
Sunroof .................................................. 2-77
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-78
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-49
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-67
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-63
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-4
Fuel ......................................................... 5-6
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-55
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-57
Front Axle ............................................... 5-58
Noise Control System ............................... 5-59
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-60
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-69
Tires ...................................................... 5-70
Appearance Care ................................... 5-108
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-118
Electrical System .................................... 5-119
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-128
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index .................................................................1
2005 GMC Sierra Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem, and the name SIERRA are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for GMC whenever it appears in this
manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
ever needed. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual
in it so the new owner can use it.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05SIERRA B First Edition
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the
following topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Power Seats ..................................................1-4
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Seatback Latches ...........................................1-8
Rear Seats .......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) ................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) ......................1-9
Safety Belts ...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15
Driver Position ..............................................1-15
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-23
Center Passenger Position .............................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-25
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults ..........................1-28
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-29
Child Restraints .............................................1-30
Older Children ..............................................1-30
Infants and Young Children ............................1-32
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-36
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-38
Top Strap ....................................................1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-42
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position .........................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position ..........................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position ..........................1-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position (Crew Cab) ...........................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab)
(With Airbag Off Switch) .............................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab)
(With Passenger Sensing System) ...............1-60
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Airbag System ...............................................1-63
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-65
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-67
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-69
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-69
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-70
Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-71
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-74
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-78
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle .............................1-79
Restraint System Check ..................................1-80
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-80
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-81
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving. If your vehicle has a manual bucket or a split bench
seat, you can adjust it with this lever located at the
front of the seat.
Lift the lever to unlock the seat. Using your body, slide
the seat to where you want it and release the lever.
Try to move the seat with your body to make sure the
seat is locked into place.
1-3

Power Seats
If your vehicle has a power seat, you can adjust it with
these controls located on the outboard sides of the seats.
•Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by raising
or lowering the forward edge of the horizontal control.
•Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the
whole horizontal control forward or rearward.
•Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by raising
or lowering the rear edge of the horizontal control.
•Moving the whole horizontal control up or down
raises or lowers the entire seat cushion.
If your vehicle has power reclining seats, you can use
the vertical control to adjust the angle of the seatback.
Move the reclining front seatback rearward or forward
by moving the control toward the rear or the front of the
vehicle. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6.
Power Lumbar
Your vehicle’s seats may be equipped with power
lumbar.
You can increase or
decrease lumbar support
in an area of the lower
seatback with this control,
located on the outboard
sides of the front seat(s).
To increase support, press and hold the front of the
control. To decrease support, press and hold the rear
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
1-4

You can also reshape the side wing area of the lower
seatback for more lateral support.
To increase support, press and hold the top of the
control. To decrease support, press and hold the bottom
of the control. Let go of the control when the lower
seatback reaches the desired level of support.
Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows
seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory
Seat on page 2-78 for more information.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle is equipped
with this feature, the
buttons are located on the
front doors. The engine
must be running for
the heated seats to work.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button
with the heated seat and seatback symbol. Press the
button to cycle through the temperature settings of
high, medium and low and to turn the heated seat off.
Indicator lights will be lit to designate the level of
heat selected: three for high, two for medium, and
one for low.
The low setting warms the seatback and cushion until
the seat temperature is near body temperature. The
medium and high settings heat the seatback and seat
cushion to a slightly higher temperature. You will be able
to feel heat in about two minutes.
To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with
the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the
seatback button will be lit to designate that only the
seatback is being heated. Additional presses of
the seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for
the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again
to heat the whole seat.
The heated front seats will shut off automatically when
the ignition is turned off.
1-5

Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the front seatback, lift the manual lever
located on the outboard side of the seat. Release
the lever to lock the seatback where you want it.
Lift the lever again without pushing on the seatback
and the seatback will go to an upright position.
If your vehicle has power seats with a power recliner,
see Power Seats on page 1-4 for further information
on how to operate the reclining seatback feature.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
1-6

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
To raise the head restraint pull up on the head restraint.
Your vehicle may have rear seat head restraints that
can be adjusted up and down.
1-7

Seatback Latches
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
The seatbacks fold forward to let you access the rear
of the cab.
To fold a front seatback forward, lift the lever at the
base of the seat to release the seatback.
The lever is located on the outboard side of the seat
cushion.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push
the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning
the seatback to its upright position, push and pull on
the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab)
Folding the Rear Seat
The extended cab’s rear seat can be folded up to provide
more cargo space. To fold the seat do the following:
1. Push down on the
seat while pulling
forward on the release
strap located under
the rear seat cushion.
2. Pull the seat cushion up until it latches with the
seatback.
3. After latching the seat cushion up, gently pull
forward on it to make sure it is locked.
1-8

The extended cab’s rear seat can also be folded open
for more seating space. To use the seat do the following:
1. Push rearward on the seat cushion while pulling
forward on the release strap under the seat
cushion. Pull the seat cushion down until it latches.
2. After latching the seat cushion down, gently pull up
on it to make sure it is locked.
Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab)
The second row rear seat has a 60/40 split seat.
Either side of the rear seat may be folded down to
give you more cargo space.
Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat
and that the head restraints are completely lowered.
To fold the rear seat, do the following:
1. Pull up on the strap
loop at the rear of the
seat cushion. Then,
pull the seat cushion
up and fold it forward.
2. After folding the seat cushion fully forward, pull the
seatback forward and fold the seatback down until
it is flat. If the seatback cannot fold flat because
it interferes with the cushion, try moving the
front seat forward and/or bringing the front seat
more upright. The lever at the base of the seat must
be turned rearward to release the seatback.
To return the seat to the passenger position do the
following:
1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all the way.
2. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position.
3. Pull forward on the seatback and up on the seat
cushion to make sure the seat is securely in place.
Check to see that the buckles on the driver’s side
seatback are accessible to the outboard and center
occupant and are not under the seat cushions.
1-9

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can
not wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in
a seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-33.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.
1-10

You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter...a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
1-11

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-12

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-13

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater
if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be
in most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-14