GMC Sierra Denali 2006 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-27
Airbag System ......................................... 1-49
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-61
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-10
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-13
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-15
Mirrors .................................................... 2-28
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-33
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-36
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-40
Sunroof .................................................. 2-43
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-43
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-27
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-44
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-62
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-49
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-8
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-44
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-45
Front Axle ............................................... 5-46
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-52
Tires ...................................................... 5-54
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-90
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-100
Electrical System .................................... 5-101
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-110
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-14
Index ................................................................ 1
2006 GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC,
the GMC Truck Emblem, and the names SIERRA and
DENALI 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 needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is
sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
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. 06SDENALI A First Printing
©
2005 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 ......................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats .................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Head Restraints .............................................1-6
Rear Seats .......................................................1-6
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-6
Safety Belts .....................................................1-8
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-14
Driver Position ..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-21
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-22
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-22
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-25
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-27
Child Restraints .............................................1-27
Older Children ..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children ............................1-30
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-36
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) ......................................1-38
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position ....................................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-46
Airbag System ...............................................1-49
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-51
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-53
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-54
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-54
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? ........1-54
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-56
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-60
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-60
Restraint System Check ..................................1-61
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-61
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-62
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Power Seats
Horizontal Control: You can adjust your vehicle’s front
seats with the horizontal control located on the
outboard edge of each front seat.
Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or
lowering the forward edge of the control. Raise or lower
the rear of the seat by raising or lowering the rear
edge of the control.
Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole
control toward the front or toward the rear of the
vehicle.
Moving the whole control up or down raises or lowers
the entire seat cushion.
Vertical Control: See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 1-4.
1-2

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.
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 2-44 for more information.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has 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.
1-3

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 seats will be canceled after the ignition is
turned off. If you still want to use the heated seat feature
after you restart your vehicle, you will need to press
the heated seat button again.
Reclining Seatbacks
The front seats have a power recline feature.
Vertical Control: You can use the vertical control of
the power seat controls to adjust the angle of the
seatback. Press the control rearward to recline the
seatback. Press the control forward to raise the
seatback.
1-4

{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.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-5

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.
Pull the head restraint up to raise it. Push the head
restraint down to lower it.
Each front head restraint can also be tilted forward to
four positions by pulling on it.
A click will sound after each tilt position is reached.
Pull the head restraint forward, past the last position, to
release it to the upright position.
The rear seat head restraints are also adjustable up and
down, but they do not tilt.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
The second row seat is a 60/40 split seat. Either side
of the rear seat may be flipped and folded for added
cargo space.
Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat
and that the head restraints are completely lowered.
1-6

To flip and fold the 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 flip it forward.
2. After folding the seat cushion fully forward, pull the
seatback forward 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 normal seating position, do the
following:
1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all
the way.
{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
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked into place.
1-7

3. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position.
Pull up on the seat cushion to make sure it is
locked into place.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure the buckles on the driver’s side seatback are
accessible to the outboard and center occupant and
are not under the seat cushions.
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 cannot
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.
1-8

{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 3-30.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.
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!
1-9

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.
Put someone on it.
1-10

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-11

or the instrument panel... 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.
1-12

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.
Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-13

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-27
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-30. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-27.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-14