2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Owners Manual - Jump Starting

Jump Starting

For more information about the vehicle battery, see Battery - North America 0 341.

If the vehicle's battery (or batteries) has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps to do it safely.

See California Proposition

65 Warning 0 317 and the back cover.

Good Battery Positive Terminal

Good Battery Negative Terminal

Discharged Battery Remote Negative Terminal

Discharged Battery Remote Positive Terminal

The jump start positive post (1) and negative post (2) are on the battery of the vehicle providing the jump start.

The jump start positive post (4) and the negative grounding point (3) for the discharged battery are on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The positive jump start connection for the discharged battery is under a cover. Slide the cover to expose the terminal.

Check the other vehicle.

It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative ground system.

If you have a vehicle with a diesel engine with two batteries, you should know before you begin that, especially in cold weather, you may not be able to get enough power from a single battery in another vehicle to start your diesel engine. If your vehicle has more than one battery, using the battery that is closer to the starter will reduce electrical resistance. This is located on the passenger side, in the rear of the engine compartment.

Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching each other.

If they are, it could cause an unwanted ground connection.

You would not be able to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical systems.

To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic transmission in P (Park) before setting the parking brake. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear, not in

N (Neutral).

Turn the ignition off on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary accessories plugged into the accessory power outlets. Turn off the radio and all the lamps that are not needed. This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it could save the radio!

Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the positive (+) and negative (−) terminal locations on that vehicle.

The positive (+) terminal is under a red plastic cover at the positive battery post. To uncover the positive (+) terminal, open the red plastic cover.

For more information on the location of the remote positive (+) and remote negative (−) terminals, see

Engine Compartment Overview

0 320.

Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.

Before you connect the cables, here are some basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.

Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you will get a short that would damage the battery and maybe other parts too. And do not connect the negative (−) cable to the

negative (−) terminal on the dead battery because this can cause sparks.

Connect one end of the red positive (+) cable to the remote positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with the discharged battery.

Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.

Connect one end of the black negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal of the good battery. Use a remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.

Do not let the other end touch anything until the next step.

Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable to the remote negative (−) terminal to the discharged battery.

Start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a while.

Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it probably needs service.

Jumper Cable Removal

Reverse the sequence exactly when removing the jumper cables.

After starting the disabled vehicle and removing the jumper cables, allow it to idle for several minutes.