2008 GMC Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 290

If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free your vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-32. If your vehicle has a traction system, it can often help to free a stuck vehicle. Refer to your vehicle's traction system in the Index. If the stuck condition is too severe for the traction system to free the vehicle, turn the traction system off and use the rocking method. Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area around the front wheels. For vehicles with StabiliTrak®, turn the traction control part of the system off. See StabiliTrak® System on page 4-5. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. To prevent transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly spinning the wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that could free your vehicle. If that does not get your vehicle out after a few tries, it might need to be towed out. Or, you can use recovery hooks, if your vehicle has them. If your vehicle does need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-41. {CAUTION: If you let your vehicle's tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. The vehicle can overheat, causing an engine compartment fire or other damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible and avoid going above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-79. 4-32