2004 GMC CANYON Owner's Manual

When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 2-29for more information.
The light will stay on if your parking brake does not
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is harder to push, or the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-47.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come on briey when
you start your engine to
show it is working.
Then it will turn off.
This is normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes,
but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-28.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should
come on briey when you turn the ignition key to ON.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it xed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the
engine coolant
temperature.
If the gage pointer is near the top of the gage, the
engine is too hot. It means that your engine coolant has
overheated. If you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions, you should pull off the
road, stop your vehicle and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-28for more
information.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (On-Board Diagnostics-
Second Generation) and is intended to assure that
emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of
the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment.
The check engine light comes on to indicate that
there is a problem and service is required. Malfunctions
often will be indicated by the system before any
problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed to
assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
3-30

Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that
may not be covered by your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.This light should come on, as a check to show you
it is working, when the ignition is on and the engine
is not running. If the light does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
3-31

If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the
Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still ashing,
follow the previous steps, and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-7.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality
will cause your engine not to run as efficiently as
designed. You may notice this as stalling after start-up,
stalling when you put the vehicle into gear, misring,
hesitation on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration.
(These conditions may go away once the engine is
warmed up.) This will be detected by the system and
cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the check
engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
3-33

Oil Pressure Light
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.This light tells you if there
could be a problem with
your engine oil pressure.
The light goes on when you turn your key to ON or
START. It goes off once you start your engine. That’s a
check to be sure the light works. If it doesn’t come
on, be sure to have it xed so it will be there to warn
you if something goes wrong.
When the light comes on and stays on, it means that oil
isn’t owing through your engine properly. You could
be low on oil and you might have some other system
problem. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13and “OIL” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-39for more
information.
3-34

Security Light
This light will come on
briey when you turn the
key to START. The light
will stay on until the
engine starts.
If the ignition is turned on, and the light ashes, the
Passlock
®system has entered a tamper mode. If the
vehicle fails to start, seePasslock®on page 2-16.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and stays
on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
®
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock®,
and you should see your dealer.
Also, seeContent Theft-Deterrent on page 2-14for
additional information regarding the security light.
Cruise Control Light
This symbol appears on
your instrument panel
whenever you set
your cruise control. See
“Cruise Control” under
Turn Signal/Multifunction
Lever on page 3-5.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
whenever the high-beam
headlamps are on.
3-35

Daytime Running Lamps
Indicator Light
This light turns on
whenever the Daytime
Running Lamps are on.
See “Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)” underExterior
Lamps on page 3-12for more information.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
the fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have remaining in the
fuel tank.Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these indicate a problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage does not go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
When the fuel in the fuel tank is low, you will see a
LOW FUEL message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-39for more information.
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