2007 GMC ACADIA ABS

Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).
This light will come on
when your engine is
started and may stay
on for several seconds.
This is normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to off.
If the light comes on and the chime sounds
when you are driving, pull your vehicle over to a
safe location and stop as soon as possible.Turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again
to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you are driving, your
vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light is not on, you still have
brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you do not have anti-lock brakes and there
is a problem with your regular brakes. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 222earlier in
this section.
The ABS warning light will come on briey when
you turn the ignition key to ON. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then, have it xed so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
223

DIC Warnings and Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC to notify the
driver that the status of the vehicle has changed
and that some action may be needed by the driver
to correct the condition. Multiple messages may
appear one after another.
Some messages may not require immediate
action, but you can press any of the DIC buttons
on the instrument panel or the trip odometer
reset stem on the instrument panel cluster
to acknowledge that you received the messages
and to clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared from the DIC
display because they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they can be
cleared. You should take any messages that
appear on the display seriously and remember that
clearing the messages will only make the
messages disappear, not correct the problem.
The following are the possible messages that can
be displayed and some information about them.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF
If your vehicle has the All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
system, this message displays when there
is a compact spare tire on the vehicle, when
the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light
comes on, or when the rear differential uid
is overheating. This message turns off when the
differential uid cools.
The AWD system is disabled until the compact
spare tire is replaced by a full-size tire. If the
warning message is still on after putting on the
full-size tire, you need to reset the warning
message. To reset the warning message, turn
the ignition off and then back on again after
30 seconds. If the message stays on, see your
dealer/retailer right away. SeeAll-Wheel Drive
(AWD) System on page 339for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned off. This message clears
itself after 10 seconds.
244

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 330
Defensive Driving...................................... 330
Drunken Driving........................................ 331
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 334
Braking...................................................... 334
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 335
Braking in Emergencies............................. 336
StabiliTrak
®System................................... 337
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.................. 339
Steering.................................................... 340
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 342
Passing..................................................... 342
Loss of Control.......................................... 344
Driving at Night......................................... 346Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 347
City Driving............................................... 350
Freeway Driving........................................ 351
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 352
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 353
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 354
Winter Driving........................................... 356
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.......................................... 360
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 361
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 361
Towing........................................................ 367
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 367
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 367
Towing a Trailer........................................ 371
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
329

But you will use it when you brake. Once the
power assist is used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 385.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You might hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you might even notice that the
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 223.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each
wheel.
335

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
This can help you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or
always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You might hear the anti-lock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
336

Traction control can be turned on by pressing and
releasing the traction control disable button if
not automatically shut off for any other reason.
When the traction control system is turned
off, the StabiliTrak
®light and the appropriate
traction control off message will be displayed on
the DIC to warn the driver. Your vehicle will
still have brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to use the engine
speed management system. See “Traction
Control Operation” next for more information.
When the traction control system has been turned
off, you may still hear system noises as a result
of the brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for
normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to “rock”
your vehicle to attempt to free it. It may also
be necessary to turn off the system when driving
in extreme off-road conditions where high wheel
spin is required. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 360.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
StabiliTrak®system. Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power to the wheels
(engine speed management) and by applying
brakes to each individual wheel (brake-traction
control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically
when you start your vehicle. It will activate and the
StabiliTrak
®light will ash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If you turn off traction control, only the
brake-traction control portion of traction control will
work. The engine speed management will be
disabled. In this mode, engine power is not reduced
automatically and the driven wheels can spin more
freely. This can cause the brake-traction control to
activate constantly.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle
to spin excessively while the StabiliTrak
®,
ABS and brake warning lights and the SERVICE
STABILITRAK message are displayed, you
could damage the transfer case. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Reduce engine power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these lights and this
message are displayed.
338

The three types of skids correspond to your
vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly
enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow
down on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance is longer and vehicle control more limited.While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower gear.
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You might not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice,
or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you have any
doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.
345

The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 335.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the surrounding
roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice
ahead of you, brake before you are on it.
Try not to brake while you are actually on the
ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in
a serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow.
Here are some things to do to summon help
and keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on the hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets
or extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
358