2007 GMC ACADIA trailer

Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will perform better in
the long run if you follow these guidelines:
If you have all-wheel drive, keep your
speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one constant speed,
fast or slow, for the rst 500 miles
(805 km). Do not make full-throttle starts.
Avoid downshifting to brake, or slow,
the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
the new brake linings are not yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can
mean premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake
linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. See
Towing a Trailer on page 371for the
trailer towing capabilities of your vehicle
and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load can
be gradually increased.
123

Automatic Transmission Operation
Your vehicle has an electronic shift position
indicator within the instrument panel cluster.
When using the Electronic Range Select Mode a
number will display next to the L, indicating
the current gear that has been selected.
See Electronic Range Select mode in this section
for more information.
Your automatic transmission has a shift lever
located on the console between the seats.
PARK (P):This position locks your front wheels. It
is the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle cannot move easily.{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake rmly set. Your
vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not
move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, always set your parking brake
and move the shift lever to PARK (P). See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 135.Ifyou
are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 371.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an
automatic transmission shift lock control system.
129

DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. It
provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If
you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to accelerate
slowly or not shift gears when you go faster,
and you continue to drive your vehicle that
way, you could damage the transmission. Have
your vehicle serviced right away. You can
drive in LOW (L) when you are driving less than
35 mph (56 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for higher
speeds until then.
LOW (L):This position gives you access to gear
ranges. This provides more engine braking but
lower fuel economy than DRIVE (D). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
Electronic Range Select Mode
Electronic Range Selector (ERS) mode allows you
to choose the top-gear limit of the vehicle’s
transmission and the vehicle’s speed while driving
down hill or towing a trailer.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to LOW (L).
2. Press the plus/minus
button located on the
shift lever, to
increase or decrease
the gear range
available based
upon your current
driving conditions
and needs.
131

Tow/Haul Mode
Your vehicle may have a Tow/Haul mode.
The button to turn it on
or off is located on
instrument panel under
the climate controls.
Push the button to turn it on, push it again to
deactivate the system. You can use this feature to
assist when towing or hauling a heavy load.
When Tow/Haul is activated the Tow/Haul symbol
will come on the instrument panel cluster. See
Tow/Haul ModeunderTowing a Trailer on
page 371for more information.
Automatic Engine Grade Braking
Automatic Engine Grade Braking assists when
driving on a downhill grade. It maintains the
vehicle’s speed by automatically implementing a
shift schedule that uses the engine and the
transmission to slow the vehicle. This reduces
wear on the brakes system and increases control
of the vehicle. The system constantly monitors
the vehicle’s speed, acceleration, throttle position,
and whether the brake pedal is being pressed,
and determines when to keep the current vehicle
speed or to slow down. The system will then
automatically command downshifts that reduces
the vehicle’s speed, until the brake pedal is
no longer being pressed. This indicates the desired
vehicle speed has been reached.
While in the Electronic Range Select (ERS) mode,
grade braking is deactivated, allowing the driver
to select a range and limiting the highest gear
available. Grade braking is available for normal
driving and in Tow/Haul mode.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on
page 129.
133

Parking Brake
To set the parking
brake, push down the
parking brake pedal
down with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 222.Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning light is
off before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down with your right foot. Push down
momentarily on the parking brake pedal with
your left foot until you feel the pedal release, then
slowly pull your foot up off the park brake
pedal. If the parking brake is not released when
you begin to drive, the brake system warning light
will be on and a chime will sound warning you
that the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 371.
134

Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 371.1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot
and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding
in the button on the shift lever and pushing
the shift lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you
can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
135

Running the Engine While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if
you ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust
into your vehicle. See the earlier caution
underEngine Exhaust on page 138.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let
deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into your
vehicle even if the climate control fan is at
the highest setting. One place this can
happen is a garage. Exhaust — with
CO — can come in easily. NEVER park in
a garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
SeeWinter Driving on page 356.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. Do not leave
your vehicle when the engine is running
unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and move
the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle
will not move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 135.
If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 371.
139

A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger, climate
control fan at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads plugged
into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of
the battery. It does this by balancing the
generator’s output and the vehicle’s electrical
needs. It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever needed.
It can temporarily reduce the power demands
of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels,
without being noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action, this action
may be noticeable to the driver. If so, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as Battery Saver Active or Service
Battery Charging System. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 244.Battery Run-Down Protection
This vehicle has a feature to help prevent the
battery from being drained, if the interior courtesy
lamps, reading/map lamps, visor vanity lamps
or trunk lamp are accidentally left on. If any
of these lamps are left on, they will automatically
turn off after 10 minutes, if the ignition is off.
The lamps will not come back on again until
one of the following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is turned off,
then on again.
The headlamps will timeout after 10 minutes,
if they are manually turned on before the
ignition is off.
189