2008 GMC CANYON Owner's Manual

{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving. If
provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If you
need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have more
power.Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions
could result in skidding, see “Skidding” underLoss of
Control on page 4-9.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it reduces vehicle speed more than DRIVE (D)
without using your brakes. You might choose THIRD (3)
instead of DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding
roads, when towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears and when going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your brakes.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help
control your speed as you go down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use your brakes
off and on.
FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than SECOND (2) without using your brakes.
You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or
mud. If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the
vehicle is moving forward, the transmission will not shift
into rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by your warranty. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
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Manual Transmission Operation
This is your shift pattern.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you slowly press down on the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 20 mph (30 km/h). If you have come to a complete
stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Then press
the clutch pedal back down and shift into FIRST (1).SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH (3, 4 and 5):Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press the clutch pedal.
After the vehicle stops, shift into REVERSE (R). Slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator
pedal. If it is hard to shift, let the shift lever return to
NEUTRAL and release the clutch pedal. Then press the
clutch again and shift into REVERSE (R). Do not attempt
to shift into the fth gear position prior to shifting into
REVERSE (R). Your transmission has a lock out feature
which prevents a fth gear to reverse gear shift.
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Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake, for
parking your vehicle.
Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best fuel
economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift
when the light comes on.While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and has a manual
transmission, disregard the shift light when the transfer
case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, seeUp-Shift Light on page 3-30.
Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Do not shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
2-27

Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. To get the best performance out of four-wheel
drive, you must be familiar with its operation. Read the
part that follows before using four-wheel drive. You
should use two-wheel-drive high for most normal driving
conditions.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time can
cause premature wear on your vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel
Drive for extended periods of time.
Notice:If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and the
compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle, do
not drive in four-wheel drive until you can have
your at tire repaired and/or replaced. You could
damage your vehicle, and the repair costs would not
be covered by your warranty. Never use four-wheel
drive when the compact spare tire is installed
on your vehicle.The transfer case buttons are located to the right of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES
Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-38or
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-38for further
information.
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Use these buttons to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive. You can choose from the following:
2
m(Two-Wheel High):This setting is for driving in
most street and highway situations. Your front axle is not
engaged in two-wheel drive.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P), or if you have a
manual transmission, even if you are in gear.
You or someone else could be seriously
injured. Be sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in NEUTRAL.
SeeParking Brake on page 2-32.
N (NEUTRAL):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle.4
m(Four-Wheel High):This setting engages your
front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use four-wheel high
when you need extra traction, such as on snowy or
icy roads, or in most off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low):This setting also engages
your front axle to give you extra traction. It sends
the maximum power to all four wheels. You might
choose four-wheel low if you were driving off-road in
sand, mud, or deep snow and while climbing or
descending steep hills.
Indicator lights in the buttons show you which setting
you are in. The indicator lights will come on briey
when you turn on the ignition and one will stay on the
selected setting. If the lights do not come on, you should
take your vehicle in for service. An indicator light will ash
while shifting. It will stay on when the shift is completed.
If for some reason the transfer case does not shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
2-29

Shifting from Two-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel High
Press and release the Four-Wheel High button. This can
be done at any speed, and the front axle will lock
automatically.
Shifting from Four-Wheel High to
Two-Wheel High
Press and release the Two-Wheel High button. This can
be done at any speed, and the front axle will unlock
automatically.
It is normal to hear and feel your vehicle’s transfer case
shift into Four-Wheel High. If you shift with the vehicle
stopped, the indicator light may still ash slowly. It may
be necessary to shift the transmission momentarily into
REVERSE (R) and DRIVE (D), for an automatic
transmission, or REVERSE (R) and FIRST (1) for a
manual transmission to have the light stop ashing.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High to Four-Wheel Low
To shift from Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel Low, the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) for an automatic transmission or the
clutch pedal pressed for a manual transmission. The
preferred method for shifting into Four-Wheel Low is to
have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel Low button. You
must wait for the Four-Wheel Low indicator light to stop
ashing and stay on before shifting the transmission into
gear or releasing the clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel Low button is pressed when your
vehicle is in gear and/or moving faster than 3 mph
(5 km/h), the four-wheel low indicator light will ash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift.
2-30

Shifting from Four-Wheel Low to
Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High
To shift from Four-Wheel Low to Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High, your vehicle must be stopped
or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N) for an automatic
transmission or the clutch pedal pressed for a manual
transmission. The preferred method for shifting out of
four-wheel low is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel
High button. You must wait for the Four-Wheel High
or Two-Wheel High indicator light to stop ashing and
stay on before shifting the transmission into gear or
releasing the clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel High button is
pressed when your vehicle is in gear and/or moving
faster than 3 mph (5km/h), the Four-Wheel High or Two
Wheel High indicator light will ash for 30 seconds but
not complete the shift.
Shifting to NEUTRAL
Use NEUTRAL when you plan to tow your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-38for towing
instructions. To shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL do
the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Press the regular brake pedal and shift the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N), or press in the clutch
for vehicles with a manual transmission.
4. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel High.
5. Press and hold the Two-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel Low buttons at the same time for
10 seconds. The NEUTRAL (N) light will come on
when the transfer case shift to NEUTRAL (N)
is complete.
6. Press and hold the regular brake pedal and shift
the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one second,
then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D) for one
second, or FIRST (1) for vehicles with manual
transmissions, and let out the clutch to insure the
transfer case is in NEUTRAL. If the vehicle is not in
NEUTRAL, repeat this procedure starting at Step 3.
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7. Turn the engine off by turning the key to ACC.
8. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or
FIRST (1) for vehicles that have a manual
transmission.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
After towing your vehicle, you will have to shift out of
NEUTRAL in order to drive. To shift out of NEUTRAL, do
the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular
brake pedal.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission in
PARK (P). Use FIRST (1) for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N), or press
the clutch pedal for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift
position (Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel High, or
Four-Wheel Low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL,
the indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired position.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is
located to the left of the
regular brake pedal, near
the driver’s door.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push the parking brake pedal
down to its fully-applied position with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the brake warning light, located
on the instrument panel, will ash when the parking
brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at least
3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds. The chime will
deactivate and the light will turn off when the parking
brake is set and the vehicle is moving below
3 mph (5 km/h). SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 3-31.
2-32