2008 GMC CANYON Owner's Manual

Gather the important information you will need from
the other driver. Things like name, address, phone
number, driver’s license number, vehicle license
plate, vehicle make, model and model year, Vehicle
Identication Number (VIN), insurance company and
policy number, and a general description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
If possible, call your insurance company from the
scene of the crash. They will walk you through the
information they will need. If they ask for a police
report, phone or go to the police department
headquarters the next day and you can get a copy of
the report for a nominal fee. In some states/provinces
with “no fault” insurance laws, a report may not be
necessary. This is especially true if there are no
injuries and both vehicles are driveable.
Choose a reputable collision repair facility for your
vehicle. Whether you select a dealer/retailer or a
private collision repair facility to x the damage,
make sure you are comfortable with them.
Remember, you will have to feel comfortable with
their work for a long time.
Once you have an estimate, read it carefully and
make sure you understand what work will be
performed on your vehicle. If you have a question,
ask for an explanation. Reputable shops welcome
this opportunity.
Managing the Vehicle Damage Repair
Process
In the event that your vehicle requires damage repairs,
GM recommends that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined repair facility of
choice, take your vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any required replacement
collision parts be original equipment parts, either new
Genuine GM parts or recycled original GM parts.
Remember, recycled parts will not be covered by your
GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair, but you must live
with the repair. Depending on your policy limits, your
insurance company may initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with your repair
professional, and insist on Genuine GM parts. Remember
if your vehicle is leased you may be obligated to have the
vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts, even if your
insurance coverage does not pay the full cost.
If another party’s insurance company is paying for the
repairs, you are not obligated to accept a repair
valuation based on that insurance company’s collision
policy repair limits, as you have no contractual limits with
that company. In such cases, you can have control of
the repair and parts choices as long as cost stays within
reasonable limits.
7-13

Reporting Safety Defects
Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which
could cause a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately inform the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
in addition to notifying General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it nds that a safety defect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems between
you, your dealer/retailer, or General Motors.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://
www.safercar.gov; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA
400 Seventh Street, SW.
Washington D.C., 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from http://www.safercar.gov.
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government
If you live in Canada, and you believe that your
vehicle has a safety defect, notify Transport Canada
immediately, in addition to notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited. Call them at 1-800-333-0510 or write to:
Transport Canada
Road Safety Branch
2780 Sheffield Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1B 3V9
Reporting Safety Defects to
General Motors
In addition to notifying NHTSA (or Transport Canada) in
a situation like this, please notify General Motors.
Call 1-800-GMC-8782 (1-800-462-8782), or write:
GMC Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33172
Detroit, MI 48232-5172
In Canada, call 1-800-263-3777 (English) or
1-800-263-7854 (French), or write:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
7-14

Service Publications Ordering
Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair
information on engines, transmission, axle suspension,
brakes, electrical, steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins’ give additional technical service
information needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks. Each bulletin contains
instructions to assist in the diagnosis and service of
your vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written specically for owners
and intended to provide basic operational information
about the vehicle. The owner manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio, Owner Manual, and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $35.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Without Portfolio: Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $25.00 (U.S.) plus processing fee
Current and Past Model Order Forms
Technical Service Bulletins and Manuals are available
for current and past model GM vehicles. To request
an order form, specify year and model name of
the vehicle.
ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-551-4123
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit Helm, Inc.
on the World Wide Web at: www.helminc.com
Or you can write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change without notice and without
incurring obligation. Allow ample time for delivery.
Note to Canadian Customers: All listed prices are
quoted in U.S. funds. Canadian residents are to make
checks payable in U.S. funds.
7-15

Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy
Your GM vehicle has a number of sophisticated
computers that record information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven. For example,
your vehicle uses computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission performance, to monitor
the conditions for airbag deployment and deploy
airbags in a crash and, if so equipped, to provide
antilock braking to help the driver control the vehicle.
These modules may store data to help your
dealer/retailer technician service your vehicle. Some
modules may also store data about how you operate the
vehicle, such as rate of fuel consumption or average
speed. These modules may also retain the owner’s
personal preferences, such as radio pre-sets, seat
positions, and temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data Recorder (EDR). The
main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or
near crash-like situations, such as an air bag deployment
or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time,
typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
How various systems in your vehicle were operating
Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened
How far, if at all, the driver was pressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal
How fast the vehicle was traveling
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:EDR data is recorded by your vehicle
only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions
and no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and
crash location) is recorded. However, other parties, such
as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with
the type of personally identifying data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
7-16

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment
is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties, such as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they have access
to the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access this data or share it with others
except: with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if the
vehicle is leased, with the consent of the lessee; in
response to an official request of police or similar
government office; as part of GM’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process; or, as required by law.
Data that GM collects or receives may also be used for
GM research needs or may be made available to others
for research purposes, where a need is shown and the
data is not tied to a specic vehicle or vehicle owner.
OnStar®
If your vehicle has OnStar®and you subscribe to the
OnStar®services, please refer to the OnStar®Terms
and Conditions for information on data collection and use.
See alsoOnStar
®System on page 2-47in this manual for
more information.
Navigation System
If your vehicle has a navigation system, use of the
system may result in the storage of destinations,
addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip
information. Refer to the navigation system operating
manual for information on stored data and for deletion
instructions.
Radio Frequency
Identication (RFID)
RFID technology is used in some vehicles for functions
such as tire pressure monitoring and ignition system
security, as well as in connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door locking/unlocking and
starting, and in-vehicle transmitters for garage door
openers. RFID technology in GM vehicles does not use
or record personal information or link with any other GM
system containing personal information.
7-17

✍NOTES
7-18

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-74
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment...........................5-110
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-19
Air Conditioning..............................................3-20
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-28
Readiness Light..........................................3-27
Airbag System................................................1-60
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-68
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-65
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-63
Airbag Systems
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-74
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-67
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-69
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-74
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-67
Antenna, Fixed Mast........................................3-70
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System.....3-70
Antilock Brake System (ABS)............................. 4-4
Antilock Brake, System Warning Light................3-32Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.............5-106
Care of Safety Belts...................................5-103
Chemical Paint Spotting..............................5-107
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses..................5-104
Fabric/Carpet............................................5-101
Finish Care...............................................5-104
Finish Damage..........................................5-107
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces.....................................5-102
Interior Cleaning..........................................5-99
Leather....................................................5-102
Sheet Metal Damage..................................5-107
Tires........................................................
5-107
Underbody Maintenance.............................5-107
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials...............5-108
Washing Your Vehicle.................................5-103
Weatherstrips............................................5-103
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................5-105
Appointments, Scheduling Service....................... 7-9
Ashtray.........................................................3-19
Assist Handles...............................................2-51
Audio System.................................................3-46
Chime Level Adjustment...............................3-70
Fixed Mast Antenna.....................................3-70
Radio Reception..........................................3-69
Setting the Time..........................................3-47
1

Audio System (cont.)
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-69
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System............3-70
Audio System(s).............................................3-48
Automatic Headlamp System............................3-15
Automatic Transmission
Fluid..........................................................5-21
Operation...................................................2-23
B
Battery..........................................................5-41
Electric Power Management..........................3-18
Run-Down Protection...................................3-18
Brake
Emergencies................................................ 4-5
Brakes..........................................................5-38
System Warning Light..................................3-31
Braking........................................................... 4-3
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-5
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-19
Bulb Replacement...........................................5-49
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)........5-51
Front Turn Signal, Parking and
Daytime Running Lamps...........................5-51
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-49
Headlamp Aiming........................................5-49
Headlamps.................................................5-50Bulb Replacement (cont.)
License Plate Lamps....................................5-53
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps........................................5-52
Buying New Tires...........................................5-72
C
Calibration.............................................2-40, 2-43
California Fuel.................................................. 5-6
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements............................................... 5-4
California Proposition 65 Warning....................... 5-3
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications..........................5-116
Carbon Monoxide...................2-10, 2-37, 4-27, 4-44
Care of
Safety Belts..............................................5-103
CD, MP3 .......................................................3-64
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-50
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)...........5-51
Chains, Tire...................................................5-78
Charging System Light....................................3-30
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-34
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-107
2