2009 GMC ACADIA fuel

Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle – such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as “dinghy towing” (towing
the vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground) and “dolly towing” (towing
the vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a “dolly”).
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational
vehicle towing:
What is the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read
the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
What is the distance that will be
travelled? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how
long they can tow.
Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer/retailer or trailering
professional for additional advice
and equipment recommendations.
Is the vehicle ready to be towed?
Just as preparing the vehicle for a
long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed. SeeBefore
Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-12.
Dinghy Towing
If the vehicle is front-wheel-drive, it
can be dinghy towed from the front.These vehicles may also be towed
by putting the front wheels on a dolly.
See “Dolly Towing” later in this
section.
If the vehicle is all-wheel-drive, it can
be dinghy towed from the front.
These vehicles can also be towed by
placing them on a platform trailer
with all four wheels off of the ground.
These vehicles cannot be towed
using a dolly.
For vehicles being dinghy towed, the
vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about ve minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components. Re-install
the fuse to start the vehicle.
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow
and then secure it to the towing
vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission to P (Park)
and turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-21

Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well — or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may
also be damaged; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer/retailer for advice and
information about towing a trailer
with the vehicle.
To identify the trailering capacity of
the vehicle, read the information
in “Weight of the Trailer” that
appears later in this section.Trailering is different than just
driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
The following information has many
time-tested, important trailering
tips and safety rules. Many of these
are important for the safety of the
driver and the passengers. So
please read this section carefully
before pulling a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transmission, rear
axle, wheel assemblies and tires are
forced to work harder against the
drag of the added weight. The
engine is required to operate
at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating
extra heat. What’s more, the trailer
adds considerably to wind
resistance, increasing the pulling
requirements.
Pulling A Trailer
Here are some important points:
There are many different
laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with
trailering. Make sure the rig will
be legal, not only where you
live but also where you will be
driving. A good source for
this information can be state or
provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
See “Hitches” later in this section.
Do not tow a trailer at all during
the rst 500 miles (800 km) the
new vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be
damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles
(800 km) that a trailer is towed, do
not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full
throttle. This helps the engine and
other parts of the vehicle wear in
at the heavier loads.
4-24 Driving Your Vehicle

Tow/Haul Mode
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists
when pulling a heavy trailer or
a large or heavy load. The purpose
of the Tow/Haul mode is to:
Reduce the frequency and
improve the predictability of
transmission shifts when pulling
a heavy trailer or a large or
heavy load.
Provide the same solid shift feel
when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load as when
the vehicle is unloaded.
Improve control of vehicle speed
while requiring less throttle pedal
activity when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
Increase the charging system
voltage to assist in recharging
a battery installed in a trailer.Press this button located on the
console to turn on and turn off the
Tow/Haul mode.
The Tow/Haul light on the
instrument panel will come on to
indicate that Tow/Haul mode
has been selected.
Tow/Haul may be turned off by
pressing the button again, at which
time the indicator light on the
instrument panel will turn off. The
vehicle will automatically turn
off Tow/Haul every time it is started.
Tow/Haul is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at
least 75 percent of the vehicle’s
Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR). See Weight of the Trailerearlier in this section. Tow/Haul is
most useful under the following
driving conditions:
When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load through
rolling terrain.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in stop and
go traffic.
When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in busy
parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is
desired.
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
when lightly loaded or with no trailer
at all will not cause damage.
However, there is no benet to the
selection of Tow/Haul when the
vehicle is unloaded. Such a selection
when unloaded may result in
unpleasant engine and transmission
driving characteristics and reduced
fuel economy. Tow/Haul is
recommended only when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy load.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-31

Service and
Appearance Care
Service
Service...............................5-3
Accessories and
Modications.....................5-3
California Proposition 65
Warning............................5-3
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements.....5-3
Doing Your Own
Service Work....................5-4
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle......5-4
Fuel
Fuel....................................5-5
Gasoline Octane.................5-5
Gasoline Specications.......5-5
California Fuel....................5-5
Additives.............................5-5
Fuels in Foreign
Countries..........................5-6
Filling the Tank...................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container..........................5-8
Checking Things
Under the Hood
Checking Things Under
the Hood..........................5-9
Hood Release.....................5-9
Engine Compartment
Overview.........................5-10
Engine Oil.........................5-11
Engine Oil Life System.....5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. . .5-15
Automatic Transmission
Fluid................................5-16
Cooling System.................5-16
Engine Coolant.................5-17
Engine Overheating...........5-21
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
...............5-23
Power Steering Fluid.........5-23
Windshield Washer Fluid. . .5-24
Brakes..............................5-25
Battery..............................5-28
Jump Starting...................5-28
All-Wheel Drive
All-Wheel Drive.................5-33
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming..............5-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement.............5-33
Halogen Bulbs..................5-33
License Plate Lamp..........5-34
Replacement Bulbs...........5-34
Windshield Wiper
Blade Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement...................5-34
Tires
Tires.................................5-35
Tire Sidewall Labeling.......5-36
Tire Terminology and
Denitions.......................5-38
Ination - Tire Pressure. . . .5-41
Tire Pressure Monitor
System............................5-42
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation........................5-44
Tire Inspection and
Rotation..........................5-47
Service and Appearance Care 5-1

Doing Your Own
Service Work
{CAUTION
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience, the
proper replacement parts, and
tools before attempting any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily
confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts
can later break or fall off.
You could be hurt.If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order
the proper service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering
Information on page 7-15.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your
own service work, seeServicing
Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 1-59.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed. See
Maintenance Record on page 6-16.
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle
Things added to the outside of the
vehicle can affect the airow
around it. This can cause wind
noise and can affect fuel economy
and windshield washer performance.
Check with your dealer/retailer
before adding equipment to
the outside of the vehicle.
5-4 Service and Appearance Care

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, you might notice an audible
knocking noise when you drive,
commonly referred to as spark
knock. If this occurs, use a gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher
and you hear heavy knocking, the
engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline
should meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB-3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeAdditives on
page 5-5for additional information.
California Fuel
If the vehicle is certied to meet
California Emissions Standards,
it is designed to operate on fuels
that meet California specications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California emissions
standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specications, but emission controlsystem performance might be
affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp could turn on and the vehicle
might fail a smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-41. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer/retailer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of
fuel used, repairs might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now required
to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits
from forming, allowing the emission
control system to work properly.
In most cases, you should not have
to add anything to the fuel. However,
some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required
to meet U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency regulations.
Service and Appearance Care 5-5

To help keep fuel injectors and
intake valves clean, or if the vehicle
experiences problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Also, your
dealer/retailer has additives that
will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.Notice:This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under
the vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission
control system could be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp
might turn on. If this occurs, return
to your dealer/retailer for service.Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the United States or
Canada, the proper fuel might be
hard to nd. Never use leaded
gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text
on fuel. Costly repairs caused
by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-6 Service and Appearance Care

Filling the Tank
{CAUTION
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel re can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the pump island.
Turn off the engine when you are
refueling. Do not smoke if you are
near fuel or refueling the vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, ames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap is located
behind a hinged fuel door on
the driver side of the vehicle.To open the fuel door, push the
rearward center edge in and release
and it will open.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise. The fuel
cap has a spring in it; if the cap
is released too soon, it will spring
back to the right.
While refueling, hang the tethered
fuel cap from the hook on the
fuel door.
{CAUTION
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly. If
you spill fuel and then something
ignites it, you could be badly
burned. This spray can happen if
the tank is nearly full, and is more
likely in hot weather. Open the
fuel cap slowly and wait for any
hiss noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top
off or overll the tank and wait a few
seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as
soon as possible. SeeWashing Your
Vehicle on page 5-84.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn
it clockwise until it clicks. Make
sure the cap is fully installed.
The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed.
Service and Appearance Care 5-7