2009 GMC ACADIA engine

TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Notice:If you drive your vehicle
while the transmission uid is
overheating and the transmission
temperature warning is displayed
on the instrument panel cluster
and/or DIC, you can damage
the transmission. This could lead
to costly repairs that would
not be covered by your warranty.
Do not drive your vehicle with
overheated transmission uid
or while the transmission
temperature warning is displayed.
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission uid in the
vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission uid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool.
This message clears when the uid
temperature reaches a safe level.
TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on
for 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km). Move the
turn signal/multifunction lever to
the off position.
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID
This message displays when the
windshield washer uid is low.
Fill the windshield washer uid
reservoir as soon as possible.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 5-10for the location of
the windshield washer uid
reservoir. Also, seeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-24for more
information.
DIC Vehicle
Customization
(With DIC Buttons)
Your vehicle may have
customization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to
one preferred setting. Customization
features can only be programmed to
one setting on the vehicle and cannot
be programmed to a preferred
setting for two different drivers.
All of the customization options may
not be available on your vehicle.
Only the options available will
be displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the
customization features were set
when your vehicle left the factory,
but may have been changed
from their default state since then.
3-64 Instrument Panel

orDIC Operation and Displays
(Without DIC Buttons) on page 3-51
for more information on matching
transmitters to driver ID numbers.
NO CHANGE:No change will
be made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE START
If your vehicle has this feature,
it allows you to turn the remote start
off or on. The remote start feature
allows you to start the engine
from outside of the vehicle using the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. SeeRemote Vehicle
Start on page 2-5for more
information.
Press the customization button until
REMOTE START appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settingsfor this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
OFF:The remote start feature will
be disabled.
ON (default):The remote start
feature will be enabled.
NO CHANGE:No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
FACTORY SETTINGS
This feature allows you to set all of
the customization features back
to their factory default settings.
Press the customization button until
FACTORY SETTINGS appears
on the DIC display. Press the
set/reset button once to access
the settings for this feature.Then press the customization
button to scroll through the following
settings:
RESTORE ALL (default):The
customization features will be set to
their factory default settings.
DO NOT RESTORE:The
customization features will not be
set to their factory default settings.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
EXIT FEATURE SETTINGS
This feature allows you to exit the
feature settings menu.
Press the customization button until
FEATURE SETTINGS PRESS
V
TO EXIT appears in the DIC display.
Press the set/reset button once to
exit the menu.
If you do not exit, pressing the
customization button again will return
you to the beginning of the feature
settings menu.
Instrument Panel 3-71

Exiting the Feature
Settings Menu
The feature settings menu will be
exited when any of the following
occurs:
The vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park).
The vehicle is no longer in
ON/RUN.
The trip/fuel or vehicle
information DIC buttons
are pressed.
The end of the feature settings
menu is reached and exited.
A 40 second time period has
elapsed with no selection made.
Audio System(s)
Determine which radio the vehicle
has and read the following pages to
become familiar with its features.
{CAUTION
Taking your eyes off the road for
extended periods could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death
to you or others. Do not give
extended attention to
entertainment tasks while driving.
This system provides access to
many audio and non audio listings.
To minimize taking your eyes off
the road while driving, do the
following while the vehicle is parked:
Become familiar with the
operation and controls of
the audio system.
Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset
radio stations.For more information, seeDefensive
Driving on page 4-2.
Notice:Contact your dealer/
retailer before adding any
equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere
with the operation of the vehicle’s
engine, radio, or other systems,
and could damage them.
Follow federal rules covering
mobile radio and telephone
equipment.
The vehicle has Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the
audio system can be played even
after the ignition is turned off.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 2-21for more
information.
3-72 Instrument Panel

Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy...........................4-1
Defensive Driving................4-2
Drunk Driving.....................4-2
Control of a Vehicle............4-3
Braking...............................4-3
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)...................4-4
Braking in Emergencies......4-5
StabiliTrak®System............4-5
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System.............................4-7
Steering..............................4-8
Off-Road Recovery.............4-9
Passing..............................4-9
Loss of Control...................4-9
Driving at Night.................4-10
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads......................4-11
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip........................4-12
Highway Hypnosis.............4-12
Hill and Mountain Roads. . .4-12
Winter Driving...................4-13
If Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
..........................4-15
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out.......................4-15
Loading the Vehicle..........4-16
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle.........4-20
Recreational Vehicle
Towing............................4-21
Towing a Trailer................4-24
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
Always follow posted speed limits
or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1

And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry, or icy;
tire tread; the condition of the brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the
amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people drive in spurts — heavy
acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace
with traffic. This is a mistake. The
brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The brakes will
wear out much faster with a lot of
heavy braking. Keeping pace with
the traffic and allowing realistic
following distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops,there will still be some power brake
assist but it will be used when
the brake is applied. 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 vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might
be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 3-39.
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 the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
4-4 Driving Your Vehicle

If the system fails to turn on or
activate, the StabiliTrak light along
with one of the following messages
will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC):
TRACTION CONTROL OFF,
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
SERVICE STABILITRAK. If these
conditions are observed, turn the
vehicle off, wait 15 seconds, and
then turn it back on again to reset the
system. If any of these messages still
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), the vehicle should be
taken in for service. For more
information on the DIC messages,
seeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-46.
The StabiliTrak light will ash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working; this is normal.The traction control disable button
is located on the instrument
panel below the climate controls.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the traction
control disable button.
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. The 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, system noises
may be heard and felt as a result
of the brake-traction control working.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the
vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, and you want to “rock” the
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 4-15.
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.
4-6 Driving Your Vehicle

The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. 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 traction control is
turned off, 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 the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak, ABS and
brake warning lights and any
relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power
and do not spin the wheel(s)
excessively while these lights
and messages are displayed.The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads
or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will ash and cruise control
will automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. SeeCruise
Control on page 3-9.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer/retailer for service.All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System
If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel drive,
but there is no separate lever or
switch to engage or disengage the
axle. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire
on the AWD equipped vehicle,
the AWD system automatically
detects the presence of the compact
spare and the AWD is disabled.
To restore the AWD operation and
prevent excessive wear on the
AWD system, replace the compact
spare with a full-size tire as
soon as possible. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-81for more
information.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-7

Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
system is not functioning, the vehicle
can be steered but it will take
more effort.
Variable Effort Steering
If the vehicle has this steering
system, the system continuously
adjusts the effort felt when steering
at all vehicle speeds. It provides
ease when parking, yet a rm, solid
feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the
road surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle
speed. While in a curve, speed is
the one factor that can be controlled.If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve,
while the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you
can drive through the curve.
Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until out
of the curve, and then accelerate
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking.
For example, you come over a hill
and nd a truck stopped in your
lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts
out from between parked cars
and stops right in front of you.
These problems can be avoided
by braking — if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you cannot stop in
time because there is no room.
That is the time for evasive
action — steering around the
problem.The vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First,
apply the brakes. SeeBraking on
page 4-3. It is better to remove
as much speed as possible from a
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, it can be turned a
full 180 degrees very quickly
without removing either hand.
4-8 Driving Your Vehicle