2009 GMC ACADIA child restraint

Seats and Restraint
System............................... 1-1
Head Restraints
.............. 1-2
Front Seats
.................... 1-3
Rear Seats
...................1-10
Safety Belts
..................1-15
Child Restraints
.............1-29
Airbag System
..............1-48
Restraint System
Check
......................1-61
Features and Controls...... 2-1
Keys
............................. 2-2
Doors and Locks
............ 2-8
Windows
......................2-14
Theft-Deterrent
Systems
...................2-16
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
.............2-20
Mirrors
.........................2-31
Object Detection
Systems
...................2-34
OnStar
®System
............2-41Universal Home Remote
System
.....................2-44
Storage Areas
...............2-49
Sunroof
........................2-53
Instrument Panel............... 3-1
Instrument Panel
Overview
.................... 3-4
Climate Controls
............3-22
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
............3-33
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
.............3-46
Audio System(s)
............3-72
Driving Your Vehicle......... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
........... 4-1
Towing
........................4-20
Service and
Appearance Care............... 5-1
Service
.......................... 5-3
Fuel
.............................. 5-5
Checking Things Under
the Hood
.................... 5-9All-Wheel Drive
.............5-33
Headlamp Aiming
..........5-33
Bulb Replacement
.........5-33
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
.............5-34
Tires
...........................5-35
Appearance Care
..........5-81
Vehicle Identication
......5-88
Electrical System
...........5-89
Capacities and
Specications
............5-96
Maintenance Schedule...... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
..... 6-1
Customer Assistance
Information........................ 7-1
Customer Assistance and
Information
................. 7-1
Reporting Safety
Defects
.....................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording
and Privacy
...............7-16
Index....................................i-1
2009 GMC Acadia Owner ManualM

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_:Tow/Haul Mode
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv Preface

Seats and
Restraint System
Head Restraints
Head Restraints..................1-2
Front Seats
Manual Seats.....................1-3
Seat Height Adjuster...........1-3
Power Seats.......................1-4
Manual Lumbar..................1-4
Power Lumbar....................1-5
Heated Seats.....................1-5
Heated and Cooled Seats. . .1-6
Memory Seat and Mirrors. . .1-6
Reclining Seatbacks...........1-8
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation.........1-10
Third Row Seats...............1-12
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are
for Everyone...................1-15
How to Wear Safety
Belts Properly..................1-18
Lap-Shoulder Belt.............1-23
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy.......................1-28
Safety Belt Extender.........1-28
Child Restraints
Older Children..................1-29
Infants and Young
Children..........................1-31
Child Restraint Systems. . . .1-34
Where to Put the
Restraint.........................1-35
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH)
..........................1-37
Securing a Child
Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position
...................1-43
Securing a Child
Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
.........1-45
Airbag System
Airbag System..................1-48
Where Are the Airbags?. . . .1-50
When Should an
Airbag Inate?.................1-51
What Makes an
Airbag Inate?.................1-53
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?........................1-53
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?..........1-54
Passenger Sensing
System............................1-55
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-59
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-60
Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint
Systems..........................1-61
Replacing Restraint
System Parts After
a Crash
...........................1-62
Seats and Restraint System 1-1

How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
Be aware that there are special
things to know about safety
belts and children. And there are
different rules for smaller children
and infants. If a child will be riding in
the vehicle, seeOlder Children on
page 1-29orInfants and Young
Children on page 1-31. Follow those
rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.Occupants who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are
wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your
passenger(s) wear a safety belt,
there is important information
you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your
feet on the oor in front of you.The lap part of the belt should be
worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong pelvic
bones and you would be less
likely to slide under the lap belt. If
you slid under it, the belt would
apply force on your abdomen. This
could cause serious or even
fatal injuries. The shoulder belt
should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a
sudden stop or crash.
1-18 Seats and Restraint System

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating
position with a detachable safety
belt and the safety belt is not
attached, seeThird Row Seats on
page 1-12for instruction on
reconnecting the safety belt to the
mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.2. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you
very quickly. If this happens, let
the belt go back slightly to
unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
4. Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-28.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
Seats and Restraint System 1-23

You can move the height adjuster
up by pushing up on the shoulder
belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired
position, try to move it down without
pushing the button to make sure it
has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety belts
during the early stages of a moderate
to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear
crash if the threshold conditions for
pretensioner activation are met. And,
for vehicles with side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the
vehicle’s safety belt system. See
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 1-62.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides
may provide added safety belt
comfort for older children who have
outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide
positions the shoulder belt away
from the neck and head.
There is a guide for each
outboard passenger position
in the second row seat and all
passenger positions in the third row.Here is how to install a comfort
guide to the safety belt:
1. For the outboard positions,
remove the guide from its storage
clip on the interior body.
For the third row center position,
locate the comfort guide which
is located in a storage pocket,
at the top of the seat, under
the headrest on the driver’s
side of the vehicle.Outboard Positions
Seats and Restraint System 1-25

Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout
the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a
safety belt is worn properly,
it is more likely that the fetus will not
be hurt in a crash. For pregnant
women, as for anyone, the key to
making safety belts effective is
wearing them properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the safety belt will fasten around
you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer/retailer will
order you an extender. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest
coat you will wear, so the extender
will be long enough for you.To help avoid personal injury, do
not let someone else use it, and use
it only for the seat it is made to t.
The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing
child seats. To wear it, attach it to
the regular safety belt. For more
information, see the instruction
sheet that comes with the extender.
1-28 Seats and Restraint System

Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s safety belts.The manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the booster seat, state
the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat
with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the
seat. Do the knees bend at the
seat edge? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.
Does the shoulder belt rest on the
shoulder? If yes, continue. If no,
try using the rear safety belt
comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-23
for more information. If the
shoulder belt still does not rest on
the shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and snug
on the hips, touching the thighs?
If yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q:What is the proper way to
wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or
neck. The lap belt should t
snugly below the hips, just
touching the top of the thighs.
This applies belt force to
the child’s pelvic bones in a
crash. It should never be worn
over the abdomen, which
could cause severe or even fatal
internal injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt
on page 1-23.
Seats and Restraint System 1-29