2009 GMC ACADIA heater

When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 3-36.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly
in the right front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that
the airbag is active.
For some children, including children
in child restraints, and for very small
adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the
right front passenger frontal airbag,
depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in
the vehicle who has outgrown childrestraints should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{CAUTION
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 3-36for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from
the vehicle.3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions provided
by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on
page 1-45.
5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to
make sure that the vehicle
seatback is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint
is not trapped under the vehicle
head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
SeeHead Restraints on
page 1-2.
Seats and Restraint System 1-57

6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
airbag for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the
child’s seating posture and body
build. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult-size is sitting
in the right front passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could
be because that person is not
sitting properly in the seat.If this happens, use the following
steps to allow the system to detect
that person and enable the right
front passenger frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully
upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the
on indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specic
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-60for more information
about modications that can affect
how the system operates.
1-58 Seats and Restraint System

Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the
vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working
properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling
headliner or pillar garnish trim,
front sensors, side impact
sensors, rollover sensor module,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position,
which includes sensors that are
part of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may
not operate properly if the original
seat trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the
seat fabric, could also interfere
with the operation of the
passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the passenger
airbag(s). SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-55.If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are in Step
Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
on page 7-1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seeDifferent
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 5-50for additional
important information.
1-60 Seats and Restraint System

Features and
Controls
Keys
Keys...................................2-2
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System..........2-3
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation. . .2-3
Remote Vehicle Start..........2-5
Doors and Locks
Door Locks.........................2-8
Power Door Locks..............2-8
Delayed Locking.................2-8
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks.......................2-9
Rear Door Security Locks. . .2-9
Lockout Protection..............2-9
Liftgate.............................2-10
Power Liftgate...................2-11
Windows
Windows...........................2-14
Power Windows................2-14
Sun Visors........................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Theft-Deterrent Systems. . . .2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent.....2-16
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic
Immobilizer......................2-17
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic
Immobilizer Operation......2-18
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In.......2-20
Ignition Positions...............2-20
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)...................2-21
Starting the Engine...........2-22
Engine Coolant Heater......2-23
Automatic Transmission
Operation........................2-24
Tow/Haul Mode.................2-26
Parking Brake...................2-27
Shifting Into Park..............2-27
Shifting Out of Park..........2-29
Parking Over Things
That Burn........................2-29
Engine Exhaust.................2-30
Running the Vehicle
While Parked..................2-30
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror. . . .2-31
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror...............2-31
Outside Power Mirrors......2-32
Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors............................2-33
Park Tilt Mirrors................2-33
Outside Convex Mirror......2-34
Outside Heated Mirrors.....2-34
Object Detection
Systems
Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA).................2-34
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)................2-37
OnStar®System
OnStar®System................2-41
Features and Controls 2-1

Notice:The engine is designed
to work with the electronics
in the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer/retailer. If you do not, the
engine might not perform
properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below 0°F (−18°C). Vehicles
with an engine coolant heater should
be plugged in at least four hours
before starting. Some models
may have an internal thermostat in
the cord which will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord. The cord is
located on the driver side of the
engine compartment. It is
routed around the windshield
washer uid reservoir.
3. Plug the cord into a normal,
grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a re. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If
the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be
sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine
parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be
parking the vehicle for the best
advice on this.
Features and Controls 2-23

Instrument Panel
Brightness
D
(Instrument Panel
Brightness):The knob with this
symbol on it is located next to
the exterior lamps control to the left
of the steering wheel. Push the
knob in all the way until it extends
out and then turn the knob clockwise
or counterclockwise to brighten or
dim the lights. Push the knob back
in when nished.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the
courtesy lamps automatically come
on. They make it easier when
entering and exiting the vehicle.
The lamps can also be turned
on manually by fully turning the
instrument panel brightness control
clockwise.The reading lamps, located on the
headliner above the rearview
mirror, can be turned on or off
independent of the automatic
courtesy lamps, when the doors
are closed.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps automatically
come on when a door is opened,
unless the dome lamp override
button is pressed in.
The lamps can also be turned on
and off by turning the instrument
panel brightness control clockwise to
the farthest position.
Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.
The dome lamp override sets the
dome lamps to remain off or come on
automatically when a door is opened.
E(Dome Lamp Override):Press
the button in and the dome lamps
remain off when a door is opened.
Press the button again to return it to
the extended position so that the
dome lamps come on when a door
is opened.
Entry Lighting
For vehicles with courtesy lamps,
they come on and stay on for a set
time whenever the unlock symbol
is pressed on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) Transmitter, if the
vehicle has one.
If a door is opened, the lamps stay
on while it is open and then turn
off automatically about 25 seconds
after the door is closed. If the
unlock symbol is pressed and no
door is opened, the lamps turn
off after about 20 seconds.
Entry lighting includes a feature
called theater dimming. With theater
dimming, the lamps do not turn off at
the end of the delay time. Instead,
3-14 Instrument Panel

The vehicle may have one of these
radios as its audio system.
Radios with CD and DVD
Radios with CD and DVD have a
Bose®Surround Sound System.
Some of its features are explained
later in this section under, “Adjusting
the Speakers (Balance/Fade)”. If the vehicle has a Rear Seat
Entertainment (RSE) system, it has
a CD/DVD radio. See
Rear Seat
Entertainment (RSE) System
on page 3-109 for more information
on the vehicle’s RSE system.
The DVD player is the top slot on
the radio faceplate. The player
is capable of reading the DTS programmed DVD Audio or DVD
Video media, (DTS and DTS Digital
Surround are registered trademarks
of Digital Theater Systems, Inc.).
Manufactured under license
from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby and
the double-D symbol are trademarks
of Dolby Laboratories.
Radio Data System (RDS)
The Radio Data System (RDS)
feature is available for use only on
FM stations that broadcast RDS
information. This system relies upon
receiving specic information
from these stations and only works
when the information is available.
While the radio is tuned to an
FM-RDS station, the station name
or call letters display. In rare
cases, a radio station could
broadcast incorrect information that
causes the radio features to
work improperly. If this happens,
contact the radio station.
Radio with CD and DVD
Instrument Panel 3-75

Automatic Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission uid level.
A transmission uid leak is the
only reason for uid loss. If a
leak occurs, take the vehicle to
the dealer/retailer and have it
repaired as soon as possible.
Change the uid at the intervals
listed inAdditional Required Services
on page 6-6, and be sure to use
the transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-12.
Notice:Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission uid may
damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle’s warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission
uid listed inRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-12.The transmission uid will not
reach the end of the dipstick unless
the transmission is at operating
temperature. If you need to check the
transmission uid level, please take
the vehicle to your dealer/retailer.
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
A. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Cooling Fans
{CAUTION
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine re, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
xed before you drive the vehicle.
5-16 Service and Appearance Care