2009 GMC ACADIA towing

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

A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger airbag
when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the airbag
readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
Liquid pooled on the seat that has
not soaked in may make it more
likely that the passenger sensing
system will enable (turn on) the
passenger airbag while a child
restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag
is turned on, the on indicator
will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-36for
important safety information.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing the vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualied to do so.
Seats and Restraint System 1-59

Starting and
Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does
not need an elaborate break-in.
But it will perform better in
the long run if you follow these
guidelines:
If you have all-wheel drive,
keep your speed at 55 mph
(88 km/h) or less for the
rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for
the rst 200 miles (322 km)
or so. During this time the
new brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with new
linings can mean premature
wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get
new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. SeeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-24for the
trailer towing capabilities
of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
In order to shift out of P (Park), the
ignition must be in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the brake
pedal must be applied.
2-20 Features and Controls

Automatic Transmission
Operation
The automatic transmission has a
shift lever located on the console
between the seats.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot
move easily.
{CAUTION
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park on page 2-27. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-24.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brake rst and then press theshift lever button before shifting from
P (Park) when the ignition key is in
ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out of
P (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever all the
way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 2-29.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and
forth to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-15.
2-24 Features and Controls

N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle
is being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph
(56 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to
accelerate slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive your vehicle
that way, you could damage the
transmission. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. You can drive
in LOW (L) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (56 km/h) and
DRIVE (D) for higher speeds
until then.
L (Low):This position gives you
access to gear ranges. This
provides more engine braking but
lower fuel economy than D (Drive).
You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud.
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose
the top-gear limit of the transmission
and the vehicle’s speed while
driving down hill or towing a trailer.
The vehicle has an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. When
using the ERS Mode a number will
display next to the L, indicating
the current gear that has been
selected.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press the plus/minus button
located on the shift lever, to
increase or decrease the gear
range available.
When you shift from D (Drive) to
L (Low), the transmission will shift to
a pre-determined lower gear range.
The highest gear available for this
pre-determined range is displayed
next to the L in the DIC. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
Features and Controls 2-25

page 3-46andDIC Operation and
Displays (With DIC Buttons) on
page 3-46orDIC Operation and
Displays (Without DIC Buttons) on
page 3-51for more information. The
number displayed in the DIC is the
highest gear that the transmission
will be allowed to operate in. This
means that all gears below that
number are available. For example,
when 4 (Fourth) is shown next to
the L, 1 (First) through 4 (Fourth)
gears are automatically shifted by
the vehicle. The transmission will not
shift into 5 (Fifth) until the + (Plus)
button is used or you shift back into
D (Drive).
While in L (Low), the transmission
will prevent shifting to a lower
gear range if the engine speed is
too high. You have a brief period of
time to slow the vehicle. If vehicle
speed is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range
shift will not be completed. You must
further slow the vehicle, then
press the−(Minus) button to the
desired lower gear range.Automatic Engine Grade braking is
not available when the ERS is
active. It is available in D (Drive) for
both normal and Tow/Haul mode.
While using the ERS, cruise control
and the tow/haul mode can be
used. SeeTow/Haul Mode
on page 2-26for more information.
Tow/Haul Mode
_
(Tow/Haul):The vehicle may
have a Tow/Haul mode.
The button is located on the
instrument panel under the climate
controls.
Push the button to activate the
system. Push it again to deactivate
the system. You can use this
feature to assist when towing or
hauling a heavy load.
When Tow/Haul is activated the
Tow/Haul symbol will come on the
instrument panel cluster. See
“Tow/Haul Mode” underTowing a
Trailer on page 4-24for more
information.
Automatic Engine Grade
Braking
Automatic Engine Grade Braking
assists when driving on a downhill
grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift
schedule that uses the engine and
the transmission to slow the vehicle.
The system will automatically
command downshifts to reduce
vehicle speed, until the brake pedal
is no longer being pressed.
While in the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) mode, grade braking
is deactivated, allowing the
driver to select a range and limiting
the highest gear available. Grade
braking is available for normal
driving and in Tow/Haul mode.
SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-24.
2-26 Features and Controls

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then push
the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake system
warning light will come on. See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 3-38.Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the
brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to
brake system parts. Make
sure that the parking brake is
fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
To release the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal down,
then push down momentarily on
the parking brake pedal until
you feel the pedal release. Slowly
pull your foot up off the park
brake pedal. If the parking brake is
not released when you begin to
drive, the brake system warning light
will be on and a chime will sound
warning you that the parking
brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-24.
Shifting Into Park
{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake rmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-24.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 2-27for
more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by holding in the button on the
shift lever and pushing the
shift lever all the way toward the
front of the vehicle.
Features and Controls 2-27

{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll. Do
not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park on page 2-27.
If parking on a hill and pulling
a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-24.
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Adjust the inside rearview mirror
to see clearly behind your vehicle.
Hold the mirror in the center to move
it up or down and side to side.
The day/night adjustment lets you
adjust the mirror to avoid glare from
the headlamps behind you. Move
the lever to the right for nighttime
use and to the left for daytime use.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have
three control buttons located at the
bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer/retailer for more information
about OnStar
®and how to
subscribe to it. SeeOnStar®System
on page 2-41for more information
on the services OnStar
®provides.
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming rearview mirror.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have
three additional control buttons for
the OnStar
®system. See your
dealer/retailer for more information
about OnStar
®and how to
subscribe to it. SeeOnStar®System
on page 2-41for more information
about the services OnStar
®
provides.
O(On/Off):Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
The vehicle may also have a Rear
Vision Camera (RVC). SeeRear
Vision Camera (RVC) on page 2-37
for more information.
If the vehicle has RVC, the
O
(On/Off) button for turning the
automatic dimming feature on or off
will not be available.
Features and Controls 2-31