2009 GMC CANYON light

Partially lower the tailgate
1. With the tailgate fully open, lift it up
slightly.
2. Remove the retaining cable from
each side of the tailgate by pulling the
clip away from the bolt head while
pushing the cable bracket forward.
When the larger part of the hole on
the bracket is over the bolt, slide the
bracket off.
3. Slide the
lower end fit-
ting onto the
top bolt on
each side of
the tailgate.
Partially
lower the
tailgate.
Tailgate lock (if equipped)
The tailgate also includes a lock that
can be used when the tailgate is in a
normal, upright position.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
15
Two-Tier Loading and
Optional Bed Extender
You can create an upper load platform
by positioning four 2x6 wooden planks
across the width of the pickup box.
Insert the planks into the pickup box
depressions (below), allowing for at
least a 3/4-inch (2-cm) bearing surface
on each end of the plank.
Ensure that the upper-tier load is
securely tied down, with its center of
gravity in a zone over the rear axle.
See Section 4 of your Owner Manual.
Cargo Tie-Downs and Bed Rails
To secure loads, use the cargo tie-down
loops inside the cargo bed area. If your
truck is equipped with bed rails, do not
attempt to use them to secure loads,
as they are for appearance only. Using
the bed rails as a load anchor not only
can damage them but may cause the
load to loosen, possibly causing injury.
See Section 4 of your Owner Manual.
Note:An accessory bed extender,
available from your dealer, provides
even more flexibility for longer loads.
Note:The tailgate cannot be closed in
this position. The top end fitting of the
bracket must be anchored on the bot-
tom bolt to close the tailgate.
Cargo bed depressions for two-tier loading

17
(manual transmission). The preferred
method for shifting into 4LO is to
have the vehicle moving at just under
3 mph (5 km/h).
2. Press and release the 4LO button
and wait for the 4LO indicator light to
stop flashing and remain illuminated
before shifting the transmission into
gear or releasing the clutch pedal.
Shift from 4LO to 2HI or 4HI
1. Stop the vehicle or drive at 3 mph
(5 km/h) or slower, with the transmis-
sion in Neutral (automatic transmis-
sion) or the clutch pedal depressed
(manual transmission). The preferred
method for shifting out of 4LO is to
have the vehicle moving at just under
3 mph (5 km/h).
2. Press and release the 2HI or 4HI
button and wait for the 2HI or 4HI
indicator light to stop flashing and
remain illuminated before shifting the
transmission into gear or releasing
the clutch pedal.
Note: When shifting into and out of
4LO, it is normal to hear and feel
positive gear feedback, typically referred
to as “clunk” (noise) and seat “bump”
(feel). If a shift is made with the vehicle
stopped, the indicator light may remain
flashing slowly. It may be necessary to
shift the transmission momentarily into
Reverse and Drive (automatic transmis-
sion) or Reverse and 1st (manual trans-
mission) and rock the vehicle slightly to
get the light to come on fully.
N(Neutral): Shift the vehicle’s transfer
case to N only when towing your
vehicle.
4

(4HI): This setting engages the front
axle to provide extra traction on snowy
or icy roads and during most off-road
situations. Do not drive on pavement in
four-wheel drive for long periods, as it
may cause premature powertrain wear.
4
(4LO): This setting engages the
front axle and sends maximum power to
all four wheels for extremely low-traction
conditions. You might choose 4LO for
driving off-road in sand, mud or deep
snow and for climbing or descending
steep hills.
Indicator lights in the buttons show
which setting is currently selected.
Shift from 2HI to 4HI
• Press the 4HI button while driving at
any speed.
Shift from 4HI to 2HI
• Press the 2HI button while driving at
any speed.
Shift from 2HI or 4HI to 4LO
1. Stop the vehicle or drive at 3 mph
(5 km/h) or slower, with the transmis-
sion in Neutral (automatic transmis-
sion) or the clutch pedal depressed
Note: The indicator lights can flash at
two speeds. Fast flashing means the
conditions were not met to make the
desired shift; typically, the vehicle was
going too fast, the automatic transmis-
sion was not in Neutral, or the clutch
pedal was not fully depressed. Slow
flashing means the shift is in progress.
If the transfer case is unable to make a
requested shift, the indicator light will
flash slowly for 30 seconds and then
return to the previous setting.

Getting to Know Your Canyon18
8. Turn the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift
lever in Park (P), or First (1) for
vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission.
10.Turn the ignition to Lock.
11. Release the parking brake prior to
towing.
Shifting out of Neutral
1. Set the parking brake and press and
hold the regular brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to Neutral (N),
or press the clutch pedal for vehicles
with a manual transmission, and turn
the ignition to Run with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired
transfer case shift position (2HI,
4HI, or 4LO).
4. After the transfer case has shifted
out of Neutral, the indicator light will
go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. You may start the engine and shift
the transmission to the desired
position.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
Shift the transfer case into or out of
Neutral
Shifting into Neutral
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition to Run but leave the
engine off.
3. Press the regular brake pedal and
shift the transmission in Neutral (N),
or depress the clutch for vehicles
with a manual transmission.
4. Shift the transfer case to two-wheel
high.
5. Press and hold the two-wheel high
and four-wheel low buttons at the
same time for 10 seconds. The
Neutral (N) light will come on when
the transfer case shift to Neutral (N)
is complete.
6. Start the engine.
7. Press and hold the regular brake
pedal and shift the transmission to
Reverse (R) for one second; then
shift the transmission to Drive (D) for
one second, or First (1) for vehicles
with manual transmissions and let
out the clutch, to ensure the transfer
case is in Neutral. If not, repeat this
procedure starting at the third step.
Note: Shifting the transfer case to
Neutral can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in Park (P) or
in gear. You or someone else could be
seriously injured. Be sure to set the
parking brake before placing the trans-
fer case in Neutral.

19
StabiliTrak®– Stability Control
System (if equipped)
StabiliTrak is an advanced computer-
controlled vehicle stability and traction
enhancement system that assists with
directional control of the vehicle in diffi-
cult driving conditions. It turns on auto-
matically every time you start your vehi-
cle. To limit wheelspin and help maintain
directional control, you should always
leave the system
on. However, if
your vehicle
becomes stuck in
sand, mud or snow
and rocking the
vehicle is required,
the system should
be turned off.
To turn off the traction control part of
the system, press the (StabiliTrak)
button on the center of the instrument
panel. TRAC OFF will appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
To turn off the traction control and stabil-
ity control systems, press and hold the
button for five seconds. STAB SYS
OFF will appear on the DIC.
The StabiliTrak warning light on the
instrument panel cluster will illuminate
when either part of the system is
turned off.
Press the button again to turn on
the system.
See Section 4 of your Owner Manual.
Tire Pressure Monitor
The Tire Pressure Monitor alerts you
when a significant reduction in pressure
occurs in one or more of your vehicle’s
tires by illuminating the (Low Tire
Pressure) warning light on the instru-
ment panel cluster. The low tire pres-
sure warning light will remain on until
you correct the tire pressure. A LOW
TIRE message may also appear on
the DIC.
Correcting the Tire Pressure
When the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates, you must inflate the tire to
the proper tire pressure (just as you
must refuel the vehicle when the low fuel
warning light illuminates). The Tire and
Loading Information label shows the
correct tire pressure for the tires when
they’re cold. “Cold” means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than one mile.
You can temporarily clear the DIC
message by acknowledging it with your
DIC controls. However, at the next
vehicle start-up, the DIC message will
reappear if the tire pressure has not
been corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear when
the vehicle is first started and then turn
off as you start to drive. This could be an
early indicator that your tire pressures
are getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
See Section 5 of your Owner Manual.
Note:The Tire Pressure Monitor can
alert you about low tire pressure, but it
doesn’t replace normal monthly tire
maintenance.