GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the
GMC Emblem, and the name CANYON are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. GM reserves the right to make changes after
that time without further notice. For vehicles rst sold in
Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada
Limited” for GMC wherever it appears in this manual.
This manual describes features that may or may not be
on your speci c vehicle.
Read this manual from beginning to end to learn about
the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures, symbols,
and words work together to explain vehicle operation.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
helminc.com
Index
To quickly locate information about the vehicle use the
Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical
list of what is in the manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 15891591 A First Printing
©2008 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt systemnor its airbag system is designed for them. Every time
infants and young children ride in vehicles, they
should have the protection provided by appropriate
child restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child while riding in a
vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it
during a crash. For example, in a crash at only
25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) infant will
suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a
person’s arms. An infant should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
1-38
Notice:Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by returning the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has ended, can overheat
and damage the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds between each try,
to let the cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F or−18°C),
it could be ooded with too much gasoline. Push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the oor and holding
it there as you hold the key in START for a maximum
of 15 seconds. Wait at least 15 seconds between
each try, to allow the cranking motor to cool. When
the engine starts, let go of the key and accelerator.
If the vehicle starts brie y but then stops again,
repeat the procedure. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts.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. An internal
thermostat in the plug-end of the cord may exist which
will prevent engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0° F (−18°C).
2-21
Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift
when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you downshift.
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive and has a manual
transmission, disregard the shift light when the transfer
case is in four-wheel low.
Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift down more than
one gear at a time when you downshift.
Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send the
engine’s driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. To get the best performance out of four-wheel
drive, you must be familiar with its operation. Read this
section before using four-wheel drive. You should use
two-wheel-drive high for most normal driving conditions.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time can
cause premature wear on the vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel
Drive for extended periods of time.
2-26
Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Horn .............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-7
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-8
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-8
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-8
Windshield Washer.........................................3-9
Cruise Control..............................................3-10
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-12
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-13
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-13
Automatic Headlamp System..........................3-14
Fog Lamps ..................................................3-14
Exterior Cargo Lamps....................................3-15
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-15
Dome Lamp .................................................3-15
Dome Lamp Override....................................3-16
Exit Lighting.................................................3-16
Electric Power Management...........................3-16Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-17
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-17
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-18
Climate Controls............................................3-18
Climate Control System.................................3-18
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-20
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-21
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-22
Trip Odometer..............................................3-22
Tachometer.................................................3-22
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-23
Airbag Readiness Light.................................
.3-24
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-25
Charging System Light..................................3-26
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-26
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-27
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light...........................................3-28
StabiliTrak
®/Traction Control System
(TCS) Warning Light..................................3-28
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1
When the DRL are on, only the parking lamps or
reduced intensity low beam headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarkers, and other lamps will not be
on. The instrument panel will not be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL to the regular headlamps.
The regular headlamp system should be turned on
when needed.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside, the automatic headlamp
system will turn on after the transmission has been
shifted from P (Park) to D (Drive). The headlamps,
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps, roof marker lamps,
and the instrument panel lights turn on at normal
brightness. The radio lights will become more dim when
the headlights are off compared to when the headlights
are on.
The vehicle has a light sensor located on the top of
the instrument panel. Do not cover the sensor, or the
system will be on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp system so
that driving under bridges or bright overhead street lights
does not affect the system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system will only be affected when the
light sensor detects a change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
the vehicle leaves the garage, it will take about
one minute for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside. During that delay,
the instrument panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position. SeeInstrument Panel
Brightness on page 3-15.
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp button is located near the exterior lamps
control.
#:For vehicles with fog lamps, press to turn the fog
lamps on or off. An indicator light will turn on in the
button when the fog lamps are on.
3-14
Playing the Radio
PWR (Power):Press to turn the system on and off.
opVOL/VOLUME:Turn to increase or to decrease
the volume.
RCL (Recall) (AM-FM Radio):Press to switch the
display between the radio station frequency, band, and
the time. When the ignition is off, press to display
the time.
DISPL (Display) (Radio with CD):When the ignition
is turned off, press to display the time.
For RDS, press the DISPL knob to change what
displays while using RDS. The display options are
station name, RDS station frequency, PTY (program
type), and the name of the program (if available).
For XM™ (if equipped), press the DISPL knob while
in XM mode to retrieve four different categories of
information related to the current song or channel:
Artist, Song Title, Category or PTY, Channel
Number/Channel Name.To change the default on the display, press the DISPL
knob until you see the desired display, then press
and hold this knob for two seconds. The radio produces
one beep. The selected display is now the default.
AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume):Automatic volume
automatically adjusts the audio system to make up
for road and wind noise while driving.
Set the volume at the desired level. Depending on the
radio and displays, press to select MIN, MED, MAX
AUTO VOL, or LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH. AVOL
displays. Each higher setting allows for more volume
compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then while
driving, automatic volume increases the volume, as
necessary, to overcome noise at any speed. The volume
level should always sound the same while driving.
For the Radio with CD, NONE displays if the radio cannot
determine the vehicle speed. To turn automatic volume
off, press until OFF or AUTO VOL OFF displays.
3-45
4 FWD (Fast Forward):Press and hold to advance
quickly within a track. Press and hold for less than two
seconds to advance at six times the normal playing
speed. Press and hold for more than two seconds
to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed.
Release to play the passage. ET and the elapsed time
of the track displays.
6 RDM (Random):Press to hear the tracks in random,
rather than sequential, order. RDM ON displays.
RDM and the track number displays when each track
starts to play. Press again to turn off random play. RDM
OFF displays.
qSEEKr:Press the left arrow to go to the start of
the current or the previous track. Press the right arrow to
go to the start of the next track. Pressing either arrow
for more than two seconds scans the next tracks,
playing the rst eight seconds of each track until all of
the tracks have been previewed. Press either arrow
again to stop scanning and to play the track.
oTUNEp:Turning this knob fast tracks reverse or
advances through tracks. The track number displays for
each track.DISPL (Display):Press to see how long the current
track has been playing. ET and the elapsed time of the
track displays. To change the default on the display
(track or elapsed time), press until you see the desired
display, then press and hold for two seconds.
The radio produces one beep. The selected display is
now the default.
BAND:Press to listen to the radio when a CD is
playing. The inactive CD remains inside the radio for
future listening.
CD AUX (Auxiliary):Press to play a CD when listening
to the radio. The CD symbol displays when a CD is
loaded.
Z(Eject):Press to eject a CD. Eject can be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs can be
loaded with the ignition and radio off if this button is
pressed rst.
Playing an MP3/WMA CD-R Disc
Radios with the MP3/WMA feature are capable of
playing an MP3/WMA CD-R disc. For more information
on how to play an MP3/WMA CD-R disc, seeUsing
an MP3 on page 3-54later in this section.
3-53