2010 GMC TERRAIN engine

Instruments and Controls 4-31
Rear Access Open
This message will display along with
a symbol when the liftgate is open.
Close the liftgate completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C Off Due to High
Engine Temp
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns
back on. You can continue to
drive the vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer/retailer as soon as possible
to avoid damage to the engine.
Coolant Level Low Add
Coolant
This message will display if the
coolant is low, seeEngine Coolant
on page 9‑16.
Engine Overheated —Idle
Engine
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
Engine Overheated —Stop
Engine
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
High Coolant Temperature
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot, see Engine
Overheating on page 9‑20.
Engine Oil Messages
Change Engine Oil Soon
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System
on
page 9‑12and Driver Information
Center (DIC)on page 4‑25for
information on how to reset the
system. See Engine Oil
on
page 9‑10and Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 10‑2for
more information.
Engine Oil Hot, Idle Engine
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.

4-32 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Low–Add Oil
This message displays when the
engine oil level is too low. Check
the oil level. See Engine Oil
on
page 9‑10.
Oil Pressure Low –Stop
Engine
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer/retailer.
Engine Power Messages
Engine Power Is Reduced
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is
no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer/
retailer for service as soon as
possible.
Fuel System Messages
ECO Mode On
On some models, this message
displays when the fuel economy
mode has been turned on by
pressing the eco button near the
shift lever. See Fuel Economy Mode
on page 8‑38for more information.
Fuel Level Low
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.
Tighten Gas Cap
This message displays when the
fuel cap is not on tight. Tighten the
fuel cap.

4-34 Instruments and Controls
Service Stabilitrak
This message displays if there is a
problem with the StabiliTrak®
system. If this message appears, try
to reset the system. Stop; turn off
the engine for at least 15 seconds;
then start the engine again. If this
message still comes on, it means
there is a problem. See your dealer/
retailer for service. The vehicle is
safe to drive, however, you do not
have the benefit of StabiliTrak, so
reduce your speed and drive
accordingly.
Stabilitrak Off
This message displays when the
StabiliTrak system is turned off. See
StabiliTrak System
on page 8‑42for more information.
Traction Control Off
This message displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
turned off. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
Traction Control On
This message displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
first turned on. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS)
on page 8‑41for
more information.
Airbag System Messages
Service Airbag
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the airbag system.
Take the vehicle to your dealer/
retailer for service.
Safety Belt Messages
Buckle Seatbelt
This message displays as a
reminder when the safety belt is
not buckled.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Messages
Theft Attempted
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
Service AC System
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the air conditioning
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer/retailer for service.
Service Power Steering
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the power steering
system. Take the vehicle to your
dealer/retailer for service.
Service Vehicle Soon
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer/retailer for
service.

Instruments and Controls 4-35
Tire Messages
Service Tire Monitor System
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 9‑55for more information.
Tire Learning Active
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 9‑55for more information.
Tire Low Add Air To Tire
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires is low.
This message also displays “Left
Front”, “Right Front”, “Left Rear”,
or “Right Rear” to indicate the
location of the low tire. The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See
Tire
Pressure Light on page 4‑22.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to the
values shown on the Tire Loading
Information label. See Tires
on
page 9‑45, Vehicle Load Limitson
page 8‑22, and Tire Pressureon
page 9‑52.
You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To
read the other messages that may
have been sent at the same time,
press the set/reset button. The DIC
also shows the tire pressure values.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 4‑25.
Transmission Messages
Service Transmission
This message displays if there is a
problem with the transmission. See
your dealer/retailer.
Shift To Park
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to remove the key from
the ignition if the vehicle is not in
P (Park).
Transmission Hot –Idle
Engine
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.

6-2 Infotainment System
For more information, seeDefensive
Driving on page 8‑3.
This vehicle's infotainment system
may be equipped with a noise
reduction system which can work
improperly if the audio amplifier,
engine calibrations, exhaust system,
microphones, radio, or speakers are
modified or replaced. This could
result in more noticeable engine
noise at certain speeds. Notice:
Contact your dealer/
retailer before adding any
equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere with
the operation of the vehicle's
engine, radio, or other systems,
and could damage them. Follow
federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone equipment.
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP)
on page 8‑29for more
information.
Navigation/Radio System
For vehicles with a navigation radio
system, see the separate Navigation
System manual.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The theft-deterrent feature works by
learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) to the
infotainment system. The
infotainment system does not
operate if it is stolen or moved to a
different vehicle.

Driving and Operating 8-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 8-18
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 8-19
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 8-22
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 8-22
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 8-27
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-28
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 8-31
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-33
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 8-35
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-37
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-40
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 8-41
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-41
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 8-42
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-44
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 8-47
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-50
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 8-54

8-2 Driving and Operating
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-55
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 8-55
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-55
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-56
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-57
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-62
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 8-65
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-66
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-66
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Driving and Operating 8-5
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 9‑3.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
(2.4L L4 Engine)
If the engine stalls while driving, the
power steering assist system will
continue to operate until you are
able to stop the vehicle. If power steering assist is lost because the
electric power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in
either direction several times until
it stops, or hold the steering wheel
in the stopped position for an
extended amount of time, you may
notice a reduced amount of power
steering assist. The normal amount
of power steering assist should
return shortly after a few normal
steering movements.
The electric power steering
system does not require regular
maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems, such as
abnormally high steering effort for a
prolonged period of time, contact
your dealer/retailer for service
repairs.
Hydraulic Power Steering
(3.0L V6 Engine)
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.