2010 GMC TERRAIN service

8-54 Driving and Operating
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, an audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
At a minimum, gasoline should
meet ASTM specification D 4814in the United States or CAN/
CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See Fuel
Additives
on page 8‑55for
additional information.

8-56 Driving and Operating
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines might be
available in your area. We
recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
Notice:This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.
Some gasolines that are
not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT); ask the attendant
where you buy gasoline whether the
fuel contains MMT. We recommend
against the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce
the life of spark plugs and the
performance of the emission control
system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
dealer/retailer for service.
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle. Do
not use cellular phones. Keep
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The fuel cap is behind the fuel door
on the vehicle's passenger side.
Turn the fuel cap counterclockwise
to remove. Do not release the cap
too soon or it will spring back.
Reinstall the cap by turning it
clockwise until it clicks.
If the cap is not properly installed,
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
come on. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
on page 4‑17for more
information.

8-62 Driving and Operating
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer isclear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
on page 9‑20.
Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires

Vehicle Care 9-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 9-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 9-12
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . 9-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Power Steering Fluid
(2.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Power Steering Fluid (3.0L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . 9-28
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, Stoplamps,and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . 9-34
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . 9-46
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49

9-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Tire Pressure MonitorSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-66
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . 9-76Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-81
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-81
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-89
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer/retailer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Vehicle Care 9-3
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
remote keyless transmitters, may
contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer/non‐retailer
accessories to the vehicle can affect
vehicle performance and safety,
including such things as airbags,
braking, stability, ride and handling,
emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems
like antilock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. Some of these
accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from the installation or use
of non‐GM certified parts, including
control module modifications, is not
covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize
the vehicle using genuine GM
Accessories. When you go to your
GM dealer/retailer and ask for GM
Accessories, you will know that
GM-trained and supported service
technicians will perform the work
using genuine GM Accessories.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on
page 2‑38.

9-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{WARNING
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have sufficient
knowledge, experience,
the proper replacement
parts, and tools before
attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily
confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts can
later break or fall off. You
could be hurt. If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information
on
page 12‑12.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Airbag System
Check on page 2‑40.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records
on
page 10‑10.

9-12 Vehicle Care
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on engine revolutions and engine
temperature, and not on mileage.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A“Change Engine Oil
Soon” message comes on.
See Engine Oil Messages
on
page 4‑31. Change the oil as soon as possible within the next 1 000 km
(600 miles). It is possible that,
if driving under the best conditions,
the oil life system might not indicate
that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, the engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and at this time the
system must be reset. Your dealer/
retailer has trained service people
who will perform this work using
genuine parts and reset the system.
It is also important to check the oil
regularly and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 miles)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
If the vehicle has Driver Information
Center (DIC) buttons:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN, with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC menu button until “Remaining Oil Life” displays.
3. Press and hold the set/clear button until “100%”is displayed.
4. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
“Change Engine Oil Soon” message
goes off.