2010 GMC YUKON DENALI check oil

Parking on Hills
{WARNING:
Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer
attached can be dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always park the rig on
a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill
or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
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 is clear 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. It is a good idea to inspect these
before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
5-58

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27 Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-55
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
6-1

At a minimum, E85 should meet ASTM Specification
D 5798. By definition, this means that fuel labeled E85
will have an ethanol content between 70% and 85%.
Filling the fuel tank with fuel mixtures that do not meet
ASTM specifications can affect driveability and could
cause the malfunction indicator lamp to come on.
To ensure quick starts in the wintertime, the E85 fuel
must be formulated properly for your climate according
to ASTM specification D 5798. If you have trouble
starting on E85, it could be because the E85 fuel is not
properly formulated for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding gasoline to the fuel tank
can improve starting. For good starting and heater
efficiency below 0°C (32°F), the fuel mix in the fuel tank
should contain no more than 70% ethanol. It is best
not to alternate repeatedly between gasoline and E85.
If you do switch fuels, it is recommended that you
add as much fuel as possible—do not add less than
11 L (three gallons) when refueling. You should drive
the vehicle immediately after refueling for at least
11 km (seven miles) to allow the vehicle to adapt to
the change in ethanol concentration.
E85 has less energy per gallon than gasoline, so you
will need to refill the fuel tank more often when using
E85 than when you are using gasoline. See Filling the
Tank on page 6‑9. Notice:
Some additives are not compatible with E85
fuel and can harm the vehicle's fuel system. Do not
add anything to E85. Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
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.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel might be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club,
or contact a major oil company that does business in
the country where you will be driving.
6-8

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{WARNING:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{WARNING:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like fuel, oil,
coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and other
fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others could
be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill things
that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle withthis symbol on it. It is
located inside the
vehicle to the lower left
of the steering wheel.
6-12

A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑20.
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System on page 6‑26.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑42.
D. Battery on page 6‑41.
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑15.
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6‑22.
G. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND) (Out of View). See Jump Starting on page 6‑42.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 6‑15.
I. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System on page 6‑26.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View). See Power Steering Fluid on page 6‑36.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake
Fluid” under Brakes on page 6‑38.
L. Underhood Fuse Block on page 6‑111.
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on
page 6‑37.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine oil level at each
fuel fill. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to drain back into the oil pan. If this is not done,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
6-15

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.
On some vehicles, when the system has calculated that
oil life has been diminished, a CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message comes on to indicate that an oil
change is necessary. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑56. 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. For vehicles without
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message. An oil change is needed when the OIL LIFE
REMAINING percentage is near 0%. 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
The Engine Oil Life System calculates when to
change the engine oil and filter based on vehicle use.
Whenever the oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where the oil is changed prior to a
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message coming on,
reset the system.
6-18

Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when checking
the coolant level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in the coolant surge
tank. If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is not at or
above the FULL COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before this is done.
The coolant surge tank is located in the engine
compartment on the passenger side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for more information on location.
The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark. If it is not, you may have a leak in the
cooling system.
6-29

Checking Brake Fluid
Check brake fluid by looking at the brake fluid reservoir.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 6‑14.
The fluid level should be
above MIN. If it is not,
have the brake hydraulic
system checked to see if
there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system, make
sure the level is above the MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake fluid from a sealed
container. See Recommended Fluids and Lubricantson
page 7‑11. Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This helps keep dirt
from entering the reservoir.
{WARNING:
With the wrong kind of fluid in the brake hydraulic
system, the brakes might not work well. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
.Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake hydraulic system parts. For example,
just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in the brake hydraulic system
can damage brake hydraulic system parts
so badly that they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in the wrong kind
of fluid.
.If brake fluid is spilled on the vehicle's
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
on the vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately. See Washing Your Vehicle
on
page 6‑102
.
6-39