2011 GMC ACADIA check engine light

Black plate (23,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more
of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. SeeTire
Messages on page 5‑44 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to
the pressure value shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
See Tire Pressure on page 10‑45
for more information. When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may
be a problem with the TPMS.
The light flashes for about a
minute and stays on steady for
the remainder of the ignition cycle.
This sequence repeats with every
ignition cycle. See
Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑48
for more information.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced. Notice:
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem.

Black plate (34,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
The following indicator lights come
on the instrument panel when
activated and also appear on
the HUD:
.Turn Signal Indicators
.High-Beam Indicator Symbol
The HUD temporarily displays
CHECK GAGES and ICE
POSSIBLE when these messages
are on the DIC trip computer.
The HUD also displays the following
messages on vehicles with these
systems, when they are active:
.TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
.STABILITRAK ACTIVE
Notice: If you try to use the
HUD image as a parking aid, you
may misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
When the HUD is on, the
speedometer reading is continually
displayed. The current radio station or CD track number will display
for a short period of time after
the radio or CD track status
changes. This happens whenever
radio information is changed.
The speedometer size is reduced
when radio, CD information,
warnings, or turn-by-turn navigation
information are displayed on
the HUD.
The HUD control is located to the
right of the steering wheel.
To adjust the HUD image so that
items are properly displayed, do the
following:
1. Adjust the driver's seat to a
comfortable position.
2. Start the engine.
3. Adjust the HUD controls.
Use the following settings to adjust
the HUD.
9 (Off): To turn HUD off, rotate the
dimming knob fully counterclockwise
until the HUD display turns off.
Brightness : Turn the knob
on the HUD control clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or
dim the display.
w (Up) : x(Down) : Press the up
or down arrows to center the HUD
image in your view. The HUD image
can only be adjusted up and down,
not side to side.

Black plate (41,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-41
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a
chime sounds when the cooling
system temperature gets too hot
and the engine further enters the
engine coolant protection mode.
SeeEngine Overheating on
page 10‑19 for further information.
This message also 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
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service
as soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a
chime sounds if the fuel level is
low. Refuel as soon as possible.
See Fuel Gauge on page 5‑13
and Fuel on page 9‑42 for more
information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on
the instrument panel cluster if the
vehicle's fuel cap is not tightened
properly. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 5‑18. Reinstall the
fuel cap fully. See Filling the Tank
on page 9‑44. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly
installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap allows fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off.
Key and Lock Messages
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs
to be replaced in the transmitter.
See “Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
Lamp Messages
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned
off. This message clears itself after
10 seconds.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned
on. This message clears itself after
10 seconds.

Black plate (29,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-29
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21. If driving safely on a wet road and
it becomes necessary to slam on
the brakes and continue braking
to avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not
change the time needed to get
a foot up to the brake pedal or
always decrease stopping distance.
If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, there will not be
enough time to apply the brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room
up ahead to stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-27
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Windshield Replacement . . . 10-29
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-31
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-39
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42

Black plate (13,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-13
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the
only reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to the
dealer and have it repaired as
soon as possible.
Change the fluid at the intervals
listed inScheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2, and be sure to use
the transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Notice: Use of the incorrect
automatic transmission fluid
may damage the vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
the automatic transmission fluid
listed in Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7. The transmission fluid will not
reach the end of the dipstick unless
the transmission is at operating
temperature. If you need to check
the transmission fluid level, please
take the vehicle to your dealer.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at
the scheduled maintenance
intervals and replace it at the first
oil change after each 80 000 km
(50,000 mi) interval. See
Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information. If driving in dusty/dirty
conditions, inspect the filter at each
engine oil change.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine air cleaner/filter.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the filter from the vehicle
and lightly shake the filter (away
from vehicle) to release loose dust
and dirt. If the filter remains covered
with dirt, a new filter is required.
To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter, do the following:
1. Remove the engine cover. See Engine Cover on page 10‑7.
A. Ventilation Tube
B. Sensor

Black plate (84,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
10-84 Vehicle Care
Notice:If the radio or other
accessories are left on during
the jump starting procedure, they
could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always turn off the
radio and other accessories
when jump starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlets. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks
and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on the
other vehicle. Your vehicle
has a remote positive (+) and
a remote negative (−) jump
starting terminal. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for more information
on the terminal locations.{WARNING
Using a match near a battery
can cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need
more light.
Be sure the batteries have
enough water. You do not need
to add water to the ACDelco
®
battery (or batteries) installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables,
here are some basic things you
should know. Positive (+) will go
to positive (+) or to a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle
has one. Negative (−) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine
part or to a remote negative (−)
terminal if the vehicle has one.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-13
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-35 Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-16
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Alarm System Anti-Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-27, 9-28
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Antenna
Multi-Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-43
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95 Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8, 13-10
Audio Controller, Rear (RAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24, 7-30
Audio System Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-25 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-37