
Black plate (56,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
9-56 Driving and Operating
*The fuse for this circuit is installed
in the underhood electrical center,
but the wires are not connected.
They should be connected by your
dealer or a qualified service center.
If the back-up lamp circuit is not
functional, contact your dealer.
If a remote (non-vehicle) battery is
being charged, press the Tow/Haul
mode switch located on the center
console near the climate controls.
This will boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the
battery. If the trailer is too light
for Tow/Haul mode, turn on the
headlamps (Non‐HID only) as a
second way to boost the vehicle
system and charge the battery.Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
These wiring provisions for an
electric trailer brake controller
are included with the vehicle as
part of the trailer wiring package.
The instrument panel contains
blunt cut wires behind the steering
column for the electric trailer brake
controller. The harness contains
the following wires:
.Red/Black: Power Supply
.White: Brake Switch Signal
.Gray: Illumination
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
.Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer
or a qualified service center.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
Notice: Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered
by the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12‐volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑45 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑46.

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 (4,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
10-4 Vehicle Care
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 can accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories.
When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained
and supported service technicians
will perform the work using genuine
GM Accessories.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑46.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. Metric and
English 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.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-7
A. Radiator Pressure Cap.See Cooling System on
page 10‑15.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Cap. See Cooling System on
page 10‑15.
C. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑83.
D. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑33.
E. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑83.
F. Power Steering Reservoir and Cap (under engine cover).
See Power Steering Fluid on
page 10‑22.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑8. H.
Engine Cover on page 10‑7.
I. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 10‑8.
J. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑13.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
under Brakes on page 10‑24.
L. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑13.
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑23.Engine Cover
A. Oil Fill Cap
B. Engine Cover
To remove:
1. Remove the oil fill cap (A).
2. Raise the engine cover (B) to release from the retainers.
3. Lift and remove the engine cover.
4. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall engine cover.

Black plate (32,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
10-32 Vehicle Care
Electrical System
Overload
The vehicle has fuses and circuit
breakers to protect against an
electrical system overload.
When the current electrical load
is too heavy, the circuit breaker
opens and closes, protecting the
circuit until the current load returns
to normal or the problem is fixed.
This greatly reduces the chance of
circuit overload and fire caused by
electrical problems.
Fuses and circuit breakers protect
the following in the vehicle:
.Headlamp Wiring
.Windshield Wiper Motor
.Power Windows and Other
Power Accessories
Replace a bad fuse with a new one
of the identical size and rating.
If there is a problem on the road
and a fuse needs to be replaced,
the same amperage fuse can be borrowed. Choose some feature of
the vehicle that is not needed to use
and replace it as soon as possible.
Headlamp Wiring
An electrical overload may cause
the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. Have
the headlamp wiring checked right
away if the lamps go on and off or
remain off.
Windshield Wipers
If the wiper motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the windshield
wipers will stop until the motor cools
and will then restart.
Although the circuit is protected
from electrical overload, overload
due to heavy snow or ice may
cause wiper linkage damage.
Always clear ice and heavy snow
from the windshield before using
the windshield wipers.
If the overload is caused by an
electrical problem and not snow
or ice, be sure to get it fixed.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle
are protected from short circuits
by a combination of fuses, circuit
breakers and fusible thermal links.
This greatly reduces the chance of
fires caused by electrical problems.
Look at the silver-colored band
inside the fuse. If the band is broken
or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure
you replace a bad fuse with a new
one of the identical size and rating.
Fuses of the same amperage
can be temporarily borrowed from
another fuse location, if a fuse goes
out. Replace the fuse as soon as
you can.

Black plate (33,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-33
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block
The underhood fuse block is located
in the engine compartment, on the
passenger side of the vehicle.
Lift the cover for access to the
fuse/relay block.
Notice:Spilling liquid on any
electrical component on the
vehicle may damage it. Always
keep the covers on any electrical
component. To remove fuses, hold the end of the fuse between your thumb and index
finger and pull straight out.
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown.
Fuses Usage
A/C CLUTCH Air Conditioning
Clutch
ABS MTR Antilock Braking
System (ABS)
Motor

Black plate (34,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
10-34 Vehicle Care
FusesUsage
AFS Adaptive Forward
Lighting System
AIRBAG Airbag System
AUX POWER Auxiliary Power AUX
VAC PUMP Auxiliary
Vacuum Pump
AWD All-Wheel-Drive
System
BATT 1 Battery 1
BATT 2 Battery 2
BATT 3 Battery 3
CIGAR
LIGHTER Cigar Lighter
ECM Engine Control
Module
ECM 1 Engine Control
Module 1
EMISSION 1 Emission 1
EMISSION 2 Emission 2
EVEN COILS Even Injector Coils Fuses
Usage
FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FOG LAMP Fog Lamps
FSCM Fuel System
Control Module
HORN Horn
HTD MIR Heated Outside
Rearview Mirror
HVAC BLWR Heating,
Ventilation and
Air Conditioning
Blower
LT HI BEAM Left High-Beam
Headlamp
LT LO BEAM Left Low‐Beam
Headlamp
LT PRK Left Parking Lamp
LT TRLR
STOP/TRN Trailer Left
Stoplamp and
Turn Signal
ODD COILS Odd Injector Coils Fuses
Usage
PCM IGN Powertrain Control
Module Ignition
PWR L/GATE Power Liftgate PWR
OUTLET Power Outlet
REAR
CAMERA Rear Camera
RR APO Rear Accessory
Power Outlet
RR DEFOG Rear Defogger
RR HVAC Rear Climate
Control System
RT HI BEAM Right High‐Beam
Headlamp
RT LO BEAM Right Low‐Beam
Headlamp
RT PRK Right
Parking Lamp
RT TRLR
STOP/TRN Trailer Right
Stoplamp and
Turn Signal

Black plate (35,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-35
FusesUsage
RVC SNSR Regulated Voltage
Control Sensor
S/ROOF/
SUNSHADE Sunroof
SERVICE Service Repair SPARE Spare
Stop Lamps
(China Only) Stop Lamps
(China Only)
STRTR Starter
TCM Transmission
Control Module
TRANS Transmission TRLR
BCK/UP Trailer Back‐up
Lamps
TRLR BRK Trailer Brake TRLR
PRK LAMP Trailer Parking
Lamps
TRLR PWR Trailer Power
WPR/WSW Windshield
Wiper/Washer Relays
Usage
A/C
CMPRSR
CLTCH Air Conditioning
Compressor Clutch
AUX
VAC PUMP Auxiliary
Vacuum Pump
CRNK Switched Power FAN 1 Cooling Fan 1
FAN 2 Cooling Fan 2
FAN 3 Cooling Fan 3
FOG LAMP Fog Lamps
HI BEAM High‐Beam
Headlamps
HID/
LO BEAM High Intensity
Discharge (HID)
Low‐Beam
Headlamps
HORN Horn IGN Ignition Main
LT TRLR
STOP/TRN Trailer Left
Stoplamp and
Turn Signal Lamp Relays
Usage
PRK LAMP Park Lamp PWR/TRN Powertrain
RR DEFOG Rear Window
Defogger
RT TRLR
STOP/TRN Trailer Right
Stoplamp and
Turn Signal Lamp
Stop Lamps
(China Only) Stop Lamps
(China Only)
TRLR
BCK/UP Trailer Back-up
Lamps
WPR Windshield Wiper
WPR HI Windshield Wiper
High Speed
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block
The instrument panel fuse block
is located under the instrument
panel on the passenger side of the
vehicle. Pull down on the cover to
access the fuse block.