
Black plate (64,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
3-64 Seats and Restraints
If the position you are using
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.If the position you are using
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and you are
using a single tether, route
the tether over the headrest
or head restraint.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it
is securely held in place.
To check, grasp the child
restraint at the LATCH path
and attempt to move it side
to side and back and forth.
There should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement,
for proper installation.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the
LATCH system in the vehicle.
A damaged LATCH system may
not properly secure the child
restraint, resulting in serious
injury or even death in a crash.
To help make sure the LATCH
system is working properly after
a crash, see your dealer to have
the system inspected and any
necessary replacements made
as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at
the time of the crash.

Black plate (67,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-67
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front
Passenger Seat)
The vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure
a forward-facing child restraint.
SeeWhere to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑55.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑41 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑16 for more information,
including important safety
information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag,
no system is fail-safe. No one
can guarantee that an airbag will
not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑41 for additional
information.
If the child restraint has the
LATCH system, see Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑57 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint
is secured using a safety belt and
it uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑57
for top tether anchor locations.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Storage 4-3
{WARNING
Never open more than one of the
three latches at a time to help
avoid personal injury and damage
to the console.
Notice: Slide the front console
as far forward as it will go before
folding the second row console
forward to help prevent damage
to the consoles.
Additional Storage
Features
Cargo Cover
For vehicles with a cargo cover, it
can be used to cover items in the
rear of the vehicle. To install the
cover, place the loops on each
corner of the cover on the four
hooks in the rear of the vehicle.
The cover should be stored
securely when not in use.
Cargo Tie Downs
Four cargo tie‐downs are located in
the rear compartment of the vehicle.
The tie-downs can be used to
secure small loads.
Cargo Management
System
This vehicle has a cargo
management system located
in the rear.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
4-4 Storage
To remove the cargo management
cover:
1. Open the cover. It remains openwhen lifted.
2. Pull the cover up making sure to unhook the hinges at the rear of
the cover.
{WARNING
An improperly latched and closed
cargo cover, or cargo cover left
in the open position, could be
thrown about the vehicle during
a crash or sudden maneuver.
Someone could be injured.
Be sure to return the cover to
the closed position and latch
before driving. If the cover is
removed, always store it outside
of the vehicle. When it is
replaced, always be sure that
it is securely reattached.
3. Remove the cover from the vehicle and store outside of
the vehicle.
Convenience Net
For vehicles with a convenience
net in the rear, use it to store small
loads as far forward as possible.
The net should not be used to store
heavy loads.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Storage 4-5
Roof Rack System
{WARNING
If something is carried on top of
the vehicle that is longer or wider
than the roof rack—like paneling,
plywood, or a mattress— the wind
can catch it while the vehicle is
being driven. The item being
carried could be violently torn off,
and this could cause a collision,
and damage the vehicle. Never
carry something longer or wider
than the roof rack on top of the
vehicle unless using a GM
certified accessory carrier. For vehicles with a roof rack, the
rack can be used to load items.
For roof racks that do not have
crossrails included, GM Certified
crossrails can be purchased as an
accessory. See your dealer for
additional information.
Notice:
Loading cargo on the
roof rack that weighs more than
91 kg (200 lbs) or hangs over the
rear or sides of the vehicle may
damage the vehicle. Load cargo
so that it rests evenly between
the crossrails, making sure to
fasten cargo securely.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo
when driving, check to make sure
crossrails and cargo are securely fastened. Loading cargo on the roof
rack will make the vehicle’
s center
of gravity higher. Avoid high speeds,
sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of
control. If driving for a long distance,
on rough roads, or at high speeds,
occasionally stop the vehicle to
make sure the cargo remains in its
place. Do not exceed the maximum
vehicle capacity when loading the
vehicle.
For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear WindowWiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-15
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-17
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-22
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-23
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (With DIC Buttons) . . . 5-25
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Without DIC
Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-38
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-41
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-41
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-41
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42

Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is located on the left side of the
steering column.
Turn the band with the wiper symbol
to control the windshield wipers.
8(Mist):Single wipe, turn the
band to
8and then release.
Several wipes, hold the band
on
8longer.
9(Off): Turns the wipers off.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
1 : Slow wipes.
2 : Fast wipes.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See Wiper
Blade Replacement on page 10‑29.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. A circuit breaker stops them
until the motor cools. Windshield WasherJ(Washer Fluid):
Press the
button at the end of the turn signal/
lane change lever, to spray washer
fluid on the windshield. The wipers
clear the windshield and either
stop or return to the preset speed.
The ignition key must be in
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
for this to work. See Washer
Fluid on page 10‑23.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the
washer fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID is displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) when the
washer fluid is low. See Washer
Fluid Messages on page 5‑46.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to
change the date default setting from
month/day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press
Gand then the
pushbutton located under the
forward arrow that displays on
the radio screen until the time
12H (hour) and 24H (hour),
and the date MM/DD (month
and day) and DD/MM (day
and month) displays.
2. Press the pushbutton located under the desired option.
3. Press
Gagain to apply the
selected default, or let the
screen time out.
Power Outlets
The vehicle has three 12‐volt outlets
that can be used to plug in electrical
equipment, such as a cell phone or
MP3 player.
The power outlets are located on
the instrument panel below the
climate controls, at the rear of the
center console, and in the rear
cargo area. Lift the cover to access
the outlet and replace when not
in use.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death. Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory plugs may not
be compatible with the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.