2011 GMC ACADIA ECU

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
2011 GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-3
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-47
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-55
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-39
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-31
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-35
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-56
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31

Black plate (23,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-23
Roadside Assistance and OnStar
(U.S. and Canada)
If you have an active OnStar
subscription, press the
Qbutton
and the current GPS location will
be sent to an OnStar advisor who
will assess your problem, contact
Roadside Assistance, and relay
your exact location to get the help
you need.
Online Owner Center
(U.S. and Canada)
The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.
Sign up today at:
www.gmcownercenter.com (U.S.)
or www.gm.ca (Canada).
OnStar®
For vehicles with an active OnStar
subscription, OnStar uses several
innovative technologies and live
Advisors to provide a wide range
of safety, security, navigation,
diagnostics, and calling services.
Automatic Crash Response
In a crash, built‐in sensors can
automatically alert an OnStar
Advisor who is immediately
connected to the vehicle to
see if you need help.
How OnStar Service Works
Q:Push this blue button to
connect to a specially trained
OnStar Advisor to verify your
account information and to
answer questions.
]: Push this red emergency
button to get priority help from
specially trained OnStar Emergency
Advisors.
X: Push this button for hands‐free,
voice‐activated calling and to give
voice commands for Hands‐Free
Calling and Turn‐by‐Turn
Navigation.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Doors
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . 2-13
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-15
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . 2-18
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-19
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-9
This feature will not operate if the
key is in the ignition.
This feature can be programmed by
using the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See“DELAY DOOR LOCK”
under Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑47.
Automatic Door Locks
Vehicles with an automatic
lock/unlock feature enable you
to program the vehicle's power
door locks. This feature can
be programmed through the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑47
for more information.
Lockout Protection
This feature protects you from
locking the key in the vehicle when
the key is in the ignition and a front
door is open.
If the driver side power door lock
switch is pressed when the driver's
door is open and the key is in the
ignition, all of the doors will lock and
then the driver door will unlock.
If the passenger side power door
lock switch is pressed when the
front passenger door is open and
the key is in the ignition, all of the
doors will lock and then the front
passenger door will unlock.
Safety Locks
The vehicle has rear door security
locks to prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the
inside.
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-13
Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate
To change the liftgate to manual
operation, press the switch on the
center console to the OFF position.
A message displays, POWER
LIFTGATE OFF, to indicate that the
liftgate is manual operation mode.
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑25
or Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Without DIC Buttons) on page 5‑30
for more information. With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed.
To open the liftgate, press the
touchpad on the handle on the
outside of the liftgate and lift the
gate open. To close the liftgate,
use the pull cup to lower the liftgate
and close. The liftgate latch will
power close. Always close the
liftgate before driving.
If the RKE button or the power close
button on the liftgate is pressed
while power operation is disabled,
the lights will flash three times,
but the liftgate will not move.
It is not recommended that
you drive with the liftgate open.
However, if you must drive with
the liftgate open, the liftgate should
be set to manual operation by
pressing the OFF switch on the
center console.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
On vehicles with an anti-theft alarm
system, to activate the system:
.PressQon the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter or the
power door lock switch when
any door is open.
The security light flashes.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
2-14 Keys, Doors and Windows
When the door is closed, the
security light stops flashing and
stays on solid for approximately
30 seconds. The content theft
deterrent alarm is not armed
until the security light goes off.
If the delayed locking feature is
active, the alarm is not activated
until all doors are closed and the
security light goes off.
.PressQwhen the driver door
is closed. The security light
comes on solid for approximately
30 seconds and then goes off.
The content theft deterrent alarm
is not armed until the security
light goes off.
The theft-deterrent system will not
activate if the doors are locked with
the vehicle's key or the manual
door lock.
If a locked door is opened without
using the RKE transmitter, a
ten second pre-alarm occurs.
The horn chirps and the lights flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing
Q
during the ten second pre-alarm,
the alarm goes off. The headlamps
flash and the horn sounds for
about 30 seconds, then turns
off to save the battery power.
The vehicle can be started with the
correct ignition key if the alarm has
been set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.Lock the vehicle with the door
key after the doors are closed.
.Unlock the door with the RKE
transmitter. Unlocking a door
any other way sets off the alarm
if the system has been armed.
Press
Kor place the key in the
ignition and turn it to START to
turn off the alarm.
Testing the Alarm
To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver side window and open
the driver door.
2. Press
Q.
3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait for the security
light to go out.
4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the door with
the manual door lock and open
the door. This should set off
the alarm.
If the alarm does not sound when it
should, but the vehicle's headlamps
flash, check to see if the horn
works. The horn fuse may be blown.
To replace the fuse, see Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 10‑32.
If the alarm does not sound or the
vehicle's headlamps do not flash,
see your dealer for service.

Black plate (15,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-15
Immobilizer
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑20 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
This vehicle has PASS-Key®III+
(Personalized Automotive Security
System) theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key
®III+ is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the key is turned
to ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY
or START from the LOCK/OFF
position.
You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system. The security light comes on if
there is a problem with arming
or disarming the theft-deterrent
system.
When the PASS-Key
®III+ system
senses an incorrect key, the vehicle
does not start. Anyone using a
trial-and-error method to start the
vehicle will be discouraged because
of the high number of electrical key
codes.
If the engine does not start and
the security light on the instrument
panel comes on when trying to start
the vehicle, there may be a problem
with your theft-deterrent system.
Turn the ignition off and try again.
If the engine still does not start,
and the key appears to be
undamaged, try another ignition
key and check the fuses. See Fuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 10‑32
for additional information. If the
engine still does not start with the
other key, the vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle does start, the first key
may be faulty. See your dealer who can service the PASS-Key
®III+
to have a new key made. In an
emergency, contact Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑8 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑10.
It is possible for the PASS-Key
®III+
decoder to learn the transponder
value of a new or replacement key.
Up to 10 keys may be programmed
to the vehicle. The following
procedure is for programming
additional keys only. If all the
currently programmed keys are
lost or do not operate, you must
see your dealer or a locksmith who
can service PASS-Key
®III+ to have
keys made and programmed to the
system.
See your dealer or a locksmith who
can service PASS-Key
®III+ to get a
new key blank that is cut exactly as
the ignition key that operates the
system.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
2-16 Keys, Doors and Windows
To program the new additional key:
1. Verify that the new key hasa
1stamped on it.
2. Insert the already programmed key in the ignition and start the
engine. If the engine does not
start, see your dealer for service.
3. After the engine has started, turn the key to LOCK/OFF,
and remove the key.
4. Insert the key to be programmed and turn it to the ON/RUN
position within five seconds of
the original key being turned to
the LOCK/OFF position.
The security light turns off once
the key has been programmed.
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 if additional keys are to be
programmed. If the PASS-Key
®III+ key is lost
or damaged, see your dealer or a
locksmith to have a new key made.
The SERVICE THEFT
DETERRENT SYSTEM message
displays on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when there is a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. See Anti-Theft Alarm
System Messages on page 5‑43
for additional information.
Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the theft
deterrent system in the vehicle.Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.