
Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9 Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18 Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Storage Compartments . . . . . . 1-19
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-21
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Black plate (3,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑12.
B. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.
C. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑12.
D. Head-Up Display (HUD) on
page 5‑33 (If Equipped).
E. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
USB Port (Inside IP Storage).
See Auxiliary Devices on
page 7‑37.
F. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
Navigation/Radio System
(If Equipped). See Navigation
System manual.
G. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
H. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
I. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5. J. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑18.
K. Cruise Control on page 9‑33.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
M. Horn on page 5‑4.
N. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
O. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons (If Equipped).
See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (With DIC Buttons) on
page 5‑25 orDriver Information
Center (DIC) (Without DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑30.
P. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4.
Q. Console Shift Lever (If Equipped). See “Console
Shift Lever” underShifting
Into Park on page 9‑21.
R. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3. S.
Cupholders on page 4‑1.
T. Power Outlets on page 5‑9.
U. Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑6.
Traction Control System
(TCS) Disable Button.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑31.
Tow/Haul Button (If Equipped).
See Tow/Haul Mode on
page 9‑28.
Power Liftgate Button
(If Equipped). See Liftgate on
page 2‑10.
V. Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats on page 3‑9
(If Equipped).
W. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑16
(If Equipped).
X. Glove Box on page 4‑1.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-9
Third Row Seats
The third row seatbacks can be
folded forward, and the seats can
be removed.
Pull up on the release lever on
the back of the seat and push the
seatback forward to fold.
SeeThird Row Seats on page 3‑13
for more information.
Heated and Ventilated
Seats
Heated and Ventilated
Seat Buttons Shown,
Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
center console. To operate, the
engine must be running.
I: If available, press to heat the
seatback only.
H: If available, press to ventilate
the entire seat.
J: Press to heat the seat and
seatback. Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and
one for the lowest.
See
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats on page 3‑9 for more
information.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the
head restraint height in the proper
position.
For more information see Head
Restraints on page 3‑2 andSeat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
2-6 Keys, Doors and Windows
If the vehicle has the remote
start feature, the RKE transmitter
functions have an increased range
of operation. However, the range
may be less while the vehicle is
running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter, seeRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2
for additional information.
Starting the Engine Using
Remote Start
To start the vehicle:
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the vehicle.
2. Press
Qon the RKE transmitter.
3. Immediately after completing Step 2, press and hold
/until
the parking lamps flash. If the
vehicle's lights can not be seen,
press and hold
/for at least
four seconds. When the vehicle starts the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on
as long as the engine is running.
The doors will be locked and the
climate control system will operate
automatically if the vehicle has the
automatic system, or at the same
setting as when the vehicle was
last turned off.
If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system and heated
seats, the heated seats turn on
during colder outside temperatures
and shut off when the key is turned
to ON/RUN. See
Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats on page 3‑9
for more information. The rear window defogger and
heated mirrors, if the vehicle has
them, turn on during colder outside
temperatures and turn off when the
key is turned to ON/RUN.
After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to the ON/RUN position to drive the
vehicle.
If the vehicle is left running it
automatically shuts off after
10 minutes unless a time
extension has been done.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-4
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Heated and Ventilated FrontSeats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25 Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-31
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-35
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45 Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-46
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-47
Replacing Airbag System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-53
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-55
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-65
Securing Child Restraints (Right Front
Passenger Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67

Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully withoutapplying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback
will return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust a power seatback,
if equipped:
.Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.
.Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures.
To reduce the risk of burns,
people with such a condition
should use care when using
the seat heater, especially for
long periods of time. Do not
place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such
as a blanket, cushion, cover,
or similar item. This may cause
the seat heater to overheat.
An overheated seat heater may
cause a burn or may damage
the seat.
Heated and Ventilated
Seat Buttons Shown,
Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
center console. To operate, the
engine must be running.
I (Heated Seatback): If available,
press to heat the seatback only.
H(Ventilated Seat): If available,
press to ventilate the entire seat.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
3-10 Seats and Restraints
J(Heated Seat and Seatback):
Press to heat the seat and
seatback.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and
one for the lowest.
The passenger heated seat may
take longer to heat up.
The heated and/or ventilated seats
are canceled after the ignition is
turned off. Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the heated
seats may turn on automatically
during a remote vehicle start.
The heated seats will be canceled
when the ignition is turned on.
Press the desired heated seat
button to use the heated seats
after the vehicle is started.
The heated seat button lights will
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature of an unoccupied
seat may be reduced.
See
Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for more information.Rear Seats
A. Seat Adjustment Handle
B. Reclining Seatback Strap
C. Sliding Seat Lever

Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Floor Console Storage . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Front Fog Lamps Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . 3-9 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-43
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-42
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-43
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-55Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Gauges Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8