2011 GMC YUKON service

Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
CaliforniaProposition 65 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 Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58

Black plate (2,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure MonitorOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-84
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-87Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-105
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Black plate (3,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-3
California
Proposition 65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance
and safety, including such things
as airbags, braking, stability, ride
and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or
the installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software 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, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑52.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
{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. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑12. This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see
Airbag System
Check on page 3‑53.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date
of any service work performed.
See Maintenance Records on
page 11‑10.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-8 Vehicle Care
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow
loop. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 10‑6 for the
location of the engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth,
then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick, add
1 L (1 qt) of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section for an explanation
of what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
Notice: Do not add too much
oil. Oil levels above or below
the acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that
you have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade:
Specification
Use and ask for engine oils with
the dexos™ certification mark. Oils
meeting the requirements of the
vehicle should have the dexos
certification mark on the container.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-9
This certification mark indicates that
the oil has been approved to the
dexos specification.
This vehicle was filled at the factory
with dexos‐approved engine oil.
Notice:Use only engine oil
that is approved to the dexos
specification or an equivalent
engine oil of the appropriate
viscosity grade. Engine
oils approved to the dexos
specification will show the
dexos symbol on the container.
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can
result in engine damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are unsure whether the
oil is approved to the dexos
specification, ask your service
provider.
Use of Substitute Engine Oils if
dexos is unavailable: In the event
that dexos‐approved engine oil is
not available at an oil change or for
maintaining proper oil level, you
may use substitute engine oil
displaying the API Starburst symbol
and of SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade.
Use of oils that do not meet the
dexos specification, however, may
result in reduced performance under
certain circumstances.
Viscosity Grade
SAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity
grade for the vehicle. Do not
use other viscosity oils such as
SAE 10W‐30, 10W‐40, or 20W-50.
Cold Temperature Operation:
In an area of extreme cold,
where the temperature falls
below
−29°C (−20°F), an
SAE 0W-30 oil should be used.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-11
It is possible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an
oil change is not necessary for
up to a year. The engine oil and
filter must be changed at least
once a year and, at this time, the
system must be reset. For vehicles
without the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message, an oil change
is needed when the OIL LIFE
REMAINING percentage is near
0%. Your dealer has trained service
people who will perform this work
and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is
changed.How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. Always reset the
engine oil life to 100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself. To
reset the system on most vehicles:
1. Display the OIL LIFEREMAINING on the DIC.
If the vehicle does not have
DIC buttons, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) to access this
display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.
2. Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the DIC, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, for more than
five seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%. On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display the OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the
display shows 100%, the system
is reset. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑28.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message and
it comes back on when the vehicle
is started and/or the OIL LIFE
REMAINING is near 0%, the engine
oil life system has not been reset.
Repeat the procedure.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-12 Vehicle Care
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
When to Check and Change
Automatic Transmission Fluid
It is usually not necessary to
check the transmission fluid level.
The only reason for fluid loss is a
transmission leak or overheated
transmission. If a small leak is
suspected, then use the following
checking procedures to check the
fluid level. However, if there is a
large leak, then it may be necessary
to have the vehicle towed to a
dealer service department and have
it repaired before driving the vehicle
further.
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. Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
listed in
Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2. Be sure to use the
transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑7.
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Notice: Too much or too
little fluid can damage the
transmission. Too much can
mean that some of the fluid could
come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts,
starting a fire. Too little fluid
could cause the transmission
to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if checking the
transmission fluid. Before checking the fluid level,
prepare the vehicle as follows:
1. Start the engine and park the
vehicle on a level surface. Keep
the engine running.
2. Apply the parking brake and place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever
through each gear range,
pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, move the
shift lever back to P (Park).
4. Allow the engine to idle (500 –800 rpm) for at least
1 minute. Slowly release the
brake pedal.
5. Keep the engine running and press the Trip/Fuel button or
trip odometer reset stem until
TRANS TEMP (Transmission
Temperature) displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).