Black plate (90,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-90 Vehicle Care
The remote negative (−) terminal
is a stud located on the right
front of the engine, where the
negative battery cable attaches.
SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 10‑6 for more
information on the location of the
remote positive (+) and remote
negative (−) terminals.
{WARNING
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Using an open flame near a
battery can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
Black plate (95,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-95
{WARNING
Shifting a four-wheel-drive
vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). The driver or others
could be injured. Make sure the
parking brake is firmly set before
the transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral).
4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting into
Neutral” under“Four-Wheel
Drive” for the proper procedure
to select the Neutral position for
the vehicle.
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is
firmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF and remove the key —the
steering wheel will still turn. After towing, see
“Shifting Out of
Neutral” under“Four-Wheel Drive”
for the proper procedure to take the
vehicle out of the Neutral position.
Dolly Towing –Front Towing
(Front Wheels Off the Ground)
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles and
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
with a Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
Notice: If a two-wheel drive
vehicle or a four-wheel drive
vehicle with a single speed automatic transfer case is towed
with the rear wheels on the
ground, the transmission could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Never tow the vehicle
with the rear wheels on the
ground.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles and
four-wheel drive vehicles with a
single speed automatic transfer
case should not be towed with the
rear wheels on the ground.
Two-wheel-drive transmissions have
no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed. Four-wheel
drive vehicles with a single speed
automatic transfer case have no
neutral position and will spin the
transmission when the rear
wheels turn.
Black plate (96,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-96 Vehicle Care
To dolly tow a two‐wheel‐drive
vehicle or a four-wheel drive
vehicle with a single speed
automatic transfer case, the
vehicle must be towed with the
rear wheels on the dolly. See“Rear
Towing (Rear Wheels Off the
Ground)” later in this section for
more information. Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
with a Two Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
Use the following procedure to dolly
tow a four-wheel drive vehicle from
the front:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow
vehicle following the dolly
manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the front wheels onto the dolly. 3. Shift the transmission to
P (Park).
4. Firmly set the parking brake.
{WARNING
Shifting a four-wheel-drive
vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). The driver or others
could be injured. Make sure the
parking brake is firmly set before
the transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral).
5. Use an adequate clamping device designed for towing to
ensure that the front wheels are
locked into the straight position.
Black plate (98,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-98 Vehicle Care
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles with a
Two Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
Use the following procedure to dolly
tow a four-wheel drive vehicle from
the rear:
1. Attach the dolly to the towvehicle following the dolly
manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the dolly.
3. Firmly set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑51.
4. Put the transmission in P (Park).
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the manufacturer's
instructions.
6. Use an adequate clamping device designed for towing to
ensure that the front wheels are
locked into the straight position.{WARNING
Shifting a four-wheel-drive
vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). The driver or others
could be injured. Make sure the
parking brake is firmly set before
the transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral).
7. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting into
N (Neutral)” under“Four-Wheel
Drive”.
8. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of
N (Neutral)” under“Four-Wheel
Drive”.
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will
make them last longer, seal better,
and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth.
During very cold, damp weather
frequent application may be
required. See Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Washing the Vehicle
The best way to preserve the
vehicle's finish is to keep it clean by
washing it often.
Notice: Certain cleaners contain
chemicals that can damage the
emblems or nameplates on the
vehicle. Check the cleaning
product label. If it states that it
should not be used on plastic
parts, do not use it on the vehicle
Black plate (105,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-105
Wood Panels
Use a clean cloth moistened in
warm, soapy water (use mild dish
washing soap). Dry the wood
immediately with a clean cloth.
Speaker Covers
Vacuum around a speaker cover
gently, so that the speaker will not
be damaged. Clean spots with just
water and mild soap.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able
to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Floor Mats
{WARNING
If a floor mat is the wrong size or
is not properly installed, it can
interfere with the accelerator
pedal and/or brake pedal.
Interference with the pedals can
cause unintended acceleration
and/or increased stopping
distance which can cause a crash
and injury. Make sure the floor
mat does not interfere with the
accelerator or brake pedal.Use the following guidelines for
proper floor mat usage.
.The original equipment floor
mats were designed for the
vehicle. If the floor mats need
replacing, it is recommended
that GM certified floor mats be
purchased. Non-GM floor mats
may not fit properly and may
interfere with the accelerator or
brake pedal. Always check that
the floor mats do not interfere
with the pedals.
.Use the floor mat with the
correct side up. Do not turn
it over.
.Do not place anything on top of
the driver side floor mat.
.Use only a single floor mat on
the driver side.
.Do not place one floor mat on
top of another.
Black plate (2,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
11-2 Service and Maintenance
.Use the recommended fuel.
SeeRecommended Fuel on
page 9‑68.
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous. Some jobs can
cause serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if you
have the required know-how and
the proper tools and equipment.
If in doubt, see your dealer to
have a qualified technician do
the work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4.
At your dealer, you can be certain
that you will receive the highest
level of service available. Your
dealer has specially trained
service technicians, uses genuine
replacement parts, as well as,
up‐to‐date tools and equipment
to ensure fast and accurate
diagnostics. The proper replacement parts,
fluids, and lubricants to use are
listed in
Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7 and
Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 11‑9. We recommend the use
of genuine parts from your dealer.
Rotation of New Tires
To maintain ride, handling, and
performance of the vehicle, it is
important that the first rotation
service for new tires be performed.
Tires should be rotated every
12 000 km/7,500 miles. See Tire
Rotation on page 10‑62.
Scheduled
Maintenance
When the Change Engine Oil
Soon Message Displays
Change engine oil and filter. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑7. An
Emission Control Service.
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, service is
required for the vehicle as soon as
possible, within the next 1 000 km/
600 miles. If driving under the best
conditions, the engine oil life system
might not indicate the need for
vehicle service for more than a year.
The engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and
the oil life system must be reset.
Your dealer has trained service
technicians who will perform
this work and reset the system.
Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . . 9-35
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-94
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-94
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44 Airbag System (cont.)
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-41
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-19
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Alarm System Anti-Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Antenna Rear Side Window . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-45
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Audio System
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Rear Seat (RSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-37 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Auxiliary
Roof Mounted Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Black plate (2,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-33
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
Brake Pedal and AdjustableThrottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-28 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-38
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10, 2-11
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Cargo
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-33
Child Restraints
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Securing . . . . . . . . . . 3-69, 3-72, 3-73
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40