
Black plate (74,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-74 Vehicle Care
Storing the Spare Tire
{WARNING
The underbody-mounted spare
tire needs to be stored with the
valve stem pointing down. If the
spare tire is stored with the valve
stem pointing upwards, the
secondary latch will not work
properly and the spare tire could
loosen and suddenly fall from the
vehicle. If this happened when
the vehicle was being driven, the
tire might contact a person or
another vehicle, causing injury
and damage to itself. Be sure the
underbody-mounted spare tire
is stored with the valve stem
pointing down.
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
To store the spare tire:
1. Lay the compact spare tire near the rear of the vehicle with the
valve stem down.
2. Reinstall the plastic spare tire heat shield on the compact
spare tire.
3. Slide the cable retainer through the center of the wheel and start
to raise the compact spare tire.
Make sure the retainer is fully
seated across the underside of
the wheel. 4. When the compact spare tire is
almost in the stored position,
turn the tire so the valve is
toward the rear of the vehicle.
This position helps when
checking the air pressure in the
compact spare tire.
5. Raise the tire fully against the underside of the vehicle.
Continue turning the wrench until
you feel more than two clicks.
This indicates that the compact
spare tire is secure and the
cable is tight. The spare tire
hoist cannot be overtightened.

Black plate (75,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-75
6. Make sure the tire is storedsecurely. Push, pull (A), and then
try to turn (B) the tire. If the tire
moves, use the wrench to
tighten the cable.
Storing the Flat Tire
1. Remove the cable package fromthe jack storage area.
2. Remove the small center cap by tapping the back of the cap with
the extension of the shaft, if the
vehicle has aluminum wheels. 3. Put the flat tire in the rear
storage area with the valve stem
pointing toward the rear of the
vehicle.
A. Cable
B. Liftgate Hinges
C. Spare Tire Heat Shield
D. Center of the Wheel
E. Door Striker
4. Pull the cable (A) through the door striker (E), the center of the
wheel (D), and the plastic spare
tire heat shield (C), as shown.
5. Hook the cable onto the outsideportion of the liftgate hinges (B).
6. Hook the other end of the cable onto the outside portion of the
liftgate hinge on the other side of
the vehicle.
7. Pull on the cable to make sure it is secure.

Black plate (76,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-76 Vehicle Care
8. Make sure the metal tube iscentered at the striker. Push the
tube toward the front of the
vehicle.
9. Close the liftgate and make sure it is latched properly.
Storing the Tools
A. Tool Bag
B. Wing Bolt
C. Jack
Put back all tools as they were
stored in the jack storage
compartment and put the
compartment cover back on.
1. Ensure that the bottom of thejack is facing toward you.
2. Replace the tool bag (A). 3. Turn the jack (C) on its side and
place down on the holding
bracket.
4. Reinstall the wing bolt (B) by turning clockwise.
5. To replace the cover, line up the tab at the front of the cover with
the notch in the cover opening.
Push the cover in place and
make sure that the rear clips are
in the slots and push the cover
closed.
Store the center cap or the plastic
bolt‐on wheel covers until a full size
tire is put back on the vehicle.
When you replace the compact
spare with a full‐size tire, reinstall
the bolt‐on wheel covers or the
center cap. Hand‐tighten them over
the wheel nuts, using the wrench.

Black plate (77,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-77
Compact Spare Tire
{WARNING
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time
could result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
The compact spare tire, if the
vehicle has one, was fully inflated
when the vehicle was new, however,
it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly.
It should be 420 kPa (60 psi).
After installing the compact spare
on the vehicle, stop as soon as
possible and make sure the
spare tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare is made to
perform well at speeds up to
105 km/h (65 mph) for distances up
to 5 000 km (3,000 mi), so you can
finish your trip and have the full-size
tire repaired or replaced at your
convenience. Of course, it is best to
replace the spare with a full-size tire
as soon as possible. The spare tire
will last longer and be in good
shape in case it is needed again.
Notice:
When the compact
spare is installed, do not take the
vehicle through an automatic
car wash with guide rails.
The compact spare can get
caught on the rails which can
damage the tire, wheel, and
other parts of the vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles. And do not mix the compact spare
tire or wheel with other wheels or
tires. They will not fit. Keep the
spare tire and its wheel together.
The All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system
will be automatically disabled
when you use the compact spare.
To restore the AWD and prevent
excessive wear on the clutch in your
AWD, replace the compact spare
tire with a full-size tire as soon as
possible.
Notice:
Tire chains will not fit the
compact spare. Using them can
damage the vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Do not
use tire chains on the compact
spare.

Black plate (78,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-78 Vehicle Care
Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery on
page 10‑25.
If the vehicle's battery has run
down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must
have a 12‐volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able to start
your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake.
If one of the vehicles is a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case is not in
Neutral.
Notice: If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.

Black plate (82,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-82 Vehicle Care
Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice:To avoid damage, the
disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the
ground. Care must be taken with
vehicles that have low ground
clearance and/or special
equipment. Always flatbed on
a car carrier.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑8 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motor home, see
“Recreational Vehicle Towing” in
this section.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle –such as behind a
motorhome. The two most common
types of recreational vehicle towing
are known as dinghy towing and
dolly towing. Dinghy towing is
towing the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground. Dolly towing
is towing the vehicle with two
wheels on the ground and two
wheels up on a device known as
a dolly. Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:.What is the towing capacity
of the towing vehicle?
Be sure to read the tow
vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will
be travelled? Some vehicles
have restrictions on how far and
how long they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment
going to be used? See your
dealer or trailering professional
for additional advice and
equipment recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.

Black plate (83,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-83
Dinghy Towing
If the vehicle is front-wheel‐drive, it
can be dinghy towed from the front.
These vehicles may also be towed
by putting the front wheels on a
dolly. See“Dolly Towing” later in this
section. If the vehicle is all‐wheel‐drive, it
can be dinghy towed from the front.
These vehicles can also be towed
by placing them on a platform trailer
with all four wheels off of the
ground. These vehicles cannot be
towed using a dolly.
For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about five minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components. Reinstall
the fuse to start the vehicle.
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to be
towed, shift the transmission to
P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF.
2. Secure the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
5. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).

Black plate (84,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-84 Vehicle Care
6. To prevent the battery fromdraining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the
20 amp ECM1 fuse and the
50 amp BATT1 fuse from the
underhood fuse block and store
in a safe location. See Engine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10‑31.
7. Release the parking brake.
Notice: If the vehicle is towed
without performing each of the
steps listed under “Dinghy
Towing,” the automatic
transmission could be damaged.
Be sure to follow all steps of the
dinghy towing procedure prior to
and after towing the vehicle.
Notice: If 105 km/h (65 mph) is
exceeded while towing the
vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 105 km/h (65 mph)
while towing the vehicle. Once the destination is reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Reinstall the fuses in the
underhood fuse block.
3. Shift the transmission to P (Park), turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF and remove the key
from the ignition.
4. Disconnect the vehicle from the towing vehicle.
Notice: Do not tow a vehicle with
the front drive wheels on the
ground if one of the front tires is
a compact spare tire. Towing with
two different tire sizes on the
front of the vehicle can cause
severe damage to the
transmission.Dolly Towing (All-Wheel‐Drive
Vehicles)
All-wheel‐drive vehicles must not be
towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on
a platform trailer with all four wheels
off of the ground or dinghy towed
from the front.