
Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
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 5‑46for 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
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 (11,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
Power Liftgate
On vehicles with a power liftgate,
the vehicle must be in P (Park) to
operate. The taillamps flash and a
chime sounds when the power
liftgate moves.
{WARNING
You or others could be injured if
caught in the path of the power
liftgate. Make sure there is no one
in the way of the liftgate as it is
opening and closing.
The power liftgate can be power
opened and closed in the
following ways:
.Press and hold8on the
RKE transmitter. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
.PressO.
.Press the touch pad on the
outside liftgate handle.
Pressing the buttons or touch pad a
second time while the liftgate is
moving reverses the direction.
Power Liftgate Touch Pad
The liftgate can also be closed by
pressing
lnext to the liftgate
latch. Press
la second time
during the liftgate operation to
reverse the operation.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures or under low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can be operated manually.
If the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park) while the liftgate power
function is in progress, it will

Black plate (12,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
continue to completion. If the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park)
and accelerated before the power
liftgate latch closes, the liftgate
may reverse to the open position.
Cargo could fall out of the vehicle.
Always make sure the power liftgate
is closed and latched before
driving away.
If the power liftgate is used and the
liftgate support struts have lost
pressure, the taillamps will flash and
a chime will sound. The liftgate will
stay open temporarily, and then
slowly close. See a dealer for
service before using the liftgate if
this occurs.
Obstacle Detection Features
A warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or
open position if an obstacle is
encountered during a power open or
close cycle. After removing the
obstacle the liftgate will resume
normal operation.If more obstacles are encountered
on the same power cycle, the power
function deactivates, and the liftgate
must be opened or closed manually.
A message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) to indicate
that the liftgate is open. See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Without
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑30 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑25.
After removing the obstacles,
manually open the liftgate fully or
close and latch the liftgate.
The liftgate will resume normal
power operation.
The vehicle has pinch sensors
located on the side edges of the
liftgate. If an object is caught
between the liftgate and the body of
the vehicle and presses against a
sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually. Do not
force the liftgate open or closed
during a power cycle.Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate
To change the liftgate to manual
operation, press OFF on the power
liftgate switch. A message displays
on the DIC indicating manual
operation mode. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) (Without
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑30 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑25.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19
Using the Outside Mirror with
the Blind Spot Mirror
1. Set the main mirror so that theside of the vehicle can just be
seen and the blind spot mirror
has an unobstructed view.
2. When checking for traffic or before changing a lane, look at
the main driver/passenger side
mirror to observe traffic in the
adjacent lane, behind your
vehicle. Check the blind spot
mirror for a vehicle in the blind
zone. Then, glance over your
shoulder to double check
before moving slowly into the
adjacent lane.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has the memory
package, the outside mirrors have a
park tilt feature. This feature tilts the
outside mirrors to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This allows the driver
to view the curb for parallel parking.
The passenger and/or driver mirror
returns to its original position
when the vehicle is shifted out of
R (Reverse), or the ignition is turned
off or to OFF/LOCK.
This feature can be turned on or off
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑46 for more information.
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Adjust the inside rearview mirror
for a clear view of the area behind
your vehicle. To avoid glare of
the headlamps from behind,
move the lever to the right for
nighttime use and to the center for
daytime use.
Vehicles with OnStar have three
control buttons located at the
bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer for more information about
OnStar and how to subscribe to it.
SeeOnStar Overview on page 14‑1.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
2-20 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature comes on and the indicator
light illuminates each time the
ignition is turned to start.
O(On/Off):Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
The vehicle may also have a Rear
Vision Camera (RVC). See Rear
Vision Camera (RVC) on page 9‑35
for more information. If the vehicle has a RVC, the
O
button for turning the dimming
feature on or off will not be
available.
Vehicles with OnStar have three
additional control buttons for the
OnStar system. See
OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Memory Remote Recall
The memory feature can recall the
driver seat and outside mirrors to
stored positions when entering the
vehicle.
To activate, unlock the driver door
with the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. The driver
seat and outside mirrors will move
to the memory position associated
with the transmitter used to unlock
the vehicle.
This feature is turned on or off using
the vehicle personalization menu.
SeeVehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑46 for more
information.
To stop recall movement, press one
of the power seat controls, memory
buttons, or the power mirror buttons.
If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling a memory
position, the recall may stop. Remove the obstruction; then press
and hold the appropriate manual
control for the memory item that is
not recalling for two seconds.
Try recalling the memory position
again by pressing the appropriate
memory button. If the memory
position is still not recalling, see
your dealer for service.
Easy Exit Driver Seat
This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.
S(Easy Exit Driver Seat):
Press
to recall the easy exit seat position.
The vehicle must be in P (Park).
If the easy exit seat feature is
programmed on in the vehicle
personalization menu, automatic
seat movement occurs when the
ignition key is removed. A single beep sounds. The driver
seat moves back approximately
8 cm (3 in). To move the seat back
farther, press
Sagain until the seat
is all the way back.
If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling the exit position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
power seat control rearward for
two seconds. Try recalling the exit
position again. If the exit position is
still not recalling, see your dealer for
service.
See Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑46 for
more information.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-9
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 Cooled
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(Cooled Seat): If available,
press to cool the entire seat.
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 cooled 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.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear WindowWiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-15
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-18
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-22
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light . . . 5-22
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (With DIC Buttons) . . . 5-25
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Without DIC
Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-38
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-40
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-40
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-41
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41