2012 GMC ACADIA instrument cluster

Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions.
The fog lamps button is on the
exterior lamps control to the left of
the steering column.
#(Fog Lamps):Press the exterior
lamps button to turn the fog lamps
on or off. A light comes on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
fog lamps are in use. The ignition
must be on for the fog lamps
to work.
When the headlamps are changed
to high beam, the fog lamps turn off.
The fog lamps come back on again
when the high-beam headlamps are
turned off.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The instrument panel brightness
knob is located on the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
column.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): Push the knob in all
the way until it extends out and
then turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to brighten or dim
the lights. Push the knob back in
when finished.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps automatically
come on when a door is opened.
The lamps can also be turned on
manually by fully turning the
instrument panel brightness control
clockwise.
The reading lamps, located on
the headliner above the rearview
mirror, can be turned on or off
independently of the automatic
courtesy lamps, when the doors
are closed.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps are located in the
overhead console and above the
rear seat passengers.
The dome lamps come on when a
door is opened, unless the dome
lamp override button is pressed in.
The lamps can also be turned on
and off by turning the instrument
panel brightness control clockwise
to the farthest position.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-5
Display Function
Each time the temperature, mode,
or fan control buttons are pressed,
the climate control display shows
that function along with the inside
temperature setting. The outside
temperature is displayed on the
instrument panel cluster.
O(On/Off):Press to turn the
climate control system on or off.
While the system is off, outside air
still enters through the floor outlets,
but the air delivery mode can be
adjusted.
The climate control system will also
turn on if either the fan control,
defrost, AUTO, or air conditioning
buttons are pressed.
Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic): The system
automatically controls the inside
temperature, the air delivery, and
the fan speed. To use automatic mode:
1. Press the AUTO button.
When AUTO is selected, the
current temperature(s) selected
and AUTO is shown on the
display. The current air delivery
mode and fan speed also
appear for approximately
five seconds.
When AUTO is selected,
the air conditioning and air inlet
are automatically controlled.
The air conditioning runs when
the outside temperature is over
4°C (40°F). The system is
automatically set to outside air,
unless it is hot outside and
then the air inlet changes to
recirculation mode to help
quickly cool the vehicle.
The recirculation indicator light
will come on. 2. Set the temperature for the
driver and passenger.
To find a comfortable setting,
start with a 22°C (73°F)
temperature setting and allow
about 20 minutes for the
system to regulate. Use the
driver side or passenger side
temperature buttons to adjust
the temperature setting as
necessary. The system will
remain at the selected setting.
Choosing the warmest or coolest
temperatures does not cause
the vehicle to heat or cool more
quickly.
To avoid blowing cold air in
cold weather, the system delays
turning on the fan until warm air
is available. Press the fan
control to override this delay
and select the fan speed.

Black plate (25,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 56 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 56 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
Notice: If the vehicle seems to
accelerate slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle
that way, you could damage the transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away. You can
drive in L (Low) when you are
driving less than 56 km/h (35 mph)
and D (Drive) for higher speeds
until then.
If the vehicle is stopped on a hill,
with your foot off the brake pedal,
the vehicle may roll. This is normal
and is due to the torque converter
designed to improve fuel economy
and performance. Use the brake to
hold the vehicle on a hill. Do not use
the accelerator pedal.
L (Low):
This position gives you
access to gear ranges. This
provides more engine braking but
lower fuel economy than D (Drive).
You can use it on very steep hills,
or in deep snow or mud.
Manual Mode
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose
the top-gear limit of the transmission
and the vehicle's speed while
driving downhill or towing a trailer.
The vehicle has an electronic
shift position indicator within the
instrument panel cluster. When
using the ERS mode a number will
display next to the L, indicating the
current gear that has been selected.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press the plus/minus button located on the shift lever, to
increase or decrease the gear
range available.

Black plate (26,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-26 Driving and Operating
When you shift from D (Drive) to
L (Low), the transmission will shift to
a pre-determined lower gear range.
The highest gear available for this
pre-determined range is displayed
next to the L in the DIC. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Without
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑30 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑25 for more
information. The number displayed
in the DIC is the highest gear that
the transmission will be allowed to
operate in. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the L,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears
are automatically shifted by the
vehicle. The transmission will not
shift into 5 (Fifth) until the + (Plus)
button is used or you shift back
into D (Drive). While in L (Low), the transmission
will prevent shifting to a lower gear
range if the engine speed is too
high. You have a brief period of time
to slow the vehicle. If vehicle speed
is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. You must
further slow the vehicle, then press
the
−(Minus) button to the desired
lower gear range.
Automatic Engine Grade Braking
is not available when the ERS is
active. It is available in D (Drive) for
both normal and Tow/Haul mode.
While using the ERS, cruise control
and the Tow/Haul mode can be
used. See Tow/Haul Mode following.Tow/Haul Mode
_
(Tow/Haul): The vehicle may
have a Tow/Haul mode.
The button is located on the
instrument panel under the climate
controls.
Push the button to activate the
system. Push it again to deactivate
the system. You can use this feature
to assist when towing or hauling a
heavy load.
When Tow/Haul is activated the
Tow/Haul symbol will come on
the instrument panel cluster.
See “Tow/Haul Mode” underDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑45 for more information.

Black plate (30,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-30 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has the StabiliTrak
system which combines antilock
brake, traction, and stability control
systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the
vehicle in most driving conditions.
When you first start the vehicle and
begin to drive away, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 32 km/h (20 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or
activate, one of the following
messages will be displayed on theDriver Information Center (DIC):
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
SERVICE STABILITRAK, the
StabiliTrak light will come on and
stay and four chimes are heard.
If these conditions are observed,
turn the vehicle off, wait
15 seconds, and then turn it back
on again to reset the system. If any
of these messages still appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC),
the vehicle should be taken in for
service. For more information on the
DIC messages, see
Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑42.
The StabiliTrak light will flash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working; this is normal.
The traction control button is
located on the instrument panel.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the traction
control button.
Traction control can be turned on by
pressing and releasing the traction
control button and the appropriate
TRACTION CONTROL ON
message will be displayed, if not
automatically shut off for any other
reason.
When the traction control system
is turned off, the appropriate
TRACTION CONTROL OFF
message will be displayed on the
DIC. The vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when traction
control is off, but will not be able to
use the engine speed management

Black plate (32,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more can
be maintained without keeping your
foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, the
cruise control is disengaged.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.The cruise control buttons are
located on left side of the steering
wheel.
T(On/Off):Press to turn cruise
control on and off. The indicator
comes on when cruise control is on.
+ RES (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET–: Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or to make
the vehicle decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster comes on
after the cruise control has been set
to the desired speed.
1. Press the
Ibutton to turn the
cruise control system on.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Press and release the SET– button located on the steering
wheel.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.

Black plate (18,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-18 Vehicle Care
5. Fill the coolant recovery tank tothe FULL COLD mark.
6. Reinstall the cap on the coolant recovery tank but leave the
radiator pressure cap off.
7. Start the engine and let it run until the upper radiator hose
feels warm. Any time during this
procedure, watch out for the
engine cooling fans. 8. If the coolant level inside the
radiator filler neck is low, add
more of the proper DEX-COOL
coolant mixture through the filler
neck until the level is back up to
the base of the filler neck.
9. Replace the pressure cap. Be sure to secure it tightly.
At any time during this
procedure if coolant begins
to flow out of the filler neck,
reinstall the pressure cap.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument panel cluster.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge on page 5‑14.
The vehicle may also display
an ENGINE OVERHEATED
IDLE ENGINE and ENGINE
OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Engine Cooling
System Messages on page 5‑39.
You may decide not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, but
instead get service help right away.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑8
or Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10.

Black plate (46,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
10-46 Vehicle Care
Your vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS malfunction
indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start‐ups as
long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function
properly.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑46 for
additional information.
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and
with Industry Canada
Standards
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑22 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
Rules and with Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and wheel
assembly, excluding the spare tire
and wheel assembly, if the vehicle
has one. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in the tires
and transmits the tire pressure
readings to a receiver located in
the vehicle.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning light
located on the instrument cluster.