Page 61 of 468
Black plate (5,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Power Lumbar
If available, press and hold the front
or rear of control to increase or
decrease lumbar support. Release
the control when the seatback
reaches the desired level of lumbar
support.
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.
The safety belt cannot properly
restrain you, and you could be
injured or killed.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.
Page 62 of 468

Black plate (6,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
3-6 Seats and Restraints
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to thedesired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
Page 65 of 468

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.
Page 66 of 468
Black plate (10,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seats
A. Seat Adjustment Handle
B. Reclining Seatback Strap
C. Sliding Seat Lever
Entering and Exiting the
Third Row
{WARNING
Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden
stop or crash. Be sure to return
the seat to the passenger seating
position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into
place.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
To access the third row:
1. Remove objects on the floor in front of or on the second row
seat, or in the seat tracks on
the floor.
2. Move the front center console armrest completely forward.
See Center Console Storage on
page 4‑2.
Page 68 of 468

Black plate (12,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
3-12 Seats and Restraints
To return the seatback to the
seating position, lift the upper corner
of the seatback and push it
rearward until it locks into place.
Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked. Pull up on
the head restraint to return it to the
upright, locked position.
Adjusting the Seats
To adjust the second row seats, pull
outward on the seat adjustment
handle (A). Slide the seat forward or
rearward to the desired position.
Release the handle, and push and
pull on the seat to make sure it is
locked.
Third Row Seats
{WARNING
Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or pushed forward in the
entry position, could cause injury
in a sudden stop or crash. Be
sure to return the seat to the
passenger seating position. Push
and pull on the seat to make sure
it is locked into place.
Folding the Seatback
Notice:Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat. To fold the third row seatback:
1. Remove anything on or under
the seat.2. Disconnect the rear safety beltmini-latch using a key in the slot
on the mini-buckle, and let the
belt retract into the headliner.
Stow the mini-latch in the holder
in the headliner.
Page 69 of 468

Black plate (13,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-13
3. Pull up on the release lever onthe back of the seat.
4. Push the seatback forward to lay flat.
Returning the Seat to the
Seating Position
To return the seatback to the
seating position:
1. From the rear of the vehicle,raise the seatback to the upright
position using the pullstrap on
the back of the third row seat,
or lift the seatback and push it
into place from inside the
vehicle.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash.
The person wearing the belt could
be seriously injured. After raising
the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts
are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.
3. Reconnect the center safety belt mini-latch to the mini-buckle.
Do not let it twist.
4. Pull on the safety belt to be sure the mini-latch is secure.
Page 71 of 468

Black plate (15,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-15
Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑15 for additional information.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the
safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Page 73 of 468

Black plate (17,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-17
.Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{WARNING
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.
.Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted.
.Never wear the shoulder belt
under both arms or behind
your back.
.Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating
position with a detachable safety
belt and the safety belt is not
attached, see“Returning the Seat to
the Seating Position” underThird
Row Seats on page 3‑12 for
instruction on reconnecting the
safety belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go
back all the way and start again.