2012 GMC ACADIA service

Black plate (2,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
2012 GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-23
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-30
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-34
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-53
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-14
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Customer Information
. . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-2
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-19
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (3,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem, ACADIA, and
DENALI are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.
Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name
“General
Motors of Canada Limited” for GMC
wherever it appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20906534 B Second Printing©2011 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Dangerindicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning orCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury
or death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage.
This would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is
a safety symbol which means
“Do Not,” “Do not do this,” or
“Do not let this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

Black plate (18,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
1-18 In Brief
Each page of favorites can contain
any combination of AM, FM, or XM
stations.
SeeAM-FM Radio on page 7‑7.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
radio with CD, DVD, and USB Port:
1. Turn the ignition key to
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN,
then press
Oto turn the
radio on.
2. Press
Hto display HR, MIN,
MM, DD, YYYY (hour, minute,
month, day, and year).
3. Press the pushbutton located under any one of the labels
to be changed.
4. To increase or decrease the time or date, turn
fclockwise or
counterclockwise.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for the vehicle's specific
audio system, see Clock on
page 5‑8.
Satellite Radio
Vehicles with an XM™ satellite radio
tuner and a valid XM satellite radio
subscription can receive XM
programming.
XM Satellite Radio Service
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces. XM
satellite radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free
music, coast to coast, and in
digital-quality sound. A fee is
required to receive the XM service.
For more information refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.).
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada).
For more information, see Satellite
Radio on page 7‑8.
Portable Audio Devices
This vehicle may have an auxiliary
input located on the radio faceplate
and a USB port located in the
instrument panel storage area.
External devices such as iPods™,
laptop computers, MP3 players,
CD changers, USB storage
devices, etc. can be connected to
the auxiliary port using a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) input jack or the USB port
depending on the audio system.
See Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑36.

Black plate (25,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-25
Online Owner Center
(U.S. and Canada)
The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.
Sign up today at:
U.S.: gmc.com (click on
“Owners,”then“Manage My
GMC/Owners Login”)
Canada: gmcowner.caOnStar®
If equipped, this vehicle has a
comprehensive, in-vehicle system
that can connect to a live Advisor
for Emergency, Security, Navigation,
Connection, and Diagnostic
Services. See OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1 for more information.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
SeeRadio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑22 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑3.
With Remote Start and Power
Liftgate Shown, Without Similar
/(Remote Vehicle Start):
For vehicles with this feature,
see Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for additional information.
Q(Lock):Press to lock all the
doors.
If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
parking lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred. If enabled
through the DIC, the horn sounds
when
Qis pressed again within
five seconds. See Vehicle
Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑46 for additional
information.
Pressing
Qmay arm the
content theft‐deterrent system.
See Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑13.

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 (14,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
The headlamps flash and the horn
sounds for about 30 seconds, then
turns off to save the battery power.
The vehicle can be started with the
correct ignition key if the alarm has
been set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:
.Lock the vehicle with the door
key after the doors are closed.
.Unlock the door with the RKE
transmitter. Unlocking a door any
other way sets off the alarm if
the system has been armed.
Press
Kor place the key in the
ignition and turn it to START to turn
off the alarm.
Testing the Alarm
To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver side window, and open
the driver door.
2. Press
Q.
3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door, and wait for the security
light to go out.
4. Reach in through the window, unlock the door with the manual
door lock, and open the door.
This should set off the alarm.
If the alarm does not sound when it
should, but the headlamps flash,
check to see if the horn works.
The horn fuse may be blown.
To replace the fuse, see Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 10‑31.
If the alarm does not sound or the
headlamps do not flash, see your
dealer for service.
Immobilizer
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑22 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Immobilizer Operation
This vehicle has PASS-Key®III+
(Personalized Automotive Security
System) theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key III+ is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the key is turned
to ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY,
or START from the LOCK/OFF
position.
You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system.