2012 GMC CANYON check engine light

Black plate (24,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
FLUID
This message displays if the brake
fluid is low. Check the brake fluid as
soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
SeeBraking on page 9‑4 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
PARK BRK (Brake)
This message displays when the
parking brake is set. See Parking
Brake on page 9‑42 andAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
The message clears from the
display after the parking brake is
released or by pressing and
releasing the reset stem.
Door Ajar Messages
DOORS
This message displays when one or
more of the doors is ajar. Check all
the doors on your vehicle to make
sure they are closed. The message
clears from the display after all of
the doors are closed.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
AC (Air Conditioning) OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
high and the air conditioning in your
vehicle needs to be turned off. See
Engine Overheating on page 10‑23
and Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 for more information. This
message displays along with the
ENG HOT message.
ENG (Engine) HOT
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is hot.
Check the engine coolant
temperature gauge. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑9. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible if you suspect the engine is
overheating. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑23 for
more information.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE OIL
This message displays when the oil
needs to be changed. Check the oil
in your vehicle as soon as possible
and have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.

Black plate (25,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-25
OIL
This message displays when the oil
pressure is low. SeeEngine Oil
Pressure Light on page 5‑18 and
Engine Oil on page 10‑9 for more
information.
Engine Power Messages
REDUCED POWER
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible. Press and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL CAP
This message displays if the
vehicle's fuel cap is either off or
loose. Pull over as soon as possible
and check to see if the fuel cap is
secure. You may also see the check
engine light on the instrument panel
cluster. If the check engine light
does come on when the fuel cap
was loose, it may take a few driving
trips before the light turns off. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑12
for more information if the
light still remains on. Press and
release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
LOW FUEL
This message displays if the level of
fuel in the vehicle is low. Also check
the fuel gauge. See Fuel Gauge on
page 5‑8 for more information. Refill
the fuel tank as soon as possible.
Lamp Messages
TURN SIGNAL
This message displays when the
turn signal is on for about 1.2 km
(0.75 miles) of travel. Press and
release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.

Black plate (41,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-41
Shifting Out of Neutral
After towing the vehicle, you will
have to shift out of N (Neutral) in
order to drive. To shift out of
N (Neutral), do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and applythe regular brake pedal.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission in P (Park). Use
1 (First) for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral), or press the clutch
pedal for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift position
(Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel
High, or Four-Wheel Low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of N (Neutral), the
indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired position.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that
helps prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle

Black plate (53,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-53
This would allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. If the fuel cap
is not properly installed, the FUEL
CAP message appears on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) and
the check engine light will be lit on
the instrument panel cluster. See
Fuel System Messages on
page 5‑25andMalfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 5‑12 for more
information.
{WARNING
If a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel
by shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice: If a new fuel cap is
needed, be sure to get the right
type of cap from your dealer. The
wrong type of fuel cap might not
fit properly, might cause the
malfunction indicator lamp to light, and could damage the fuel
tank and emissions system. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑12.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you
and others:
.Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
.Do not fill a container while it
is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle's trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Bring the fill nozzle in contact
with the inside of the fill
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling
is complete.
.Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
.Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.

Black plate (60,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
10-60 Vehicle Care
The malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off at the next
ignition cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tire/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear.
See your dealer for service or to
purchase a relearn tool.
There is one minute to match the
first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall to match all
four tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer, the matching process stops
and must be restarted.
The TPMS sensor matching
procedure is:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN withthe engine off.
3. Turn the exterior lamp switch from AUTO to OFF four times
within three seconds. A double
horn chirp will sound and the
TPMS low tire warning light starts flashing. The double horn
chirp and flashing TPMS
warning light indicates the TPMS
matching process has started.
The TPMS warning light should
continue flashing throughout the
matching procedure. The LOW
TIRE message displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
4. Start with the driver side front tire.
5. Place the relearn tool against the tire sidewall, near the valve
stem. Then press the button to
activate the TPMS sensor.
A horn chirp confirms that the
sensor identification code has
been matched to this tire and
wheel position.
6. Proceed to the passenger side front tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5.
7. Proceed to the passenger side rear tire, and repeat the
procedure in Step 5. 8. Proceed to the driver side rear
tire, and repeat the procedure in
Step 5.
9. After hearing the confirming horn chirp for the driver side rear tire,
check to see if the TPMS low tire
warning light and the DIC LOW
TIRE messages have turned off.
If yes, the TPMS sensors have
been relearned. Turn the ignition
switch to LOCK/OFF.
If the low tire warning light and
the SERV TPM message on the
DIC are on after completing
Step 5 for the driver side rear
tire, the sensor relearn process
has not been successful. Turn
the ignition to LOCK/OFF and
repeat the matching process
beginning with Step 2.
10. Set all four tires to the recommended air pressure
level as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
11-10 Service and Maintenance
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it properly
may help to avoid future costly
repairs. To maintain vehicle
performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required. It is recommended that
your dealer perform these
services—their trained dealer
technicians know your vehicle best.
Your dealer can also perform a
thorough assessment with a
multi‐point inspection to recommend
when your vehicle may need
attention. The following list is
intended to explain the services and
conditions to look for that may
indicate services are required. Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing if
they squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians
can inspect the belts and
recommend replacement
when necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑13 for
GM approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that
fluids may be low and need
to be filled.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-17
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27 Airbag System (cont'd)
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-23
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-11
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Anti-theft
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-100
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8, 13-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Audio System Chime Level Adjustment . . . . . . . 5-6
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-3
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32

Black plate (2,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-34
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-15
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-38
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-39
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-12
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-33
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Securing . . . . . . . . . . 3-55, 3-57, 3-59
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-100
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7