2012 GMC CANYON coolant temperature

Black plate (23,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-23
6. Start the engine and let it rununtil the upper radiator hose can
be felt getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator filler neck
might be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
DEX‐COOL coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the
level reaches the base of the
filler neck.
8. Replace the pressure cap. 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 a coolant
temperature gauge displayed on the
instrument panel to warn if the
engine is overheating. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑9. If the engine is too hot,
the air conditioning might stop
working. This is normal and helps
cool the engine.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when the 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. If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine and have the
vehicle serviced.
The engine cooling fan speed
should increase when idle speed is
doubled by pushing the accelerator
pedal down. If it does not, the
vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
Notice:
Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by
the warranty.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
because of being driven with no
coolant, the vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
10-24 Vehicle Care
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{WARNING
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
.Tows a trailer. See“Driving on
Grades” underTrailer Towing on
page 9‑58.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows as
necessary. 3. In heavy traffic, let the engine
idle in N (Neutral) while stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off the
road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge
is no longer in the overheat zone or
an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until
it cools down.

Black plate (26,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
10-26 Vehicle Care
What to Use
To determine what kind of fluid to
use, seeRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑13. Always
use the proper fluid.
Notice: Use of the incorrect fluid
may damage the vehicle and the
damages may not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Always
use the correct fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑13.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for reservoir location. Notice
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer's instructions
for adding water.
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
Also, water does not clean as
well as washer fluid.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for
fluid expansion if freezing
occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-3
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-15
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
CoolantEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . 5-9
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5, 13-6
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-17
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1, 13-3D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-15
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-20
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-19
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-13 Driving (cont'd)
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
E
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . 5-9
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18

Black plate (5,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-56
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-13 Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii