
Black plate (96,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
10-96 Vehicle Care
4. Put an automatic transmission inP (Park) or a manual
transmission in 1 (First).
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the manufacturer's
instructions.
6. Use an adequate clamping device designed for towing to
ensure that the front wheels are
locked into the straight position.
{WARNING
Shifting a full‐time four‐wheel‐
drive vehicle's transfer case into
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the automatic
transmission is in P (Park) or the
manual transmission is in any
gear. You or others could be
injured. Make sure the parking
brake is firmly set before the
transfer case is shifted to
N (Neutral). 7. Shift the transfer case to
N (Neutral). See “Shifting into
N (Neutral)” underFour-Wheel
Drive on page 10‑30.
8. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF. If the vehicle being towed will
not be started or driven for six
weeks or more, remove the
battery cable from the negative
terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent the battery from
draining.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of
N (Neutral)” underFour-Wheel Drive
on page 10‑30.
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
Notice: Do not use petroleum
based, acidic, or abrasive
cleaning agents as they can
damage the vehicle's paint, metal,
or plastic parts. If damage
occurs, it would not be covered
by the vehicle's warranty.
Approved cleaning products can
be obtained from your dealer.
Follow all manufacturer
directions regarding correct
product usage, necessary safety
precautions, and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product.

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 (11,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-11
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
.Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
.As part of the multi‐point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs
of leaking, blown seals,
or damage, and can advise
when service is needed.
Tires
Tires need to be properly inflated,
rotated, and balanced. Maintaining
the tires can save money, fuel, and
can reduce the risk of tire failure.
.Signs that the tires need to be
replaced include three or more
visible treadwear indicators; cord
or fabric showing through the
rubber; cracks or cuts in the
tread or sidewall; or a bulge or
split in the tire.
.Trained dealer technicians can
inspect and recommend the
right tires. Your dealer can also
provide tire/wheel balancing
services to ensure smooth
vehicle operation at all speeds.
Your dealer sells and services
name brand tires.

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

Black plate (4,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
Engine (cont'd)Cooling System Messages . . . 5-24
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-32
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-102
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Four-Wheel DriveTransfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-30, 9-37
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31 Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-50
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-50
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Fuses
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41

Black plate (6,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
i-6 INDEX
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
K
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-49
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19 Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Latches, Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Lighting
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Lights (cont'd)
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Black plate (7,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-7
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-17
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-12
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Messages Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25 Messages (cont'd)
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Mirrors Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
N
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-36
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
OnStar
®
System, In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Operation, Infotainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-17
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-23