Black plate (2,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-2 Vehicle Care
Different Size Tires andWheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-64
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-75
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-76
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-79
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people. Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
Black plate (24,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-24 Vehicle Care
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications inCapacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
Black plate (30,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-30 Vehicle Care
Headlamp Aiming
The headlamp aiming system has
been preset at the factory.
If the vehicle is damaged in an
accident, the aim of the headlamps
may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
It is recommended that a dealer
adjust the headlamps. To re-aim the
headlamps yourself, use the
following procedure.
The vehicle should be properly
prepared as follows. The vehicle:
.Should be placed so the
headlamps are 7.6 m (25 ft) from
a light colored wall.
.Must have all four tires on a
level surface which is level all
the way to the wall.
.Should be placed so it is
perpendicular to the wall or other
flat surface.
.Should not have any snow, ice,
or mud on it.
.Should be fully assembled and
all other work stopped while
headlamp aiming is being
performed.
.Should be normally loaded with
a full tank of fuel and one person
or 75 kg (160 lbs) sitting in the
driver's seat.
.Tires should be properly inflated.
Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps. The
high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly. To adjust the vertical aim, do the
following:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑5 for more information.
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of
the low‐beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the aim dot on the
low‐beam headlamp. Record the
distance.
Black plate (44,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-44 Vehicle Care
Mini Fuses Usage35 Sensing and
Diagnostic Module
Battery
36 Data Link
Connection
37 Instrument Panel
Cluster Battery
38 Passenger Sensing
System Module
39 Spare
J‐Case Fuses Usage
29 Front Blower Motor
40 Body Control
Module 8
Relays Usage 41 Logistic Relay (If
Equipped)
42 Retained Accessory
Power RelayWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. See
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑16.
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
(Continued)
Black plate (45,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-45
WARNING (Continued)
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.
Black plate (46,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-46 Vehicle Care
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the
tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code are the
Tire Identification Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑62.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(A) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(B) Temporary Use Only
:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire has a tread life of
approximately 5 000 km
(3,000 mi) and should not be
driven at speeds over 105 km/h
(65 mph). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when a
regular road tire has lost air and
gone flat. If the vehicle has a
Black plate (47,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-47
compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire on
page 10‑75andIf a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑65.
(C) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code are the
Tire Identification Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load that
can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to
support that load. (E) Tire Inflation
:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated to
420 kPa (60 psi). For more
information on tire pressure and
inflation see Tire Pressure on
page 10‑51.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination of
letters and numbers define a
tire's width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or
exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following is an example of a
typical passenger vehicle
tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
Black plate (50,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual (Include Mex) - 2012
10-50 Vehicle Care
Normal Occupant Weight:The
number of occupants a vehicle
is designed to seat multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs). See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑16.
Occupant Distribution
:
Designated seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall
:The
side of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that faces
outward when mounted on a
vehicle. The side of the tire that
contains a whitewall, bears
white lettering, or bears
manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is
higher or deeper than the same
moldings on the other sidewall
of the tire. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:A
tire used on passenger cars and
some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure as shown
on the tire placard. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑51
andVehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑16.
Radial Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated. Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
:An
alphanumeric code assigned to
a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with
the road.
Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the
tread of a tire when only
1.6 mm (1/16 in) of tread
remains. See When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 10‑58.