Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11 Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-15
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-21
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22 Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-23
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Universal Remote System . . . 1-24
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-26
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-26
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-18
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-20
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-25
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-26
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-27
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-27
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-28
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-38
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-40
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-41
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-41
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-41
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-44
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-45
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-47
Black plate (32,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
To stop the timer, press the set/reset
button briefly while TIMER is
displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold the set/reset button while
TIMER is displayed.
Transmission Temperature
Press the trip/fuel button until
TRANS TEMP displays. This
display shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Instantaneous Economy and
Active Fuel Management™
Indicator
If your vehicle has this display,
press the trip/fuel button until INST
ECON V8 displays. This display
shows the current fuel economy at a
particular moment and will change
frequently as driving conditions
change. This display shows theinstantaneous fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) or
miles per gallon (mpg). Unlike
average economy, this screen
cannot be reset.
An Active Fuel Management
indicator will display on the right
side of the DIC, while INST ECON
displays on the left side. Active Fuel
Management allows the engine to
operate on either four or eight
cylinders, depending on your driving
demands. When Active Fuel
Management is active, V4 will
display on the DIC. When Active
Fuel Management is inactive, V8
will display. See
Active Fuel
Management
®on page 9‑29 for
more information.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items (With DIC Buttons)
T(Vehicle Information): Press
to scroll through the following menu
items:
Oil Life
Press the vehicle information button
until OIL LIFE REMAINING
displays. This display shows an
estimate of the oil's remaining useful
life. If you see 99% OIL LIFE
REMAINING on the display, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See “CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
Black plate (24,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
9-24 Driving and Operating
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.
If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
D (START):This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened and the
ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF, and the key is in the
ignition.Starting the Engine
If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition to START.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key. The idle speed will go
down as the engine warms. Do
not race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts. The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking
for a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To
prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.
Black plate (25,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
When the Low Fuel warning
lamp is on and the FUEL LEVEL
LOW message is displayed in
the Driver Information Center
(DIC), the Computer‐Controlled
Cranking System is disabled to
prevent possible vehicle
component damage. When this
happens, hold the ignition switch
in the START position to
continue engine cranking.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down. 2. If the engine does not start after
5‐10 seconds, especially in very
cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in START
for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to
allow the cranking motor to cool
down. When the engine starts,
let go of the key and accelerator.
If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat these
steps. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts. Notice:
The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Black plate (70,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
9-70 Driving and Operating
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this
so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
If the trailer turn signal bulbs burn
out, the arrows on the instrument
panel will still flash for turns. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might get hot and no longer
work well.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift
the transmission to a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
The tow/haul mode may be used if
the transmission shifts too often.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5‑25.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑21.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing
uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
Black plate (71,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-71
3. When the wheel chocks are inplace, release the regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. If the vehicle is four-wheel-drive and has a two-speed transfer
case, be sure the transfer case
is in a drive gear and not in
N (Neutral).
6. Release the brake pedal.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle
can roll.
If the engine has been left
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
not move, even when on fairly
level ground, use the steps that
follow.
Always put the shift lever fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
If the transfer case on a
four-wheel-drive vehicle is in
N (Neutral), the vehicle will be
free to roll, even if the shift lever
is in P (Park). Be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift into a gear. 4. Release the parking brake.
5. Let up on the brake pedal.
6. Drive slowly until the trailer is
clear of the chocks.
7. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3. Things that are
especially important in trailer
operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. It is a good idea to
inspect these before and during
the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58