
Black plate (36,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Key and Lock Messages
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See
“Battery Replacement”under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑2.
Lamp Messages
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned off.
This message clears itself after
10 seconds.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned on.
This message clears itself after
10 seconds.
TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on for
1.2 km (0.75 mi). Move the turn
signal lever to the off position.
Object Detection System
Messages
PARK ASST BLOCKED SEE
OWNERS MANUAL
This message displays if there is
something interfering with the park
assist system. See Ultrasonic
Parking Assist on page 9‑31 for
more information.
PARK ASSIST OFF
After the vehicle has been started,
this message displays to remind the
driver that the URPA system has
been turned off. Press the set/reset
button or the trip odometer reset
stem to acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display. To turn the URPA system back on,
see
Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑31.
REAR CROSS TRAFFIC
ALERT SYSTEM OFF
If the vehicle has the Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA) system, this
message displays when the RCTA
system has been turned off. See
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) on
page 9‑35 andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑23.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Ultrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA) system. Do
not use this system to help you
park. See Ultrasonic Parking Assist
on page 9‑31 for more information.
See your dealer for service.

Black plate (7,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Lighting 6-7
Delayed Exit Lighting
Delayed exit lighting illuminates the
interior for a period of time after the
key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed
exit lighting to work. When the key
is removed, interior illumination
activates and remains on until one
of the following occurs:
.The ignition is in ON/RUN.
.The power door locks are
activated.
.An illumination period of
20 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a
door is opened, the timed
illumination period will be canceled
and the interior lamps will remain on
because a door is open.
Parade Dimming
This feature automatically prohibits
the dimming of the instrument panel
displays in daylight while the
headlamps are on so that the
displays are still able to be seen.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.

Black plate (16,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
9-16 Driving and Operating
R(ON/RUN):This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position. 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.
/(START): This is the position
that starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The
ignition switch will return to ON/RUN
for driving.
Key Lock Release
The vehicle has an electronic key
lock release system. This system is
to prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in P (Park).
The key lock release will not work if
the battery is charged less than
9-volts, or uncharged. Try charging
or jump starting the battery. See
Jump Starting on page 10‑68
Starting the Engine
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.
Notice: If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
See
Add-On Electrical Equipment
on page 9‑50.
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 slow
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

Black plate (17,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Driving and Operating 9-17
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.
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 five to 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.Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below 0°F (−18°C). Vehicles
with an engine coolant heater
should be plugged in at least four
hours before starting. Some models
may have an internal thermostat in
the cord which will prevent engine
coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The bundled cord
is located on the driver side of
the engine compartment,
between the engine air cleaner
and the windshield washer fluid
reservoir. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10‑5.

Black plate (19,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Driving and Operating 9-19
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9‑18. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑43. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the shift lever
away from P (Park) without first
pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift
lever was not fully locked in
P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see
“Shifting Into Park”
listed previously. If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
The vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released, and
.Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular
brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.

Black plate (73,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Vehicle Care 10-73
For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about five minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components. Reinstall
the fuse to start the vehicle.
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to be towed,shift the transmission to
P (Park), and turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF.
2. Secure the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY.
5. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
6. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the 15 amp
ECM fuse and the 15 amp
Onstar fuse. These are in the
battery compartment behind the passenger seat on the floor.
Also, remove the 50 amp BATT1
fuse from the underhood fuse
block and store all fuses in a
safe location. See
Engine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10‑28.
7. Release the parking brake.
Notice: If the vehicle is towed
without performing each of the
steps listed under “Dinghy
Towing,” the automatic
transmission could be damaged.
Be sure to follow all steps of the
dinghy towing procedure prior to
and after towing the vehicle.
Notice: If 105 km/h (65 mph) is
exceeded while towing the
vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 105 km/h (65 mph)
while towing the vehicle.
Once the destination is reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Reinstall the fuses. 3. Shift the transmission to
P (Park), turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF and remove the key
from the ignition.
4. Disconnect the vehicle from the towing vehicle.
Notice: Do not tow a vehicle with
the front drive wheels on the
ground if one of the front tires is
a compact spare tire. Towing with
two different tire sizes on the
front of the vehicle can cause
severe damage to the
transmission.

Black plate (7,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
INDEX i-7
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-14
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-16
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35 Messages (cont'd)
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Object Detection System . . . . . 5-36
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Blind Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Park Tilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
N
Navigation OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
O
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Object Detection, Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 10-9
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21