
Black plate (1,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
2013 Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-3
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-41
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-49
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-18
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28 Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-14
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-21
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-27
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-31
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-50

Black plate (18,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
1-18 In Brief
Portable Audio Devices
This vehicle may have an auxiliary
input on the radio faceplate and a
USB port in the instrument panel
storage area. External devices such
as iPods, laptop computers, MP3
players, CD changers, USB storage
devices, etc. can be connected to
the auxiliary port using a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) input jack or the USB port
depending on the audio system.
SeeAuxiliary Devices on page 7‑17.
Bluetooth®
The Bluetooth®system allows users
with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile
phone to make and receive
hands-free calls using the vehicle
audio system and controls.
The Bluetooth-enabled mobile
phone must be paired with the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system before it
can be used in the vehicle. Not all
phones will support all functions.
See Bluetooth on page 7‑20.
Steering Wheel Controls
worc/x:Press to change
favorite radio stations, select tracks
on a CD, or navigate tracks or
folders on an iPod or USB device.
b/g: Press and hold to silence
the vehicle speakers only. Press
again to turn the sound on. Press to
interact with OnStar
®or Bluetooth
systems.
c/x: Press to reject an
incoming call, or end a current call. SRCE:
Press to switch between
the radio, CD, and for equipped
vehicles, front auxiliary, and rear
auxiliary.
¨: Press to seek the next radio
station, track, or chapter while
sourced to the CD slot, or to select
tracks and folders on an iPod or
USB device.
+
eor −e:Press to increase or to
decrease the volume.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.

Black plate (19,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
In Brief 1-19
Cruise Control
T:Press to turn cruise control on
and off. The indicator comes on
when cruise control is on.
+ RES: Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume to a previously set
speed, or press and hold to
accelerate.
SET–: Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or to make
the vehicle decelerate.
[: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑29.
Infotainment System
See the infotainment manual for
information on the radio, audio
players, phone, navigation system,
and voice or speech recognition.
There is also information on settings
and downloadable applications (if
equipped).
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
If available, this system uses
sensors on the rear bumper to
assist with parking and avoiding
objects while in R (Reverse).
It operates at speeds less than
8 km/h (5 mph). URPA uses audible
beeps to provide distance and
system information.
Keep the sensors on the vehicle's
rear bumper clean to ensure proper
operation. See
Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑31.
Power Outlets
The vehicle has 12-volt accessory
power outlets which can be used to
plug in electrical equipment, such as
a cell phone or MP3 player.
The power outlets are located:
.On the instrument panel below
the climate controls.
.Inside the center floor console.
.At the rear of the center floor
console.
.In the rear cargo area.
To use the outlets, remove the
cover.
See Power Outlets on page 5‑7.

Black plate (6,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
5-6 Instruments and Controls
from tall buildings, utility wires,
manhole covers, or other industrial
structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the
DIC display, the compass should be
calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a
heading, for example, N for North,
or the heading does not change
after making turns, there may be a
strong magnetic field interfering with
the compass. Such interference
may be caused by a magnetic CB or
cell phone antenna mount, a
magnetic emergency light, magnetic
note pad holder, or any other
magnetic item. Turn off the vehicle,
move the magnetic item, then turn
on the vehicle and calibrate the
compass.To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,
make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, seats, etc.
during the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start the compass calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in
tight circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the
calibration. The DIC will display CALIBRATION COMPLETE for a
few seconds when the
calibration is complete. The DIC
display will then return to the
previous menu.
Clock
Press Settings on the Home Page,
then press the Set Time or Set Date
settings screen button to display the
different options for setting the time
and date.

Black plate (7,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Set Time:
.Press the up or down arrows to
increase or decrease the Hours,
Minutes, AM, PM, or 24 hr on
the clock.
.Press and hold to quickly
increase or decrease the time
settings.
.Press OK or the Back screen
button to save the adjustments.
Set Date:
.Press the up or down arrows to
increase or decrease the Month,
Day, and Year settings.
.Press and hold to quickly
increase or decrease the date
settings.
.Press OK or the Back screen
button to save the adjustments.
Power Outlets
The vehicle has 12-volt outlets that
can be used to plug in electrical
equipment, such as a cell phone or
MP3 player.
The power outlets are on the center
stack below the climate controls,
inside the center floor console, at
the rear of the center console, and
in the rear cargo area. Lift the cover
to access the outlet and replace
when not in use.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
Certain accessory plugs may not be
compatible with the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle and adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment. See
Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑50.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.

Black plate (52,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
5-52 Instruments and Controls
If you live in Canada, or you are
having difficulty programming a gate
operator or garage door opener by
using the“Programming the
Universal Remote System”
procedures, regardless of where
you live, replace Step 2 under
“Programming the Universal Remote
System” with the following:
Continue to press and hold the
Universal Remote system button
while you press and release every
two seconds (cycle) the hand-held
transmitter button until the
frequency signal has been
successfully accepted by the
Universal Remote system. The
Universal Remote system indicator
light will flash slowly at first and then
rapidly. Proceed with Step 3 under
“Programming the Universal Remote
System” to complete.Universal Remote System
Operation
Using Universal Remote
Press and hold the appropriate
Universal Remote button for at least
half of a second. The indicator light
will come on while the signal is
being transmitted.
Erasing Universal Remote
Buttons
All programmed buttons should be
erased when the vehicle is sold or
the lease ends.
To erase all programmed buttons on
the Universal Remote device:
1. Press and hold down the two
outside buttons until the
indicator light begins to flash,
after 20 seconds.
2. Release both buttons.
Reprogramming a Single
Universal Remote Button
To reprogram any of the three
Universal Remote buttons, repeat
the programming instructions earlier
in this section, beginning with
Step 2.
For help or information on the
Universal Home Remote System,
call the customer assistance phone
number under Customer Assistance
Offices (U.S. and Canada) on
page 13‑5 orCustomer Assistance
Offices (Mexico) on page 13‑5.

Black plate (1,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
Infotainment System 7-1
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 7-2
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Rear Seat Infotainment
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Rear Audio Controller (RAC) . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Settings
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Trademarks and License
Agreements
Trademarks and LicenseAgreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Introduction
Infotainment
Read the following pages to
become familiar with the
infotainment system featured in this
owner manual.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road
for too long or too often while
using any infotainment features
can cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Do not give
extended attention to
infotainment tasks while
driving. Focus your attention
on driving and limit glances to
the instrument cluster or center
stack screens. Use voice
guidance whenever possible.

Black plate (2,1)Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc2 - 12/11/12
7-2 Infotainment System
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help with this
by disabling some functions when
driving. A grayed-out function is not
available when the vehicle is
moving.
All functions are available when the
vehicle is parked. Before driving:
.Become familiar with the
infotainment system operation
and buttons on the faceplate.
.Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
.Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
button or a single voice
command for vehicles equipped
with phone capability.
See Defensive Driving on page 9‑2. The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑18.
The vehicle has a base radio
included in this manual. See the
separate infotainment manual for
information on the uplevel radios,
audio players, phone, navigation
system, and voice or speech
recognition. There is also
information on settings and
downloadable applications
(if equipped).
Theft-Deterrent Feature
TheftLock®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle's
radio by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The radio does not operate if it is
stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.