2013 GMC TERRAIN tow

Black plate (9,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Here are some situations that can
occur with the fuel gauge. None of
these indicate a problem with the
fuel gauge.
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge measures the
temperature of the vehicle's engine.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the
colored line, the engine is too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than
those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑2. This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑51. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,

Black plate (15,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
Instruments and Controls 5-15
MetricEnglish
The brake indicator light should
come on briefly as the engine is
started. If it does not come on have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving, a
chime sounds. Pull off the road and
stop. The pedal might be harder to
push or go closer to the floor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑69.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light comes on and stays
on while driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off.
Start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light stays on after
driving at a speed above 20 km/h
(13 mph), see your dealer for
service. A chime may also sound
when the light comes on steady.

Black plate (34,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
5-34 Instruments and Controls
Park Assist
This allows the Ultrasonic Parking
Assist feature to be turned on or off.
Press the MENU/SEL knob when
“Park Assist”is highlighted. Turn the
knob to select “On,” “Off,”or“Tow
Bar.” Press the knob to confirm and
go back to the last menu.
See Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑39 for more information
Languages
Select the Languages menu and the
following will be displayed:
.English
.French
.Spanish
Turn the MENU/SEL knob to select
the language. Press the knob to
confirm and go back to the
last menu.
Lighting
Select the Lighting menu and the
following will be displayed:
.Vehicle Locator Lights
.Exit Lighting
Vehicle Locator Lights
This allows the vehicle locator lights
to be turned on or off.
Press the MENU/SEL knob when
“Vehicle Locator Lights” is
highlighted to toggle between “On”
or “Off.” Press
EBACK to confirm
the selection and go back to the
last menu.
Exit Lighting
This allows the selection of how
long the exterior lamps stay on
when leaving the vehicle when it is
dark outside.
Press the MENU/SEL knob when
“Exit Lighting” is highlighted.
Turn the knob to select “Off,”
“30 Seconds,” “1 Minute,” or“2 Minutes.”
Press the knob to
confirm and go back to the
last menu.
Power Door Locks
Select Power Door Locks and the
following will be displayed:
.Unlocked Door Anti Lock Out
.Auto Door Unlock
.Delayed Door Lock
Unlocked Door Anti Lock Out
When on, this feature will keep the
driver door from locking when the
door is open. If off is selected, the
Delayed Door Lock menu will be
available.
Press the MENU/SEL knob when
“Unlocked Door Anti Lock Out” is
highlighted to toggle between “On”
or “Off.” Press
EBACK to confirm
the selection and go back to the
last menu.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-5
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
turn signal/lane change lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):
Operates the exterior lamps. Turn to
one of the following positions:
O(Off): Briefly turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again.
AUTO (Automatic Headlamps):
Turns the exterior lamps on and off
automatically depending on the
exterior light. The vehicle will default
to the AUTO setting when it is first
started.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/lane
change lever away from you and
release, to turn the high beams on.
To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you and
release.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
6-2 Lighting
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
The flash‐to‐pass feature works with
the low beams or Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) on or off.
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever all the
way toward you, then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
system makes the low-beam
headlamps come on at a reduced
brightness in daylight when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp band is in the
automatic position.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park).
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The parking brake is released.
Fully functional Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) are required on all
vehicles first sold in Canada.
When the DRL are on the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights
and other lamps will not be on. The
instrument panel cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp band is
turned to the headlamp position, the
low-beam headlamps come on. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL
off, move the shift lever to P (Park).
The DRL will stay off until the shift
lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position. The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
headlamps come on automatically.
Do not cover the light sensor on top
of the instrument panel or the
headlamps will come on when they
are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
9-2 Driving and Operating
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual - 2013 - crc 1st edition - 5/8/12
9-14 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑32.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑69.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
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