Black plate (42,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
5-42 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO
XXX KM/H (MPH)
This message displays when your
vehicle speed is limited to 128 km/h
(80 mph) because the vehicle
detects a problem in the speed
variable assist steering system.
Have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID
This message displays when the
windshield washer fluid is low. Fill
the windshield washer fluid reservoir
as soon as possible. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 10-5 for the location of the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Also, see Washer Fluid on
page 10-19 for more information.
Vehicle
Personalization
Your vehicle may have
customization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to
one preferred setting. Customization
features can only be programmed to
one setting on the vehicle and
cannot be programmed to a
preferred setting for two different
drivers.
All of the customization options may
not be available on your vehicle.
Only the options available will be
displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the
customization features were set
when your vehicle left the factory,
but may have been changed from
their default state since then.
The customization preferences are
automatically recalled.
To change customization
preferences, use the following
procedure.
Entering the Feature
Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place
the vehicle in P (Park).
To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that
the headlamps are turned off.
2. Press the customization button to enter the feature settings
menu. If the menu is not
available, FEATURE SETTINGS
AVAILABLE IN PARK will
display. Before entering the
menu, make sure the vehicle is
in P (Park).
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization
features that allow you to program
settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a
language other than English has
been set. This feature allows you to
change the language in which the
DIC messages appear to English.
Black plate (50,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
5-50 Instruments and Controls
Make sure the hand-held transmitter
has a new battery for quicker and
more accurate transmission of the
radio-frequency signal.
Programming the Universal
Remote System
For questions or help programming
the Universal Remote system, call
1-800-355-3515 or see
www.homelink.com.
Programming involves
time-sensitive actions, and may time
out causing the procedure to be
repeated.
To program up to three devices:
1. Hold the end of the hand-heldtransmitter about 3 to 8 cm (1 to
3 in) away from the Universal
Remote system buttons with the
indicator light in view. The
hand-held transmitter was
supplied by the manufacturer of
the garage door opener receiver. 2. At the same time, press and
hold both the hand-held
transmitter button and one of the
three Universal Remote system
buttons to be used to operate
the garage door. Do not release
either button until the indicator
light changes from a slow to a
rapid flash. Then release both
buttons.
Some garage door openers may
require substitution of Step 2
with the procedure under “Radio
Signals for Canada and Some
Gate Operators” later in this
section.
3. Press and hold the newly programmed Universal Remote
system button for five seconds
while watching the indicator light
and garage door activation.
.If the indicator light stays on
continuously or the garage
door moves when the
button is pressed, then programming is complete.
There is no need to
complete Steps 4–6.
.If the indicator light does
not come on or the garage
door does not move, a
second button press may
be required. For a second
time, press and hold the
newly programmed button
for five seconds. If the light
stays on or the garage door
moves, programming is
complete.
.If the indicator light blinks
rapidly for two seconds,
then changes to a solid light
and the garage door does
not move, continue with
programming Steps 4–6.
Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)/Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Delayed Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Delayed Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . 6-7
Delayed Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-7
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-8Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
There are four positions:
O(Off): Briefly turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again.
AUTO (Automatic): Turns the
headlamps on automatically at
normal brightness, together with the
other exterior lamps and instrument
panel lights.
Black plate (7,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
Lighting 6-7
When the ignition is on, illuminated
entry is inactive, which means the
courtesy lamps will not come on
unless a door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting illuminates
the interior for a period of time after
all the doors have been closed.
The ignition must be off for delayed
entry lighting to work. Immediately
after all the doors have been closed,
the delayed entry lighting feature
continues to work until one of the
following occurs:
.The ignition is in ON/RUN.
.The doors are locked.
.An illumination period of about
25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a
door is opened, the timed
illumination period is canceled and
the interior lamps remain on.
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
Black plate (8,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
6-8 Lighting
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, rear
window defogger, climate control fan
at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power
outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays, it
is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5-23.Battery Power Protection
This feature helps prevent the
battery from being drained, if the
interior courtesy lamps or reading
lamps are accidentally left on. If any
of these lamps are left on, they
automatically turn off after
10 minutes, if the ignition is off. The
lamps will not come back on again
until one of the following occurs:
.The ignition is turned on.
.The exterior lamps control is
turned off, then on again.
The headlamps will time out after
10 minutes, if they are manually
turned on while the ignition is on
or off.
Black plate (9,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
Driving and Operating 9-9
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
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/Electronic Stability Control
on page 9-28.
{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 10-72.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight your 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 your vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
Black plate (16,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
9-16 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):This is
the position in which you can
operate the electrical accessories or
items plugged into the accessory
power outlets. This position unlocks
the ignition and steering wheel. Use
this position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
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 10-69
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.
{Caution
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.
{Caution
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 9-53.
Black plate (17,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7576030) - 2015 - CRC - 8/18/14
Driving and Operating 9-17
{Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
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.
{Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition 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.
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).