Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 10-9
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Noise Control System . . . . . . 10-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-27
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . 10-31 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-32
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Left) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block (Right) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Black plate (3,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
Vehicle Care 10-3
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride andhandling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3-40.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13-11.
Black plate (6,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
10-6 Vehicle Care
1. Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump
Starting on page 10-77.
2. Battery on page 10-23.
3. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 10-14.
4. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10-13.
5. Automatic Transmission Dipstick. See “How to Check
Automatic Transmission Fluid”
under Automatic Transmission
Fluid on page 10-10.
6. Remote Negative (–) Location (Out of View). See Jump Starting
on page 10-77.
7. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System on
page 10-14.
8. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 10-6.
9. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10-6. 10. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10-20.
11. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid on page 10-21.
12. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10-34.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and of
the proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10-9.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
If equipped, the ENGINE OIL LOW
ADD OIL message displays when
the engine oil level may be too low.
SeeEngine Oil Messages on
page 5-33. Check the oil level
before filling to the recommended
level. If the oil is not low and this
message remains on, see your
dealer.
It is also a good idea to check the
engine oil level at each fuel fill. In
order to get an accurate reading,
the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a
loop. See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10-5 for the
location of the engine oil dipstick.
Black plate (10,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
10-10 Vehicle Care
2. Fully press the accelerator pedalslowly three times within
five seconds.
3. Display the OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC. If the
display shows 100%, the system
is reset.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message and it
comes back on when the vehicle is
started and/or the OIL LIFE
REMAINING is near 0%, the engine
oil life system has not been reset.
Repeat the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
When to Check and Change
Automatic Transmission Fluid
It is usually not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level. The only
reason for fluid loss is a
transmission leak or overheated
transmission. If a small leak is
suspected, then use the following
checking procedures to check the fluid level. However, if there is a
large leak, then it may be necessary
to have the vehicle towed to a
dealer service department and have
it repaired before driving the vehicle
further.
{Caution
Use of the incorrect automatic
transmission fluid may damage
the vehicle, and the damage may
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Always use the
automatic transmission fluid listed
in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11-12.
Change the fluid and filter at the
scheduled maintenance intervals
listed in Maintenance Schedule on
page 11-2. Be sure to use the
transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11-12.
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
{Caution
Too much or too little fluid can
damage the transmission. Too
much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on
hot engine parts or exhaust
system parts, starting a fire. Too
little fluid could cause the
transmission to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if
checking the transmission fluid.
Before checking the fluid level,
prepare the vehicle:
1. Start the engine and park the vehicle on a level surface. Keep
the engine running.
2. Apply the parking brake and place the shift lever in P (Park).
3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever
through each gear range,
Black plate (11,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
Vehicle Care 10-11
pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, move the
shift lever back to P (Park).
4. Allow the engine to idle (500– 800 rpm) for at least one minute.
Slowly release the brake pedal.
5. Keep the engine running and check the transmission fluid
temperature on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5-27.
6. Using the transmission fluid temperature reading, determine
and perform the appropriate
check procedure. If the
transmission fluid temperature
reading is not within the required
temperature ranges, allow the
vehicle to cool, or operate the
vehicle until the appropriate
transmission fluid temperature is
reached. Cold Check Procedure
Use this procedure only as a
reference to determine if the
transmission has enough fluid to be
operated safely until a hot check
procedure can be made. The hot
check procedure is the most
accurate method to check the fluid
level. Perform the hot check
procedure at the first opportunity.
Use this cold check procedure to
check fluid level when the
transmission temperature is
between 27°C and 32°C (80°F and
90°F).
1. Locate the transmission dipstick
at the rear of the engine
compartment, on the passenger
side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10-5. 2. Flip the handle up, then pull out
the dipstick and wipe it with a
clean rag or paper towel.
3. Install the dipstick by pushing it back in all the way; wait
three seconds, and then pull it
back out again.
4. Check both sides of the dipstick and read the lower level. Repeat
the check procedure to verify the
reading.
5. If the fluid level is below the
COLD check band, add only
enough fluid as necessary to
bring the level into the COLD
band. It does not take much
fluid, generally less than 0.5 L
(1 pt). Do not overfill.
Black plate (20,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
10-20 Vehicle Care
fans will change to low speed when
additional cooling is no longer
required.
The electric engine cooling fans
may run after the engine has been
turned. off. This is normal and no
service is required.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs
to be added, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. Use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
The vehicle has a low washer fluid
message on the DIC that comes on
when the washer fluid is low. The
message is displayed for
15 seconds at the start of each
ignition cycle. When the WASHER
FLUID LOW ADD FLUID messagedisplays, washer fluid will need to
be added to the windshield washer
fluid reservoir.
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10-5 for reservoir location.
{Caution
.Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the windshield
washer. It can damage the
windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the solution
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other
parts of the washer system.
.When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for fluid
expansion if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank
if it is completely full.
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time when the vehicle
is moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
Black plate (21,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
Vehicle Care 10-21
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
{Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the proper sequence to torque
specifications. See
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12-2.
Brake pads should be replaced as
complete sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes
—for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10-5 for the location of the
reservoir.
Black plate (22,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-7063682) - 2015 - crc - 6/5/14
10-22 Vehicle Care
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well.
Do not top off the brake fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system. See “Checking Brake
Fluid” in this section.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light on page 5-21.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule
to determine when to check the
brake fluid. See Maintenance
Schedule on page 11-2.
Checking Brake Fluid
Check brake fluid by looking at the
brake fluid reservoir. See Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 10-5.
The fluid level should be above
MIN. If it is not, have the brake
hydraulic system checked to see if
there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake
hydraulic system, make sure the
level is above MIN but not over the
MAX mark.
What to Add
Use only new DOT 3 brake fluid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11-12.