2015 GMC YUKON XL tow

Black plate (35,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
Driving and Operating 9-35
cannot be used until the plus/minus
button on the shift lever is used to
change to the range.
In vehicles with gasoline engines,
when the shift lever is moved from
D (Drive) to M (Manual Mode), a
downshift may occur. The gear that
the transmission is operating in
when the shift lever is moved from
D (Drive) to M (Manual Mode)
determines if a downshift occurs.
See the following chart.Gear before shifting from D
(Drive) to M (Manual Mode)
6th 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st
Range after shifting from D
(Drive) to M (Manual Mode) M4 M4 M3 M2 M2 M1
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9-36.
While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.
{Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Low Traction Mode
Low Traction Mode assists in
vehicle acceleration when road
conditions are slippery, such as with
ice or snow. While the vehicle is at a
stop, select M2 using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels and help to
prevent the tires from spinning.

Black plate (36,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-36 Driving and Operating
Tow/Haul Mode
The Tow/Haul Mode adjusts the
transmission shift pattern to reduce
shift cycling. This provides
increased performance, vehicle
control, and enhanced transmission
and engine cooling when driving
down steep hills or mountain
grades, towing, or hauling heavy
loads.
The selector button is on the end of
the shift lever. Turn the Tow/Haul
Mode on and off by pressing thebutton. When the Tow/Haul Mode is
enabled, a light on the instrument
cluster will come on.
See
Tow/Haul Mode Light on
page 5-24 andHill and Mountain
Roads on page 9-11.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment on page 9-82.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is
only enabled while the Tow/Haul
Mode is selected and the vehicle is
not in the Range Selection Mode.
See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode on
page 9-34. Tow/Haul Mode Grade
Braking assists in maintaining
desired vehicle speeds when driving
on downhill grades by using the
engine and transmission to slow the
vehicle.
To disable or enable Tow/Haul
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
five seconds. When the button is released, the requested mode
change is made. A DIC message is
displayed. See
Transmission
Messages on page 5-41.
See Towing Equipment on
page 9-82.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Automatic Transmission on
page 9-31 andCruise Control on
page 9-47.

Black plate (38,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-38 Driving and Operating
ignition is turned on and one will
stay on. If the lights display
momentarily when the ignition is in
ON/RUN, but none stay on, the
knob may have been turned while
the vehicle was off. To see the
indicator, turn the knob to another
position so that it matches the
actual transfer case setting. If no
lights display, take the vehicle to
your dealer for service. An indicator
light flashes while shifting the
transfer case and remains
illuminated when the shift is
complete.
If the transfer case cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting. Turn the knob
back to the previous transfer case
setting to see the indicator.
The settings are:
N (Neutral):Use only when the
vehicle needs to be towed. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10-81 orTowing the Vehicle
on page 10-81. 2m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
Use
for driving on most streets and
highways. The front axle is not
engaged. This setting provides the
best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): Use when road surface
traction conditions are variable.
When driving in AUTO, the front
axle is engaged, and the vehicle's
power is sent to the front and rear
wheels automatically based on
driving conditions. This setting
provides slightly lower fuel economy
than 2
m.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
this position when extra traction is
needed, such as when driving on
snowy or icy roads, when
off-roading, or when plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low): This
setting engages the front axle and
delivers extra torque. Choose 4
n
when driving off-road in deep sand,
deep mud, or deep snow, and while
climbing or descending steep hills. Shifting into 4
nwill turn Traction
Control and StabiliTrak off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control on page 9-44.
Shifting Into 4
mor AUTO
Turn the knob to the 4
mor AUTO
position at any speed, except from 4
n. The indicator light will flash while
shifting and will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Shifting Into 2
m
Turn the knob to 2mat any speed,
except when shifting from 4
n. The
indicator light will flash while shifting
and will remain on when the shift is
completed.
Shifting Into 4
n
When 4nis engaged, keep vehicle
speed below 72 km/h (45 mph).

Black plate (40,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-40 Driving and Operating
4. Shift the transmission toN (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to 2
m.
6. Turn the transfer case knob clockwise to N (Neutral) until it
stops and hold it there until the
N (Neutral) light starts blinking.
This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release
the dial to the 4
nposition. The
N (Neutral) light will come on
when the transfer case shift to
N (Neutral) is complete.
7. With the engine running, verify that the transfer case is in
N (Neutral) by shifting the
transmission to R (Reverse),
then shift the transmission to
D (Drive). There should be no
movement of the vehicle while
shifting the transmission.
8. Turn the engine off, and the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY. 9. Place the transmission shift
lever in P (Park). See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10-81.
10. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of N (Neutral)
To shift:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
4. Turn the transfer case knob to the desired setting.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired gear.
Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
Use the transfer case knob next to
the steering wheel to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.
Indicator lights display which setting
the transfer case is in. The indicator
lights will display briefly when the
ignition is turned on and one will
stay on. If the lights display
momentarily when the ignition is in
ON/RUN, but none stay on, the
knob may have been turned while
the vehicle was off. To see the

Black plate (43,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
Driving and Operating 9-43
{Caution
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system
and cause premature wear or
damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the parking brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will flash and a
chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9-74.
Brake Assist
The Brake Assist feature is
designed to assist the driver in
stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
Brake Assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have an
HSA feature, which may be useful
when the vehicle is stopped on a
grade. This feature is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling,
either forward or rearward, during
vehicle drive off. After the driver
completely stops and holds the
vehicle in a complete standstill on a
grade, HSA will be automatically
activated. During the transition
period between when the driver
releases the brake pedal and starts
to accelerate to drive off on a grade,
HSA holds the braking pressure for
a maximum of two seconds to
ensure that there is no rolling. The
brakes will automatically release
when the accelerator pedal is
applied within the two-second
window. If the vehicle is equipped
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, HSA may

Black plate (46,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-46 Driving and Operating
press and release thegbutton. The
traction off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
the
gbutton is pressed, the system
will not turn off until the wheels stop
spinning.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold the
gbutton until
the traction off light
iand the
StabiliTrak OFF light
gcome on
and stay on in the instrument
cluster, then release. The
appropriate message will display in
the DIC. See Ride Control System
Messages on page 5-38.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release the
g
button. The traction off lightiand
the StabiliTrak OFF light
gin the
instrument cluster turn off. StabiliTrak will automatically turn on
if the vehicle exceeds 56 km/h
(35 mph). Traction control will
remain off.
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature and a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature. See
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on
page 9-88
orHill Start Assist (HSA)
on page 9-43.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10-3.
Magnetic Ride Control
This vehicle may have a semi-active
damping system called Magnetic
Ride Control. With this feature,
improved vehicle ride and handling
is provided under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
Magnetic Ride Control is fully
automatic and uses a computer
controller to continuously monitor
vehicle speed, wheel to body
position, lift/dive, and steering position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to
each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride.
Magnetic Ride Control also interacts
with the Tow/Haul Mode that, when
activated, will provide additional
control of the shock absorbers. This
additional control results in better
ride and handling characteristics
when the vehicle is loaded or towing
a trailer. See
“Tow/Haul Mode”
under Towing Equipment on
page 9-82.Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.

Black plate (48,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-48 Driving and Operating
This vehicle has a Hydra-Matic®
6-speed automatic transmission.
See“Grade Braking” underTow/
Haul Mode on page 9-36 for an
explanation of how cruise control
interacts with the Range Selection
Mode, Tow/Haul Mode, and Grade
Braking systems.
This vehicle has StabiliTrak and
when the system begins to limit
wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control on page 9-44. If a collision
alert occurs when cruise control is
activated, cruise control is
disengaged. See Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) System on page 9-61.
When road conditions allow the
cruise control to be safely used
again, it can be turned back on.
5(On/Off): Press to turn the
system on or off. A white indicator
comes on in the instrument cluster.
SET− (Set/Coast): Press briefly to
set the speed and activate cruise
control. If cruise control is already
active, use to decrease vehicle
speed.
+RES (Resume/Accelerate): If
there is a set speed in memory,
press to resume that speed or press
and hold to accelerate. If cruise
control is already active, use to
increase vehicle speed.
*(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If
5is on when not in use, SET− or
+RES control could get pressed and
go into cruise when not desired.
Keep the cruise
5button off when
cruise is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument cluster will come on
green after the cruise control has
been set to the desired speed.
1. Press
5to turn the cruise
system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release SET−. The desired set speed briefly
appears in the instrument
cluster.
4. Remove foot from the accelerator.

Black plate (50,1)GMC 2015i Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-8431503) - 2015 - crc - 8/11/14
9-50 Driving and Operating
downhill, Cruise Grade Braking
helps maintain the driver selected
speed.
Cruise Grade Braking is enabled
when the vehicle is started and
cruise control is active. It is not
enabled in Range Selection Mode.
It assists in maintaining driver
selected speed when driving on
downhill grades by using the engine
and transmission to slow the
vehicle.
To disable and enable Cruise Grade
Braking for the current ignition key
cycle, press and hold the Tow/Haul
button for three seconds. A DIC
message displays. See
Transmission Messages on
page 5-41.
For other forms of Grade Braking,
seeAutomatic Transmission on
page 9-31 andTow/Haul Mode on
page 9-36. Ending Cruise Control
There are four ways to end cruise
control:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press*.
.Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
.To turn off cruise control,
press
5.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if the
5button
is pressed or the ignition is
turned off.
Adaptive Cruise Control
If equipped with Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC), it allows the driver to
select the cruise control set speed
and following gap. Read this entire
section before using this system.
The following gap is the following
time between your vehicle and a
vehicle detected directly ahead in your path, moving in the same
direction. If no vehicle is detected in
your path, ACC works like regular
cruise control. ACC uses a radar
sensor. See
Radio Frequency
Statement on page 13-12.
If a vehicle is detected in your path,
ACC can apply acceleration or
limited, moderate braking to
maintain the selected following gap.
To disengage ACC, apply the brake.
If ACC is controlling your vehicle
speed when the traction control
system (TCS) or electronic stability
control system activates, the ACC
may automatically disengage. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control on page 9-44. When road
conditions allow ACC to be safely
used, the ACC can be turned
back on.
ACC will not engage if the TCS or
electronic stability control system is
disabled.