2016 GMC ACADIA tow

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
128 Instruments and Controls
mode gear range, and a brief
display of the current radio station,
including SiriusXM (if equipped)
information or CD track. It will also
display Turn-By-Turn navigation
information if equipped with a
navigation radio. The images are
projected by the HUD lens on the
driver side of the instrument panel.
The language of the HUD
information displayed can be
changed and the speedometer
reading can be shown in either
English or metric units.
The language selection and the
units of measurement are changed
through the trip computer in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeVehicle Personalization 0140.
HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD information appears as an
image focused out toward the front
of the vehicle.
When the ignition key is turned to
ON/RUN, the HUD will display an
introductory message for a short
time, until the HUD is ready.
The following indicator lights come
on in the instrument panel when
activated and also appear on
the HUD:
. Turn Signal Indicators
. High-Beam Indicator Symbol The HUD temporarily displays some
messages that are on the DIC trip
computer.
The HUD also displays the following
messages or alerts on vehicles with
these systems, when they are
active:
.
TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
. STABILITRAK ACTIVE
. Forward Collision Alert IndicatorCaution
If you try to use the HUD image
as a parking aid, you may
misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
When the HUD is on, the
speedometer reading is continually
displayed. The current radio station
or CD track number will display for a
short period of time after the radio
or CD track status changes. This
happens whenever radio information
is changed. The speedometer size
is reduced when radio, CD

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
150 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 150
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)/Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Delayed Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . 151
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 152
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Delayed Entry Lighting . . . . . . . 155
Delayed Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . 155
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Battery Load Management . . . 155
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 156
Exterior 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.
;(Parking Lamps) : Turns on the
parking lamps including all lamps,
except the headlamps.
5(Headlamps) : Turns on the
headlamps together with the parking
lamps and instrument panel lights.
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened when the ignition
switch is off and the headlamps
are on.
#(Fog Lamps) : If equipped, it
turns the fog lamps on or off.
See Fog Lamps 0152.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer) : Push the turn signal
lever away from you to turn the high
beams on.
Pull the lever toward you to return to
low beams.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Lighting 151
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature is used to signal to the
vehicle ahead that you want
to pass.
If the headlamps are off or in the
low-beam position, pull the turn
signal lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beams.
Release the lever to turn the
high-beam headlamps off.
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL)/Automatic
Headlamp System
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:.
The ignition is in the ON/RUN
position.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, the regular
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker,
and other lamps will not be on. The
instrument cluster will not be lit.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will go off and the
DRL will come on.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Do not cover the light sensor on top
of the instrument panel because it
works with the DRL.
Delayed Headlamps
Delayed headlamps provide a
period of exterior lighting as you
leave the area around the vehicle.
This feature is activated when the
headlamps are on due to the
automatic headlamps control feature
and when the ignition is turned off.
The headlamps remain on until the
exterior lamp control is moved to the
parking lamps position or until the
pre-selected delayed headlamp
lighting period has ended.
If the ignition is turned off with the
exterior lamp control in the
;
or5position, the delayed
headlamps cycle will not occur.
To disable the delayed headlamps
feature or change the time of delay,
see Vehicle Personalization 0140.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Climate Controls 183
Air Delivery Mode Control :Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the current airflow mode.
By positioning the right knob
between two modes, a combination
of those two modes is selected.
H(Vent) : Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level) : Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
toward the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor) : Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system
automatically selects outside air.
Recirculation cannot be selected
while in floor mode.
-(Defog) : This clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
When this mode is selected, the system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning unless the
outside temperature is less than 4 °
C (40 °F). Recirculation cannot be
selected while in the defog mode.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
0(Defrost) :
This clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window vents,
with some to the floor vents. In this
mode, outside air is pulled inside
the vehicle. Recirculation cannot be
selected while in the defrost mode.
The air conditioning system runs
automatically in this setting, unless
the outside temperature is less than
4 °C (40 °F). Do not drive the
vehicle until all windows are clear.
#(Air Conditioning) : Press to
turn the air conditioning system on
or off. An indicator light comes on
when A/C is on. The air conditioning
system does not operate when the
outside temperature is below 4 °C
(40 °F). The indicator light flashes
three times and turns off when outside conditions affect air
conditioning operation. This is
normal.
For quicker cool down on hot days:
1. Open the windows to let hot air escape.
2. Select
Hmode.
3. Select
#.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest fan speed.
6. Close the windows after the hot air has escaped.
7. Once the vehicle's interior temperature is below the
outside temperature, select
@mode for faster cooling.
Using recirculation for long periods
of time could cause the air inside
the vehicle to become too dry. To
prevent this from happening, after
the inside of the vehicle has cooled,
turn the recirculation mode off.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Climate Controls 187
H(Vent) :Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level) : Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets. Some air is directed
towards the windshield and side
window outlets. Cooler air is
directed to the upper outlets and
warmer air to the floor outlets.
6(Floor) : Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some of the air
directed to the windshield, side
window, and second row floor
outlets. In this mode, the system
uses outside air.
-(Defog) : This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
When this mode is selected, the
system turns off recirculation and
runs the air conditioning compressor
unless the outside temperature is
less than 4 °C (40 °F). Do not drive
the vehicle until all the windows are
clear.
0(Defrost) : Press to turn the
defrost on or off. This mode quickly
clears the windshield of fog or frost. Air is directed to the windshield,
side window, and floor vents. In this
mode, outside air is pulled inside
the vehicle. The air conditioning
system runs automatically in this
setting, unless the outside
temperature is less than 4 °C (40
°F).
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Air Conditioning
A/C (Air Conditioning) :
Press to
turn the air conditioning on and off.
An indicator light comes on when
A/C is on.
The A/C does not work when the
outside temperature is below 4 °C
(40 °F). If A/C is pressed the
indicator flashes three times and
turns off to show that the A/C mode
is not available. If the A/C is on and
the outside temperature drops
below a temperature which is too
cool for air conditioning to be
effective, the A/C indicator turns off
to show that the A/C mode has
been canceled. On hot days, open the windows
briefly to let hot inside air escape.
This helps reduce the time it takes
for the interior of the vehicle to
cool down.
The air conditioning system
removes moisture from the air, so
water might drip under the vehicle
while idling or after turning off the
engine. This is normal.
@(Recirculation) :
Press to
alternate between recirculating air
inside the vehicle or pulling in
outside air. An indicator light comes
on when recirculation mode is
active. With each ignition cycle, the
recirculation mode is reset to
automatic. When the engine is
turned on, outside air or
recirculation is automatically
selected for better performance.
When recirculation is activated, the
air conditioning compressor comes
on and helps to quickly cool the air
inside the vehicle. This mode also
helps to reduce the outside air and
odors that may enter the vehicle.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Driving and Operating 193
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 197
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 198
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 200
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 204
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 211
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 217
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 221
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 230
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
200 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/Electronic Stability Control
0 217.
{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 0307.
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 may
show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire 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
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Driving and Operating 201
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Example Label
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar
(B-pillar). The tire and loading
information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
size of the original equipment
tires (3) and the recommendedcold tire inflation pressures (4).
For more information on tires
and inflation see
Tires0275
and Tire Pressure 0282.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification/Tire label. It may
show the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in
this section.“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.
Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to