2016 GMC ACADIA service

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Driving and Operating 239
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross the
safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue
from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 450 kg (1,000 lb) needs to have
its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.
Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not try to tap into the
vehicle's hydraulic brake system.
If you do, both brake systems will
not work well, or at all.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Basic Trailer Wiring
The trailer wiring harness, with a
seven-pin connector, is located at
the rear of the vehicle and is tied to
the vehicle's frame. The harness
connector can be plugged into a
seven-pin universal heavy-duty
trailer connector available through
your dealer.
The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:
.Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
. Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
. Brown: Taillamps
. Black: Ground
. Light Green: Back-up Lamps
. Red/Black: Battery Feed
. Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuse for this circuit is installed
in the underhood electrical center,
but the wires are not connected.
They should be connected by your
dealer or a qualified service center. If the back-up lamp circuit is not
functional, contact your dealer.
If a remote (non-vehicle) battery is
being charged, press the Tow/Haul
mode switch located on the center
console near the climate controls.
This will boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the
battery. If the trailer is too light for
Tow/Haul mode, turn on the
headlamps (non-HID only) as a
second way to boost the vehicle
system and charge the battery.
Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
These wiring provisions for an
electric trailer brake controller are
included with the vehicle as part of
the trailer wiring package. The
instrument panel contains blunt cut
wires above the parking brake
assembly for the electric trailer
brake controller. The harness
contains the following wires:
.
Red/Black: Power Supply
. White: Brake Switch Signal
. Gray: Illumination

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
240 Driving and Operating
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
. Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer or
a qualified service center.Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. See Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0117.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 077 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 77.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 241
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 242
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 242
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 249
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 250
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 255
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 257
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Battery - North America . . . . . . 260
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 262
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 262
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 263
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 264
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Electrical System Overload . . . 265
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 265
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 293
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
242 Vehicle Care
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 302
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING: Most motor vehicles,
including this one, contain and/or
emit chemicals known to the State
of California to 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.
See
Battery - North America 0260
and Jump Starting - North America
0 304.
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

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 243
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, 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, seeAdding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 077.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
0 345.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 077. Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records
0332.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release handle
with this symbol on it. It is
under the instrument panel on
the driver side of the vehicle.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 247
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is 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.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
0 245 for the location of the engine
oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all
the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and
check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick, add
1 L (1 qt) of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section for an explanation of what kind of oil to use. For engine
oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications
0334.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 245 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 249
trash or pouring it on the ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies of water. Recycle it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on.
Change the oil as soon as possible
within the next 1 000 km (600 mi).
It is possible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oilchange is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN, with the engine off. 2. Press the vehicle information
button until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays.
3. Press and hold
Vuntil “100%”
is displayed. Three chimes
sound and the CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message
goes off.
4. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to the
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
252 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. See Maintenance Schedule
0 321 andRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants 0330.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0255.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0330.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.