
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
294 Vehicle Care
Tire Chains
{Warning
Do not use tire chains. There is
not enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause loss of
control and a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
avoid vehicle damage, drive slow
and readjust or remove the
traction device if it contacts the
vehicle. Do not spin the wheels.
If traction devices are used, install
them on the front tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. SeeTires
0 275. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if there ever is a blowout, here
are a few tips about what to expect
and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.{Warning
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
{Warning
Lifting a vehicle and getting under
it to do maintenance or repairs is
dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
(Continued)

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 295
Warning (Continued)
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers 0152.
{Warning
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
2. Put an automatictransmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
5. Place wheel blocks, if equipped, on both sides of
the tire at the opposite
corner of the tire being
changed.
When the vehicle has a flat tire (2),
use the following example as a
guide to assist in the placement of
the wheel blocks (1), if equipped.
1. Wheel Block (If Equipped)
2. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Tire Changing
Removing Tools
The tools needed to remove the
spare tire are located in the storage
compartment on the driver side, at
the rear of the vehicle.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
300 Vehicle Care
Caution
Improperly tightened wheel nuts
can lead to brake pulsation and
rotor damage. To avoid expensive
brake repairs, evenly tighten the
wheel nuts in the proper
sequence and to the proper
torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications
0334 for the wheel nut torque
specification.
14. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence, as
shown.
Caution
Wheel covers will not fit on the
vehicle's compact spare. If you try
to put a wheel cover on the
compact spare, the cover or the
spare could be damaged.
Storing the Spare Tire
{Warning
The underbody-mounted spare
tire needs to be stored with the
valve stem pointing down. If the
spare tire is stored with the valve
stem pointing upwards, the
secondary latch will not work
properly and the spare tire could
loosen and suddenly fall from the
vehicle. If this happened when
the vehicle was being driven, the
tire might contact a person or
another vehicle, causing injury
and damage to itself. Be sure the
underbody-mounted spare tire is
stored with the valve stem
pointing down.
{Warning
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
To store the spare tire: 1. Lay the compact spare tire near the rear of the vehicle with
the valve stem down.
2. Reinstall the plastic spare tire heat shield on the compact
spare tire.
3. Slide the cable retainer through the center of the wheel and
start to raise the compact
spare tire.
Make sure the retainer is fully
seated across the underside of
the wheel.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
304 Vehicle Care
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery - North
America 0260.
If the vehicle battery has run down,
you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Batteries also
contain other chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer. WASH HANDS AFTER
HANDLING. SeeCalifornia
Proposition 65 Warning 0242.
{Warning
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
. They contain acid that can
burn you.
. They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
. They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you.
Caution
Ignoring these steps could result
in costly damage to the vehicle
that would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Trying to start
the vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage
the vehicle. 1. Check the other vehicle.
It must have a 12-volt battery
with a negative ground system.
Caution
If the other vehicle does not have
a 12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be
damaged. Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump starting.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can
reach, but be sure the vehicles
are not touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you do not
want. You would not be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 305
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking
brake. If one of the vehicles is
a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be
sure the transfer case is not in
Neutral.
Caution
If any accessories are left on or
plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible, turn
off or unplug all accessories on
either vehicle when jump starting.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the
accessory power outlets. Turn
off the radio and all lamps that
are not needed. This will avoid
sparks and help save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio! 4. Open the hoods and locate the
positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations on the other
vehicle. Your vehicle has a
remote positive (+) and a
remote negative (−) jump
starting terminal. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0245
for the terminal locations.
{Warning
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need more
light.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{Warning
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles
could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables,
here are some basic things you
should know. Positive (+) will
go to positive (+) or to a remote
positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Negative (−)
will go to a heavy, unpainted
metal engine part or to a
remote negative (−) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to
negative (−) or you will get a
short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts
too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
308 Vehicle Care
.The proper towing equipment.
See your dealer or trailering
professional for additional advice
and equipment
recommendations.
. If the vehicle is ready to be
towed. Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Caution
Use of a shield mounted in front
of the vehicle grille could restrict
airflow and cause damage to the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If using a shield, only
use one that attaches to the
towing vehicle.
Dinghy Towing
If the vehicle is front-wheel-drive, it
can be dinghy towed from the front.
These vehicles may also be towed
by putting the front wheels on a
dolly. See “Dolly Towing” later in this
section.
If the vehicle is all-wheel-drive, it
can be dinghy towed from the front.
These vehicles can also be towed
by placing them on a platform trailer
with all four wheels off of the
ground. These vehicles cannot be
towed using a dolly. For vehicles being dinghy towed,
the vehicle should be run at the
beginning of each day and at each
RV fuel stop for about five minutes.
This will ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components. Reinstall
the fuse to start the vehicle.
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to be towed, shift the transmission to
P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF.
2. Secure the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY.
5. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
6. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the
15 amp ECM fuse and the
15 amp OnStar fuse. These
are in the battery compartment
behind the passenger seat on
the floor. Also, remove the

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Vehicle Care 309
50 amp BATT1 fuse from the
underhood fuse block and
store all fuses in a safe
location. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block
0 266.
7. Release the parking brake.
Caution
If the vehicle is towed without
performing each of the steps
listed under “Dinghy Towing,” the
automatic transmission could be
damaged. Be sure to follow all
steps of the dinghy towing
procedure prior to and after
towing the vehicle.
Caution
If 105 km/h (65 mph) is exceeded
while towing the vehicle, it could
be damaged. Never exceed
105 km/h (65 mph) while towing
the vehicle. Once the destination is reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Reinstall the fuses.
3. Shift the transmission to P (Park), turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF, and remove the
key from the ignition.
4. Disconnect the vehicle from the towing vehicle.
Caution
Do not tow a vehicle with the front
drive wheels on the ground if one
of the front tires is a compact
spare tire. Towing with two
different tire sizes on the front of
the vehicle can cause severe
damage to the transmission.
Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles must not be
towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on
a platform trailer with all four wheels
off of the ground or dinghy towed
from the front.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
310 Vehicle Care
Dolly Towing
(Front-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles Only)
To tow a front-wheel-drive vehicle
from the front with two wheels on
the ground:1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position with a
clamping device designed for
towing. 5. Remove the key from the
ignition.
6. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
7. Release the parking brake.
Towing the Vehicle from
the Rear
Caution
Towing the vehicle from the rear
could damage it. Also, repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Never have the
vehicle towed from the rear.
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear.