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
230 Driving and Operating
octane rating below 87, as it may
cause engine damage and will lower
fuel economy.
Use of Seasonal Fuels
Use summer and winter fuels in the
appropriate season. The fuels
industry automatically modifies the
fuel for the appropriate season.
If fuel is left in the vehicle tank for
long periods of time, driving or
starting could be affected. Drive the
vehicle until the fuel is at one-half
tank or less, then refuel with the
current seasonal fuel.
Prohibited Fuels
Gasolines containing oxygenates
such as ethers and ethanol, as well
as reformulated gasolines, are
available in some cities. If these
gasolines comply with the
previously described specification,
then they are acceptable to use.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
15% ethanol must be used only in
FlexFuel vehicles.Caution
Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal
parts in the fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be
covered under the vehicle
warranty.
Some gasolines, mainly high octane
racing gasolines, can contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). Do not use
gasolines and/or fuel additives with
MMT as they can reduce spark plug
life and affect emission control
system performance. The
malfunction indicator lamp may turn
on. If this occurs, see your dealer
for service.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle may not pass a smog-check
test. See
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0117.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer for diagnosis. If it
is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If planning to drive in countries
outside the U.S. or Canada, the
proper fuel might be hard to find.
Check regional auto club or fuel
retail brand websites for availability
in the country where driving. Never
use leaded gasoline, fuel containing
methanol, manganese, or any other
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
Driving and Operating 231
fuel not recommended. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper
fuel would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. SeeFuel0229.
If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of Fuel
System Treatment PLUS added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. Fuel System
Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not reenter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
. Fuel can spray out if the fuel
cap is opened too quickly.
This spray can happen if the
tank is nearly full, and is
more likely in hot weather.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Open the fuel cap slowly
and wait for any hiss noise
to stop, then unscrew the
cap all the way.
The fuel cap is behind a hinged fuel
door on the driver side of the
vehicle. To open the fuel door, push
and release the rearward center
edge of the door.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9159268) - 2016 - crc - 7/31/15
364 Index
Fuel (cont'd)Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Requirements, California . . . . . 230
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Fuses Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 265
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 146Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Gauges (cont'd)
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 320
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
H
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 152
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Daytime Running Lamps/Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Delayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 122
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 150
Heated and Cooled Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 182
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 198
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Ignition Transmission LockCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Indicator Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 42
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2