
GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
254 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC, trailer sway could result
in loss of control and the vehicle
could crash. If excessive trailer
sway is detected, slow down to a
safe speed. Check the trailer and
vehicle to help correct possible
causes. These could include an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration,
excessive vehicle-trailer speed,
or improperly inflated or incorrect
vehicle or trailer tires. SeeTowing
Equipment 0251
iifor trailer
ratings and hitch setup
recommendations.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 257
ii.
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) 0114
ii.
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 066
iiand Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 66
ii.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Vehicle Care 255
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 256
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 256
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 264
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 266
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 266
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 271
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Battery - North America . . . . . . 276
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 278
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 280
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 280
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 284
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 294
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
256 Vehicle Care
Wheel Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 310
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 322
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 323
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
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 0276
iiand Jump Starting - North America
0 324ii.
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.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Vehicle Care 259
Engine Compartment Overview
2.5L L4 Engine

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
260 Vehicle Care
1. Coolant Surge Tank andPressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0269
ii.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
0266
ii.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0262
ii.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 268
ii.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0262
ii.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0285
ii.
7. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0275
iior
Hydraulic Clutch 0266ii(If
Equipped).
8. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 273
ii.
9. Battery - North America 0276
ii.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Vehicle Care 261
3.6L V6 Engine

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
262 Vehicle Care
1. Coolant Surge Tank andPressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0269
ii.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
0266
ii.
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 268
ii.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0262
ii.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0262
ii.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0285
ii.
7. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0275
ii.
8. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 273
ii.
9. Battery - North America 0276
ii.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax diesel
supplement. To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0264
ii.
. 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 yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment
Overview 0259
iifor 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.
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.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9159361) -
2016 - crc - 8/25/15
Vehicle Care 263
When to Add Engine Oil
2.5L L4 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
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
0 355
ii.
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
0 259
iifor the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0350
ii.
Specification
Ask for and use engine oils that
meet the dexos1™ specification.
Engine oils that have been
approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked
with the dexos1 approved logo. See
www.gmdexos.com.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.