2016 GMC TERRAIN ignition

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Instruments and Controls 119
performance or loss of power
steering assistance is noticed, see
your dealer.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor Operation 0240.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0240.
TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD
AIR TO TIRE
This message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low.
This message also displays LEFT
FRONT, RIGHT FRONT, LEFT
REAR, or RIGHT REAR to indicate
the location of the low tire.
The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See Tire
Pressure Light 0108.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as
possible. Inflate the tires by adding
air until the tire pressure is equal to
the values shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Tires
0 231, Vehicle Load Limits 0156,
and Tire Pressure 0238.
More than one tire pressure
message can appear at a time. The
DIC also shows the tire pressure
values. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0110.
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays if there is a
problem with the transmission. See
your dealer.
SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to remove the key from
the ignition or from the vehicle if the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
TRANSMISSION HOT —IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Instruments and Controls 125
the ground near the rear wheels.
They will return to their previous
driving position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), the
ignition is turned to OFF, or the
vehicle is left in R (Reverse). See
Reverse Tilt Mirrors039.
Select On or Off.
Memory Remote Recall
This feature automatically recalls
the current driver ’s previously stored
1 or 2 button positions when
entering the vehicle. See "Recalling
RKE Memory Positions (Memory
Remote Recall)" under Memory
Seats 048.
Select On or Off.
Button Chime
When enabled, a sound will be
heard when a selection is made
using the infotainment system.
Select to enable or disable.Collision Detection Systems
Select and the following may
display:
. Park Assist
. Side Blind Zone Alert
. Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Park Assist
This allows the Parking Assist
feature to be turned on or off.
Select On, Off, or On with Tow Bar
Attached.
See Parking Assist 0179.
Side Blind Zone Alert
This allows the Side Blind Zone
Alert feature to be turned on or off.
Select On or Off.
See Side Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) 0182.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic
Alert feature to be turned on or off.
Select On or Off. See
Rear Vision Camera
(RVC) 0177.
Lighting
Select and the following may
display:
.
Vehicle Locator Lights
. Exit Lighting
Vehicle Locator Lights
This allows the vehicle locator lights
to be turned on or off.
Select to enable or disable.
Exit Lighting
This allows the selection of how
long the exterior lamps stay on
when leaving the vehicle when it is
dark outside.
Select Off, 30 Seconds, 1 Minute,
or 2 Minutes.
Power Door Locks
Select and the following may
display:
. Auto Door Unlock
. Delayed Door Lock

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Lighting 131
Flash-to-Pass
The flash-to-pass feature works with
the low beams or Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) on or off.
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever all the way toward
you, then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day.
The low-beam headlamps or
dedicated DRL, if equipped, come
on at a reduced brightness in
daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The transmission is not in
P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
. The parking brake is released. Fully functional DRL are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights,
and other lamps will not be on. The
instrument cluster will be lit.
When the exterior lamp control is
turned to
5, the low-beam
headlamps come on. The other
lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL
off, move the shift lever to P (Park).
The DRL will stay off until the shift
lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
For vehicles first sold in the United
States or Mexico, the DRL can also
be turned off by turning the lamp
control counterclockwise. The DRL
will stay off until the next ignition
cycle.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
headlamps come on automatically.
Do not cover the light sensor on top
of the instrument panel or the
headlamps will come on when they
are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it
is light outside when the vehicle
leaves the garage, there is a slight
delay before the automatic
headlamp system changes to the

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
134 Lighting
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The dome lamp, cargo lamp, and
foot lamp inside the vehicle come
on when any door is opened, if the
dome lamp is in the door position. In
addition, these lamps come on
when the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) unlock button is pressed.
They stay on for 20 seconds or until
a door is opened. After the door is
opened and then closed, the light
remains on for 20 seconds, or until
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN.
This feature can be changed. See
“Vehicle Locator Lights”under
Vehicle Personalization 0120.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the key is
removed from the ignition. The
dome lamp comes on after the
ignition is changed to the OFF
position. The exterior lamps and dome lamp remain on for a set
amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization
0120.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, rear
window defogger, climate control fan
at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power
outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
138 Climate Controls
Air Delivery Mode Control :To
change the current mode, select
one of the following:
F (Vent) : Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
* (Bi-Level) : Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets and the
floor outlets.
7 (Floor) : Air is directed to the
floor outlets with some air directed
to the windshield and the side
window outlets.
W(Defog) : Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield with some air directed to
the floor and side window outlets.
0FRONT (Front Defrost) : Press
to clear the windshield of fog or frost
more quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window outlets.
The system allows outside air into
the vehicle and the air conditioning
compressor will run, unless the
outside temperature is below
freezing.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting. Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
If equipped with the Fuel Economy
Mode, the climate controls may take
longer to heat or cool the cabin and
the rear window defogger will turn
off sooner, when this feature is in
use. See
Fuel Economy
Mode 0169.
Air Conditioning
A/C (Air Conditioning) : Press to
turn the air conditioning on or off. An
indicator light comes on to show
that the air conditioning is enabled.
If the fan is turned off, the air
conditioner will not run. The A/C
light will stay on even if the outside
temperature is below freezing.
h(Recirculation) : Press to turn
on the recirculation. An indicator
light comes on. Air is recirculated
inside the vehicle. It helps to quickly
cool the air inside the vehicle and
reduce the outside air and odor that
might enter. The air conditioning
may come on under certain
conditions. To improve fuel efficiency and to
cool the vehicle faster, recirculation
may be automatically selected in
warm weather. The recirculation
light will not come on. To override
this feature, select outside air.
%(Outside Air) :
Press to turn
on the outside air. An indicator light
comes on. Outside air is circulated
throughout the vehicle.
Rear Window Defogger
1REAR (Rear Defogger) : Press
to turn the rear window defogger on
or off. An indicator light on the
button comes on to show that the
rear window defogger is on. It turns
off if the ignition is put in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF
position.
The ignition must be on to use the
rear window defogger.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Climate Controls 141
h(Recirculation) :Press to turn
on the recirculation. Press to
alternate between recirculation and
outside air, if the vehicle does not
have a separate outside air button.
The indicator light turns on when
recirculation is selected. Air is
recirculated inside the vehicle.
It helps to quickly cool the air inside
the vehicle and reduce the outside
air and odors that might enter.
%(Outside Air, If Equipped) :
Press to turn on the outside air. An
indicator light comes on. Outside air
is circulated throughout the vehicle.
Auto Defog : The climate control
system has a sensor to
automatically detect high humidity
inside the vehicle. When high
humidity is detected, the climate
control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. To turn Auto Defog on or
off, see “Climate and Air Quality”
under Vehicle
Personalization 0120.
Rear Window Defogger
1REAR (Rear Defogger) : Press
to turn the rear window defogger on
or off. An indicator light on the
button comes on to show that the
rear window defogger is on. It turns
off if the ignition is put in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF
position.
The ignition must be on to use the
rear window defogger.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Caution
Do not use a razor blade or sharp
object to clear the inside rear
window. Do not adhere anything
to the defogger grid lines in the
rear glass. These actions may
damage the rear defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
z/J(Driver and Passenger
Heated Seats) : If equipped with
heated seats, see Heated Front
Seats 050.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation : If equipped with the
remote start feature, the climate
control system may run when the
vehicle is started remotely. The
system uses the driver ’s previous
settings to heat or cool the inside of
the vehicle. The rear defog may
come on during remote start based
on cold ambient conditions. The
rear defog indicator light does not
come on during a remote start. If the
vehicle has heated front seats, they
may come on during a remote start.
See Remote Vehicle Start 028 and
Heated Front Seats 050.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
144 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 152
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 153
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 160
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 163
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 167
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 169
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 172
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 177
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 187
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 195
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
152 Driving and Operating
braking. Drive at a reduced speed
and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
Traction is reduced on hard packed
snow and ice and it is easy to lose
control. Reduce vehicle speed when
driving on hard packed snow
and ice.
{Warning
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds,
or rivers can be dangerous. Ice
conditions vary greatly and the
vehicle could fall through the ice;
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{Warning
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires.
Traction could be lost, and the
vehicle could roll over. Do not
drive through rushing water.
Caution
Do not drive through standing
water if it is deep enough to cover
the wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe. Deep water can damage the
axle and other vehicle parts.
If the standing water is not too deep,
drive slowly through it. At faster
speeds, water splashes on the
ignition system and the vehicle can
stall. Stalling can also occur if you
get the exhaust pipe under water.
While the exhaust pipe is under
water, you will not be able to start
the engine. When going through water, the brakes get wet, and it
might take longer to stop. See
Driving on Wet Roads
0152.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody or
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
More frequent maintenance service
is required. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule 0274 for
more information.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types