
GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Seats and Restraints 57
If something has blocked the driver
seat, power tilt and telescoping
steering column, and/or adjustable
pedals while recalling the exit
position, the recall may stop.
Remove the obstruction; then press
and hold the appropriate manual
control for the exit feature not
recalling for two seconds. Try
recalling the exit position again.
If the exit position is still not
recalling, see your dealer for
service.
Heated and Cooled Front
Seats
{Warning
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
The buttons are on the center stack
below the climate control system. To
operate, the engine must be
running.
Press
Ito heat the driver or
passenger seatback only. Press
Jto heat the driver or
passenger seat cushion and
seatback.
Press
Ato cool the driver or
passenger seat.
The indicator light on the button
comes on when this feature is on.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The indicator lights
next to the buttons indicate three for
the highest setting and one for the
lowest. If the heated seats are on
high for an extended time, their level
may automatically be lowered.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Auto Heated and
Cooled Seats
During a remote start, the heated or
cooled seats can be turned on
automatically. When it is cold
outside, the heated seats turn on,
and when it is hot outside the
cooled seats turn on. The heated or

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
110 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 111
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 111
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 111
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 112
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transmission Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 126
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 127
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 128
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 129
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . 131
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 132
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 132
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 133
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 134
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 135
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 135
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 136
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 136
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 140
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Brake System Messages . . . . . 144
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 144
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 145
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 146
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 147
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 147
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 147
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ride Control System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Airbag System Messages . . . . 151

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Instruments and Controls 111
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Steering SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 152
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 155
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 162
Universal Remote System Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
Power Tilt and Telescoping
Steering Wheel
To adjust the power tilt and
telescoping steering wheel,
if equipped:
Press the control to move the
steering wheel up and down or
forward and rearward.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
The infotainment system can be
operated by using the steering
wheel controls. See "Steering
Wheel Controls" in the infotainment
manual.
Heated Steering Wheel
((Heated Steering Wheel) : Press
to turn it on or off. A light next to the
button displays when the feature is
turned on.
The steering wheel takes about
three minutes to start heating.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Instruments and Controls 151
STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
Several conditions can cause this
message to appear:
.If the system is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
. If the brake system warning light
is on. See Brake System
Warning Light 0130.
. If the stability system takes
longer than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
. If an engine or vehicle-related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer.
. If the transfer case is in
Four-Wheel Drive Low.
The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIRBAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Take the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
Security Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart, so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine. See Immobilizer
Operation 043.
Steering System
Messages
STEERING ASSIST IS
REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE
This message may display if a
problem occurs with the electric
power steering system. If this
message appears, steering effort may be slightly higher than normal.
The vehicle is still safe to drive. Use
caution while in reduced assist
mode. If this message is persistent
or appears repeatedly, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
See
Steering 0184.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays when there
is a problem with electric power
steering. If this message displays
and a reduction in steering
performance or loss of power
steering assistance is noticed, see
your dealer. See Steering0184.
Starting the Vehicle
Messages
PRESS BRAKE TO START
This message is displayed when
attempting to start the vehicle
without first pressing the brake
pedal.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Lighting 165
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 165
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 168
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Battery Load Management . . . 171
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 172
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
There are four positions:
O(Off) : Turns off the automatic
headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp
control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on. For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position will only work when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
AUTO (Automatic) :
Automatically
turns on the headlamps, parking
lamps, taillamps, instrument panel
lights, roof marker lamps (if
equipped), and license plate lamps.
When the vehicle is turned off and
the headlamps are in AUTO, the
headlamps turn off. When the key is
removed, the headlamps
automatically come on for a set
time. The time of the delay can be
changed using the DIC. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0137.
;(Parking Lamps) : Turns on the
parking lamps including all lamps,
except the headlamps.
2(Headlamps) : Turns on the
headlamps with the parking lamps
and instrument panel lights.
When the headlamps are turned on
while the vehicle is on, the
headlamps turn off automatically
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off,

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 181
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 190
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 191
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 192
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 198
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 205
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 207
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 218
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 220
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 221
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 224
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 231
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 231
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 238
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 240
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 243
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 183
Refer to the infotainment manual for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts
0 65.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time. Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
184 Driving and Operating
Steering
Electric Power Steering
This vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages underSteering System
Messages 0151. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
Curve Tips
. Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.