
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
156 Instruments and Controls
The selected language will display
on the system, and voice
recognition (if equipped) will reflect
the selected language.
Valet Mode (If Equipped)
This will lock the infotainment
system and steering wheel controls.
It may also limit access to vehicle
storage locations (if equipped).
To enable valet mode:1. Enter a four-digit code on the keypad.
2. Select Enter to go to the confirmation screen.
3. Re-enter the four-digit code.
Press LOCK or UNLOCK to lock or
unlock the system. Press Back to go
back to the previous menu.
Radio
Press to display the Radio menu
and the following may display:
. Manage Favorites
. Number of Favorites Shown
. Audible Touch Feedback
. Bose AudioPilot .
Auto Volume
. Maximum Startup Volume
. Audio Cue Volume
Manage Favorites
This allows favorites to be edited.
See “Manage Favorites” in
“Settings” under“Radio” in the
infotainment manual.
Number of Favorites Shown
Press to set the number of favorites
to display.
Select the desired number or select
Auto and the infotainment system
will automatically adjust the number
of favorites shown.
Audible Touch Feedback
This allows Audible Touch
Feedback to be turned on or off.
Select Off or On.
Bose AudioPilot
This allows Bose AudioPilot to be
turned on or off.
Select Off or On. Auto Volume
This feature adjusts the volume
based on vehicle speed and
ambient noise.
Select Off, Low, Medium-Low,
Medium, Medium-High, or High.
Maximum Startup Volume
This feature sets the maximum
startup volume. If the vehicle is
started and the volume is greater
than this level, the volume is
adjusted to this level. To set the
maximum startup volume, press +
or
−to increase or decrease.
Audio Cue Volume
This feature sets the volume of
audio files played at system startup
and shutdown.
Select On, then press + or −to
increase or decrease the volume.Vehicle
Select and the following may
display:
. Climate and Air Quality
. Collision/Detection Systems

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
Lighting 169
Fog Lamps
If equipped with fog lamps, the
button is on the exterior lamp
control, to the left of the steering
column.
The ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position for the fog lamps to
come on.
#(Fog Lamps) :Press to turn the
fog lamps on or off. A light will come
on in the instrument cluster.
When the fog lamps are turned on,
the parking lamps automatically
turn on. When the headlamps are changed
to high beam, the fog lamps also go
off. When the high-beam headlamps
are turned off, the fog lamps will
come on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on with
the fog lamps.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This feature controls the brightness
of the instrument panel lights and is
next to the exterior lamp control.
D(Instrument Panel
Illumination) : Move the
thumbwheel up or down to brighten
or dim the lights.

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
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.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 185
3. Turn the steering wheel to gostraight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
. Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface. For
more contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
Limited Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information manual.
One of the best ways for successful
off-road driving is to control the
speed.
{Warning
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.
Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 187
Warning (Continued)
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess the
steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.
When driving on hills:
. Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
. Maintain a slow speed.
. When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
. Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
. Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{Warning
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
. Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{Warning
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park). This is because the
N (Neutral) position on the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park). Shift the transfer case to
any position but N (Neutral).
. When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{Warning
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
(Continued)