
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
174 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 174
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 178
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Battery Load Management . . . 181
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 182
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) 0149.
;(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/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
176 Lighting
.The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed
from view, or otherwise
undetected.
. The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray.
. The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense
exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road
spray, mist, or other airborne
obstructions.
. The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view
of the light sensor.
. The vehicle is loaded such that
the front end points upward,
causing the light sensor to aim
high and not detect headlamps
and taillamps.
. The vehicle is being driven on
winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam
headlamps may need to be disabled
if any of the above conditions exist.Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A reminder chime sounds when the
headlamps or parking lamps are
manually turned on, the ignition is
off, and a door is open. To disable
the chime, turn the lamps off.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
$
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer) : Push the turn signal
lever toward the instrument panel to
change the headlamps from low to
high beam.
Pull the turn signal lever toward you
and release it to return to low-beam
headlamps.
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want
to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will turn
on. Depending on the type of
headlamp, they will either turn off
after a short duration or stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on the
instrument cluster will come on.
Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Lighting 177
The DRL system comes on 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.
When the DRL system is on, only
the DRL are on. The taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to the off position and
then release. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, off will only work when
the vehicle is in P (Park).Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor, otherwise 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
DRL. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
0179.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned toOor the ignition
is off.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Lighting 179
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/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Climate Controls 185
Front Climate Controls
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle to
the desired temperature.
When the indicator light is on, the
system is in full automatic operation.
If the air delivery mode or fan
setting is manually adjusted, the
auto indicator turns off and the
selected settings are displayed.
To place the system in
automatic mode:1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the driver and passenger temperature.
To find your comfort setting,
start with 22 °C (72 °F) and
allow the system time to
stabilize. Then adjust the
temperature as needed for best
comfort. 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 when automatically controlled.
Press
@to manually select
recirculation; press it again to select
outside air.
Do not cover the solar sensor on the
top of the instrument panel near the
windshield. This sensor regulates
air temperature based on sun load.
See “Sensors” later in this section.
Manual Operation
O(On/Off) : Press to turn the
climate control system on or off.
Outside air still enters the vehicle,
and is directed to the floor. This
direction can be changed by
pressing the air delivery mode.
9(Fan Control) : Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation. The maximum auto fan speed can
be adjusted. See
“Climate and Air
Quality” underVehicle
Personalization 0164.
Driver and Passenger
Temperature Control : The
temperature can be adjusted
separately for the driver and
passenger.
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the driver or passenger
temperature setting.
SYNC (Synchronized
Temperature) : Press to link the
passenger and rear climate
temperature settings to the driver
setting. The SYNC indicator light will
turn on. When the passenger or rear
climate settings are adjusted, the
SYNC indicator light turns off.
Air Delivery Mode Control :
PressY,\,[, or-to change
the direction of the airflow. An
indicator light comes on in the
selected mode button.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
186 Climate Controls
Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
Y(Vent) :Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-Level) : Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets.
[(Floor) : Air is directed to the
floor outlets, with some to the
windshield, side window outlets, and
second row floor outlets.
-(Defog) : This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Air is
directed to the windshield, floor
outlets, and side window vents.
0(Defrost) : Press to clear the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and the side window
vents. The system automatically
forces outside air into the vehicle
and the air conditioning compressor
will run, unless the outside
temperature is close to freezing. Do not drive the vehicle until all
windows are clear.
See
Air Vents 0189.
A/C (Air Conditioning) : Press to
turn the air conditioning system 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
temperatures are below freezing.
@(Recirculation) : Press to turn
on recirculation. An indicator light
comes on. Air is recirculated to
quickly cool the inside of the
vehicle. It can also be used to help
reduce outside air and odors that
enter the vehicle. The air
conditioning compressor also comes
on when this mode is activated.
Auto Defog : The climate control
system uses 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, turn on the air
conditioner, and direct more air to
the windshield. If the climate control system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. To turn Auto Defog off or
on, see
“Climate and Air Quality”
under Vehicle
Personalization 0164.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog from the
rear window.
K(Rear Window 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.
The rear window defogger only
works when the ignition is in ON/
RUN. The defogger turns off if the
ignition is turned to ACC/
ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. When
Auto Rear Defog is selected, the
rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the vehicle is
first started in cold weather and
turns off when the vehicle is
warmed. To turn Auto Rear Defog

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Climate Controls 189
Repeatedly press the button until
the desired mode appears on the
display. Multiple presses will cycle
through the delivery selections.
MorL(Heated Rear Seats, If
Equipped) : Press
MorLto heat
the left or right outboard seat
cushion. See Heated Rear
Seats 068.
Air Vents
Adjustable air vents are in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel.
1. Slider Knob
2. Thumbwheel
Move the slider knobs (1) to change
the direction of the airflow.
Use the thumbwheels (2) near the
air vents to open or close off the
airflow. Operation Tips
.
Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from the air inlets at
the base of the windshield that
could block the flow of air into
the vehicle.
. When you enter a vehicle in cold
weather, press the fan up button
to the maximum fan level before
driving. This helps clear the
intake ducts of snow and
moisture, and reduces the
chance of fogging the inside of
the window.
. Keep the air path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Check with your dealer before
adding equipment to the outside
of the vehicle.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 203
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0384. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0219.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.