GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
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178 Lighting
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
O
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers) :
Press this button to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. Press again to turn the
flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the
way up or down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less
than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three
times. It will flash six times if Tow/
Haul Mode is active. Holding the
turn signal lever for more than
one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until the lever is
released. The lever returns to its starting
position whenever it is released.
If after signaling a turn or a lane
change the arrows flash rapidly or
do not come on, a signal bulb could
be burned out.
Replace any burned out bulbs. If a
bulb is not burned out, check the
fuse. See
Fuses0304.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime
sounds at each flash of the turn
signal. The message TURN
SIGNAL ON will also appear in the
Driver Information Center (DIC). To
turn the chime and message off,
move the turn signal lever to the off
position.
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192 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 201
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 202
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 209
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 219
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 220
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 232
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 234 Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 235
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 238
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 244
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 245
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 252
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 254
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 257
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
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Driving and Operating 193
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 272
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
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204 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See“Rocking the Vehicle to Get It
Out” later in this section.
The Traction Control System (TCS)
can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0232.
If TCS cannot free the vehicle, see
“Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out”
following.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains 0333.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four-Wheel Drive
High. Turn the TCS off. Shift back
and forth between R (Reverse) and
a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. See
Towing the Vehicle 0348. Recovery
hooks can be used, if equipped.
Recovery Hooks
{Warning
Never pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
from the front.
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.
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206 Driving and Operating
tires (3) and the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures (4).
For more information on tires
and inflation seeTires0314
and
Tire Pressure 0321.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification/Tire label. It may
show the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axles. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in
this section.
“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
See
Trailer Towing 0262 for
important information on towing a
trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
Example 1
1. Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs)
2. Subtract Occupant Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 =
136 kg (300 lbs)
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Driving and Operating 209
Warning (Continued)
.Do not leave a seat
folded down unless you
need to.
There is also important loading
information for off-road driving in
this manual. See “Loading Your
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving”
under Off-Road Driving 0196.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
. Keep the vehicle speed at
88 km/h (55 mph) or less for
the first 805 km (500 mi).
. Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km (500 mi).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
. Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 mi) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
. Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See Trailer Towing
0 262 for the trailer towing
capabilities of the vehicle
and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal
If equipped, the position of the
throttle and brake pedals can be
changed.
The pedals can only be adjusted
when the vehicle is in P (Park).
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Driving and Operating 213
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Caution
Using a tool to force the key to
turn in the ignition could cause
damage to the switch or break the
key. Use the correct key, make
sure it is all the way in, and turn it
only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position lets things like the radio
and the windshield wipers operate while the engine is off. It also
unlocks the steering wheel. Use this
position if the vehicle must be
pushed or towed.
2 (ON/RUN) :
This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.
If the key is left in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. The vehicle may not
start if the battery is allowed to drain
for an extended period of time. 3 (START) :
This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened and the
ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF, and the key is in the
ignition.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
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Driving and Operating 217
Shifting Into Park
{Warning
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If the vehicle has a
four-wheel drive transfer case
with a N (Neutral) position, and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). Be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear. If towing a
trailer, seeDriving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0260.
1. Hold the brake pedal down, then set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake 0231. 2. Move the shift lever into the
P (Park) position by pulling the
shift lever toward you and
moving it up as far as it will go.
3. Be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the
vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, the vehicle is in
P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
If you have four-wheel drive and
the transfer case is in N (Neutral),
the vehicle will be free to roll,
even if the shift lever is in
P (Park). So be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear —not in
N (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could be injured. Do not
leave the vehicle with the engine
running unless you have to.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you move the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).