GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Introduction 3
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0: Adjustable Pedals
9: Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g: Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®(if equipped)
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses
3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
(: Heated Steering Wheel
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Instruments and Controls 123
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 124
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 125
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 125
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 125
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 140
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 140
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 142
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 142
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 145
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 146
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 146
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 147
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 148
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 148
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 148
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 148
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Brake System Messages . . . . . 153
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 153
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 155
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 155
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 156
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 156
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Airbag System Messages . . . . 160
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Steering System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 161
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Instruments and Controls 145
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 144 andBrake System
Messages 0153.Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0224.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light
If available, this light comes on
briefly while starting the vehicle.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced.
This light is green if LKA is available
to assist.
LKA may assist by gently turning
the steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking
without using the turn signal in that
direction. The LKA light will turn
amber.
This light is amber and flashes as a
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert, to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed.
See Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0254.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
190 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter reduces the dust, pollen,
and other airborne irritants from
outside air that is pulled into the
vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule 0364.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0374.
1. Open the glove box completely. 2. Disconnect the glove box door
damper string from the glove
box door assembly. A pen or
pencil may be inserted through
the end of the damper string to
prevent the string from slipping
inside the door assembly.
3. Remove the six screws and
remove the access plate.
4. Release the two tabs holdingthe service door. Open the
service door and remove the
old filter.
5. Install the new air filter.
6. Close the service door and secure the tabs.
7. Reverse the steps to reinstall the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
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
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 195
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 0160. 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/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
202 Driving and Operating
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0232.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0230.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9159297) - 2016 - CRC - 10/12/15
230 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into 4mor AUTO
Turn the knob to the 4
mor AUTO
position. This can be done at any
speed. The indicator light will flash
while shifting. It will remain on when
the shift is completed.
Shifting Into 2
m
Turn the knob to the 2mposition.
This can be done at any speed. The
indicator light will flash while
shifting. It will remain on when the
shift is completed.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning
Light 0145.
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses the wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at
each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.