2017 GMC CANYON DEF

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Driving and Operating 213
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 221
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 222
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 224
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 231
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 240
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 245
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 252
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 255
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 258
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 264
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 275
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
214 Driving and Operating
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, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.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. Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, 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 50.
. 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.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
216 Driving and Operating
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.
. The 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. 3. Turn the steering wheel to go
straight 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.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Driving and Operating 217
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
contact information about the
original equipment tires, see the
warranty 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.
. Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped. .
Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in this
manual.
. Remove any underbody air
deflector, if equipped. Re-attach
the air deflector after off-road
driving.
. See Hill Descent Control (HDC)
0 255.
. Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower air
dam. However, driving without the
air dam reduces fuel economy.
Caution
Operating the vehicle for
extended periods without the front
fascia lower air dam installed can
cause improper airflow to the
engine. Reattach the front fascia
air dam after off-road driving.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
260 Driving and Operating
The RVC is disconnected by
disconnecting the connector behind
the rear license plate.
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System
If equipped, the FCA system may
help to avoid or reduce the harm
caused by front-end crashes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
quickly, FCA provides a red flashing
alert on the windshield, and rapidly
beeps. FCA also lights an amber
visual alert if following another
vehicle much too closely.FCA detects vehicles within a
distance of approximately 60 m
(197 ft) and operates at speeds
above 40 km/h (25 mph).
{Warning
FCA is a warning system and
does not apply the brakes. When
approaching a slower-moving or
stopped vehicle ahead too rapidly,
or when following a vehicle too
closely, FCA may not provide a
warning with enough time to help
avoid a crash. It also may not
provide any warning at all. FCA
does not warn of pedestrians,
animals, signs, guardrails,
bridges, construction barrels,
or other objects. Be ready to take
action and apply the brakes. See
Defensive Driving
0214.
FCA can be disabled with either the
FCA steering wheel control or,
if equipped, through vehicle
personalization. See “Collision/
Detection Systems” underVehicle
Personalization 0138.
Detecting the Vehicle Ahead
FCA warnings will not occur unless
the FCA system detects a vehicle
ahead. When a vehicle is detected,
the vehicle ahead indicator will
display green. Vehicles may not be
detected on curves, highway exit
ramps, or hills, due to poor visibility;
or if a vehicle ahead is partially
blocked by pedestrians or other
objects. FCA will not detect another
vehicle ahead until it is completely
in the driving lane.
{Warning
FCA does not provide a warning
to help avoid a crash, unless it
detects a vehicle. FCA may not
detect a vehicle ahead if the FCA
sensor is blocked by dirt, snow,
(Continued)

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Vehicle Care 277
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 278
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 278
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 286
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 288
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 289
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 294
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Battery - North America . . . . . . 298
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 301
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 302
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 303
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 307
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
278 Vehicle Care
Wheel Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 332
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 344
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 345
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING: Most motor vehicles,
including this one, as well as many
of its service parts and fluids,
contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
See Battery - North America 0298
and Jump Starting - North America
0 346.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, safety belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.

GMC Canyon Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122677) -
2017 - crc - 1/20/17
Vehicle Care 299
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0281 for battery location.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Batteries also
contain other chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer. WASH HANDS AFTER
HANDLING.
See California Proposition
65 Warning 0278.
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting -
North America 0346 for tips on
working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger.
Four-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to Maintenance Schedule
0 364 to determine when to check
the lubricant. How to Check Lubricant
Automatic Transfer Case
1. Drain Plug
2. Fill Plug
To get an accurate reading, the
vehicle should be on a level
surface.
If the level is below the bottom of
the fill plug (2) hole, located on the
transfer case, some lubricant will
need to be added. Add enough
lubricant to raise the level to the
bottom of the fill plug (2) hole. Use
care not to overtighten the plug.