GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Driving and Operating 215
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 assist. 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 0236.
. 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) 0233.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 279
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 280
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 281
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 288
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 290
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 295
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Battery - North America . . . . . . 299
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 300
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 301
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 302
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 304
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Electrical System Overload . . . 305
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 306
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 334
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 315
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0315.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see Buying New Tires 0330.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires. Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Summer Tires
This vehicle may come with high
performance summer tires. These
tires have a special tread and
compound that are optimized for
maximum dry and wet road
performance. This special tread and
compound will have decreased
performance in cold climates, and
on ice and snow. It is recommended
that winter tires be installed on the
vehicle if frequent driving at
temperatures below approximately
5 °C (40 °F) or on ice or snow
covered roads is expected. See
Winter Tires
0315.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 331
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. SeeTire
Rotation 0328. However, if it is
necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0323.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 217.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
332 Vehicle Care
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0330 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 281.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires, compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Customer Information 389
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
. Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest GMC dealer for warranty
service, or if the vehicle was in a
crash and cannot be driven.
Assistance is not given when the
vehicle is stuck in the sand,
mud, or snow.
. Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
. Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty event, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 500 miles.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
.
Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws
. Legal fines
. Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 L. Diesel fuel delivery
may be restricted. Propane and
other fuels are not provided
through this service.
. Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
150 km from where your trip was
started to qualify.
Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders are required.
Once authorization has been
received, the Roadside
Assistance advisor will help to
make arrangements and explain
how to receive payment.
. Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside
Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Index 411
Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 252
Audio Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 174
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Forward Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187B
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Battery - North America . . . . 299, 351
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 301
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 189
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 138
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Automatic Forward . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Braking System Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 260
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 221
Bulb Replacement Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 304
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .280, 299, 351, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Management System . . . . . . . . . .113
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 112
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 136
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
420 Index
Tires (cont'd)Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 334
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 270
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 270
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 354
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 332
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 160Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Updates Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 380
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Vehicle (cont'd)
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 141
Vehicle Care Storing the Tire Sealantand Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 343
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . 305
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 264
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . 333
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332