2018 GMC ACADIA service

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Driving and Operating 273
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating0295.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.
If parking the rig on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel chocks are in
place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and
shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.Start the engine.
. Shift into a gear.
. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See
Maintenance Schedule 0369. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
0 295.
Trailer Towing
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.
The weight of the trailer.
. The weight of the trailer tongue.
. The total weight on the vehicle's
tires.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Driving and Operating 277
becomes separated from the hitch.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 450 kg (1,000 lb) must be
equipped with its own brake system,
with brakes working on all axles.
Trailer braking equipment
conforming to Canadian Standards
Association (CSA) requirement
CAN3-D313, or its equivalent, is
recommended.
State and local regulations may also
require the trailer to have its own
braking system if loaded above a
certain threshold. These
requirements vary from state to
state.
Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly.Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not tap into the vehicle's
hydraulic brake system. If you do,
both brake systems will not work
well, or at all.Trailer Wiring Harness
Basic Trailer Wiring
The trailer wiring harness, with a
seven-pin connector, is located at
the rear of the vehicle and is tied to
the vehicle's frame. The harness
connector can be plugged into a
seven-pin universal heavy-duty
trailer connector available through
your dealer.
Use only a round, seven-wire
connector with flat blade terminals
meeting SAE J2863 specifications
for proper electrical connectivity.
The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:
.
Yellow/Gray: Stop/Turn
Signal Left
. Green/Violet: Stop/Turn Signal
Right
. Gray/Brown: Parking Lamps .
White/Green: Back-up Lamps
. Red/Green: Back-up Lamps
. Black: Ground
. Blue: Electric Brake*
*The fuse for this circuit is installed
in the underhood electrical center,
but the wires are not connected.
They should be connected by your
dealer or a qualified service center.
If the back-up lamp circuit is not
functional, contact your dealer.
If a remote (non-vehicle) battery is
being charged, turn the Tow/Haul
Mode knob on the center console.
This will boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the
battery. If the trailer is too light for
Tow/Haul Mode, turn on the
headlamps (non-HID only) as a
second way to boost the vehicle
system and charge the battery.
Electric Trailer Brake Control
Wiring Provisions
These wiring provisions for an
electric trailer brake controller are
included with the vehicle as part of

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
278 Driving and Operating
the trailer wiring package. The
instrument panel contains blunt cut
wires above the parking brake
assembly for the electric trailer
brake controller. The harness
contains the following wires:
.Blue: “To Trailer”
. Red/Black or Red/Blue:
Battery Feed
. White/Blue: Brake Apply Signal
. Black: Ground
The electric trailer brake controller
should be installed by your dealer or
a qualified service center.Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC)
is used for vehicle service
and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0136.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 089 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 90.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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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
280 Vehicle Care
Tire Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 350
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
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. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0299
and Jump Starting - North America
0 351 and the back cover.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 281
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 090.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 393.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 089.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
282 Vehicle Care
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records0379.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release handle
with this symbol on it. It is
under the instrument panel on
the driver side of the vehicle.
2. At the front of the vehicle, pullup on the center of the hood,
and push the secondary hood
release to the right.
3. After you have partially lifted the hood, gas struts will
automatically take over to lift
and hold the hood in the fully
open position.
Before closing the hood, be sure all
filler caps are on properly.
Pull the hood down to close. Lower
the hood until the lifting pressure of
the strut is reduced. Then allow the
hood to fall and latch into place
under its own weight. Check to make sure the hood is closed. If the
hood does not fully latch, gently
push the hood down at the front and
center of the hood until it is
completely latched.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 287
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
paper towel or cloth, then push it
back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and
check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
2.5L L4 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick and
the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then recheck
the level. See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for
an explanation of what kind of oil to
use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see Capacities and
Specifications 0381.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 283 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0377.