
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
278 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or pouring into sewers,
streams, or bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level mark is not
visible, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant at the coolant
surge tank to the top rib on the
middle of the tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this is
done. See Engine Overheating
0 280.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
280 Vehicle Care
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fans. By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the
proper level when the system
cools down again, see your
dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument cluster and overheat
messages in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) to warn of engine
overheating. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0124.
The decision may be made not to lift
the hood when the engine coolant
temperature gauge is in the
overheat zone or an engine
overheat DIC message displays, but
instead to get service help right
away. See Roadside Assistance
Program 0373.
If the decision to lift the hood is
made, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface. Then
check to see if the engine cooling
fan(s) are running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan(s) should be
running. If they are not, do not
continue to run the engine, and
have the vehicle serviced.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 281
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is in the overheat zone or an
engine overheat DIC message is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day
. Stops after high-speed driving
. Idles for long periods in traffic
. Tows a trailer
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is in the overheat zone and
an overheat DIC message is
displayed with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary. 3. When it is safe to do so, pull off
the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone or an overheat DIC message
no longer displays, the vehicle can
be driven. Continue to drive the
vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes.
Keep a safe distance from the
vehicle in front. If the engine coolant
temperature gauge does not go
back to the overheat zone or an
overheat DIC message does not
display, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is still in the overheat zone or
an overheat DIC message still
displays, pull over, stop, and park
the vehicle right away. If overheat
messages appear repeatedly, see
your dealer.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the engine coolant
temperature gauge is still in the

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
282 Vehicle Care
overheat zone or an overheat DIC
message displays, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview 0264 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
. Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full when
it is very cold. This allows
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or can
be heard all the time when the
vehicle is moving, except when
applying the brake pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Index 397
Climate Control Systems (cont'd)Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . . . 242
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 376
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 322
Connections OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Control
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Control Light
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . 124
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160, 162
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 378
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 376
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 382
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 381
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Diagnostics
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . 27, 198
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . . . 197
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Door Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 368
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 209, 285
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 222
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 228
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 26

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
398 Index
Driving (cont'd)Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 180
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Driving the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 130
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Electrical System
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 292
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 Emergency
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 264
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 197
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Engines Diesel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 381
Exhaust Fluid Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 151
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Replacement (Fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 154
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 274
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Diesel Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 231
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Index 399
Frequency StatementRadio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 63
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . . . . . 289
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . 242
Diesel Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . 247, 248
Filter Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 134
Requirements, California . . . . . 237
Running out of Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Water in Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
What to Use in Canada and Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
What to Use in the U.S. . . . . . . 239
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . . . . 238 Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 292
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 147Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 351
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 154
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 135
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 153
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 135
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160, 162