
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 259
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 260
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 261
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 273
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 274
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 280
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Battery - North America . . . . . . 284
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 285
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 286
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 286
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 287
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . . . 289
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 291
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 292
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 292
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
260 Vehicle Care
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 334
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
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 0284
and Jump Starting - North America
0 335 and the back cover.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 265
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0274.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0269.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0269.
4. Engine Cooling Fan. See Cooling System 0276.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0283.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0293.
7. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump
Starting - North America 0335.
8. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0276.
9. Battery - North America 0284.
10. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0335.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 282.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 267
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0274.
2. Engine Cooling Fan. See Cooling System 0276.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0269.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0269.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0283.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0293.
7. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump
Starting - North America 0335.
8. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0276.
9. Battery - North America 0284.
10. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0335.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 282.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 269
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0274.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0269.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0269.
4. Engine Cooling Fan. See Cooling System 0276.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0283.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0293.
7. Remote Positive (+) Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump
Starting - North America 0335.
8. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0276.
9. Battery - North America 0284.
10. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North
America 0335.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 282.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0273.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0264 for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the
oil level. If the oil is not low and the
low oil message remains on, take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground.
Check the engine oil level after
the engine has been off for at
least two hours. Checking the
engine oil level on steep grades

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
284 Vehicle Care
installed. Add or remove fluid, as
necessary, only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. See Brake System Warning
Light 0129.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid
at the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0353. What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3
brake fluid from a clean, sealed
container. See
Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0361.{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the
paint finish can be damaged.
Immediately wash off any painted
surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove
the cap and do not add fluid.
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new battery is needed. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0264 for battery location.
The vehicle has an Absorbing Glass
Mat (AGM) 12-volt battery.
Installation of a standard 12-volt
battery will result in reduced 12-volt
battery life. When using a 12-volt
battery charger on the 12-volt AGM
battery, some chargers have an
AGM battery setting on the charger.
If available, use the AGM setting on
the charger, to limit charge voltage
to 14.8 volts. Follow the charger
manufacturer's instructions.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
(Continued)

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Vehicle Care 285
Warning (Continued)
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. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See California Proposition
65 Warning 0260 and the back
cover.
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 0335 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.
All-Wheel Drive
Transfer Case
Under normal driving conditions,
transfer case fluid does not require
maintenance unless there is a fluid
leak or unusual noise. If required,
have the transfer case serviced by
your dealer.
Starter Switch Check
{Warning
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Apply both the parking brake and the regular brake.
Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each gear. The vehicle should start
only in P (Park) or N (Neutral).
If the vehicle starts in any other
position, contact your dealer for
service.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
312 Vehicle Care
When the recommended
pressure is reached, the horn
sounds once and the turn
signal lamp will stop flashing
and briefly turn solid.
Repeat these steps for all
underinflated tires that have
illuminated the low tire pressure
warning light.
If the tire is overinflated by more
than 35 kPa (5 psi), the horn will
sound multiple times and the turn
signal lamp will continue to flash for
eight seconds after filling stops. To
release and correct the pressure,
while the turn signal lamp is still
flashing, briefly press the center of
the valve stem. When the
recommended pressure is reached,
the horn sounds once.
If the turn signal lamp does not flash
within 15 seconds after starting to
inflate the tire, the tire fill alert has
not been activated or is not working.
If the hazard warning flashers are
on, the tire fill alert visual feedback
will not work properly. The TPMS will not activate the tire
fill alert properly under the following
conditions:
.
There is interference from an
external device or transmitter.
. The air pressure from the
inflation device is not sufficient
to inflate the tire.
. There is a malfunction in
the TPMS.
. There is a malfunction in the
horn or turn signal lamps.
. The identification code of the
TPMS sensor is not registered to
the system.
. The battery of the TPMS sensor
is low.
If the tire fill alert does not operate
due to TPMS interference, move the
vehicle about 1 m (3 ft) back or
forward and try again. If the tire fill
alert feature is not working, use a
tire pressure gauge.TPMS Sensor Matching
Process
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. The identification
code needs to be matched to a new
tire/wheel position after rotating the
vehicle’s tires or replacing one or
more of the TPMS sensors. The
TPMS sensor matching process
should also be performed after
replacing a spare tire with a road
tire containing the TPMS sensor.
The malfunction light and the DIC
message should go off at the next
ignition cycle. The sensors are
matched to the tire/wheel positions,
using a TPMS relearn tool, in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger
side rear tire, and driver side rear
tire. See your dealer for service or
to purchase a relearn tool. A TPMS
relearn tool can also be purchased.
See Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor
Activation Tool at
www.gmtoolsandequipment.com or
call 1-800-GM TOOLS
(1-800-468-6657).