GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - CRC - 11/3/17
226 Driving and Operating
control, and enhanced transmission
and engine cooling when driving
down steep hills or mountain
grades, towing, or hauling heavy
loads.
The selector button is on the end of
the shift lever. Turn the Tow/Haul
Mode on and off by pressing the
button. When the Tow/Haul Mode is
enabled, a light on the instrument
cluster will come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light 0149 and
Hill and Mountain Roads 0202.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment 0271.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is
only enabled while the Tow/Haul
Mode is selected and the vehicle is
not in the Range Selection Mode.
See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode0223. Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
assists in maintaining desired
vehicle speeds when driving on
downhill grades by using the engine
and transmission to slow the
vehicle.
To disable or enable Tow/Haul
Grade Braking within the current
ignition cycle, press and hold the
Tow/Haul button for five seconds.
When the button is released, the
requested mode change is made.
A DIC message is displayed.
See
Towing Equipment 0271.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Automatic Transmission 0220
and Cruise Control 0237.
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped, four-wheel drive
engages the front axle for extra
traction.
Caution
Do not drive on clean, dry
pavement in 4
mand 4n(if
equipped) for an extended period
of time. These conditions may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle’s powertrain.
Driving on clean, dry pavement in
4
mor 4nmay:
. Cause a vibration to be felt in
the steering system.
. Cause tires to wear faster.
. Make the transfer case harder to
shift, and cause it to run noisier.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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Driving and Operating 227
{Warning
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). SeeParking Brake
0 232.
Caution
Extended high-speed operation in
4
nmay damage or shorten the
life of the drivetrain.
Engagement noise and bump when
shifting between 4
nand 4mor from
N (Neutral), with the engine running,
is normal. Shifting into 4
nwill turn Traction
Control and StabiliTrak off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0234.
Two Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
If equipped, use the transfer case
knob next to the steering wheel to
shift into and out of four-wheel drive.
All of the lights will blink on then off
momentarily when the ignition
turned on. The light that remains on
will indicate the state of the
transfer case. If the indicator mark on the switch
does not match up with the light
then that likely means the switch
was moved when the ignition
was off.
The indicator mark on the switch
must line up with the indicator light
before a shift can be commanded.
To command a shift rotate the
transfer case switch to the new
desired position. The light will blink
meaning that the shift is in progress.
When the shift is completed the new
position will be illuminated. If the
transfer case cannot complete a
shift command, it will go back to its
last chosen setting.
The settings are:
N (Neutral) :
Use only when the
vehicle needs to be towed.
See Recreational Vehicle Towing
0 360 orTowing the Vehicle 0360.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High) : Use
for driving on most streets and
highways. The front axle is not
engaged. This setting provides the
best fuel economy.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - CRC - 11/3/17
230 Driving and Operating
9. Place the transmission shiftlever in P (Park). See
Recreational Vehicle Towing
0360.
10. Turn the ignition off.
Shifting Out of N (Neutral)
To shift out of N (Neutral): 1. Set the parking brake and apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition on with the engine off.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
4. Turn the transfer case knob to the desired setting.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the
desired gear.Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case
Use the transfer case knob, next to
the steering wheel, to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive for extra
traction.
All of the lights will blink on then off
momentarily when the ignition is
turned on. The light that remains on
will indicate the state of the
transfer case. If the indicator mark on the switch
does not match up with the light
then that likely means the switch
was moved when the ignition
was off.
The indicator mark on the switch
must line up with the indicator light
before a shift can be commanded.
To command a shift rotate the
transfer case switch to the new
desired position. The light will blink
meaning that the shift is in progress.
When the shift is completed the new
position will be illuminated. If the
transfer case can not complete a
shift command, it will go back to its
last chosen setting.
The settings are:
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High) :
Use
for driving on most streets and
highways. The front axle is not
engaged. This setting provides the
best fuel economy.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - CRC - 11/3/17
232 Driving and Operating
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses the wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at
each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You may hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate. This is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
Set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 148.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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Driving and Operating 235
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
Drive the vehicle. If
dcomes on
and stays on, the vehicle may need
more time to diagnose the problem.
If the condition persists, see your
dealer.
Turning the Systems Off
and On
The button for TCS and StabiliTrak
is on the instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release
g. The traction off lighti
displays in the instrument cluster.
The appropriate message will
display in the DIC. To turn TCS on
again, press and release
g. The
traction off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
g
is pressed, the system will not turn
off until the wheels stop spinning.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold
guntil the traction
off light
iand the StabiliTrak OFF
light
gcome on and stay on in the instrument cluster, then release. The
appropriate message will display in
the DIC.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release
g. The
traction off light
iand the
StabiliTrak OFF light
gin the
instrument cluster turn off.
StabiliTrak will automatically turn on
if the vehicle exceeds 56 km/h
(35 mph). Traction control will
remain off.
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature and a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature.
See Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
0 277 orHill Start Assist (HSA)
0 233.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 282.
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - CRC - 11/3/17
236 Driving and Operating
Hill Descent
Control (HDC)
If equipped, Hill Descent Control
(HDC) sets and maintains vehicle
speed while driving down steep
grades in a forward or reverse gear.
The HDC switch is on the center
stack, below the climate controls.
Press
5to enable or disable HDC.
Vehicle speed must be below
50 km/h (31 mph).
When enabled, the HDC light
displays on the instrument cluster.
A blinking HDC light indicates the
system is actively applying the
brakes to maintain vehicle speed.
HDC can maintain vehicle speeds
between 1 and 30 km/h (1 and
19 mph) on grades greater than or
equal to 10%. If HDC is to be used for more than
three minutes or on grades steeper
than 25%, the transfer case should
be put into Four-Wheel Drive Low
(4
n) to reduce the possibility of
brake overheating.
Noise from the hydraulic brake
control module is normal when HDC
is active.
When HDC is activated, the initial
HDC speed is set to the current
driving speed. It can be increased or
decreased by pressing +RES or
SET- on the steering wheel, or by
applying the accelerator or brake
pedal. This adjusted speed
becomes the new set speed.
HDC will remain enabled between
30 and 60 km/h (19 and 37 mph);
however, vehicle speed cannot be
set or maintained in this range. HDC
will automatically disable if the
vehicle speed is above 80 km/h
(50 mph) or above 60 km/h
(37 mph) for at least 30 seconds.
5must be pressed again to
re-enable HDC. HDC may disable
after an extended period of use. If this happens, HDC will require
time to cool down. The length of
time HDC remains active depends
on road conditions, grade, set
speed, vehicle loading, and outside
temperature.
When enabled, if the vehicle speed
is above 30 km/h (19 mph) and
below 60 km/h (37 mph), a DIC
message will display.
Magnetic Ride Control
This vehicle may have a semi-active
damping system called Magnetic
Ride Control. With this feature,
improved vehicle ride and handling
is provided under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
Magnetic Ride Control is fully
automatic and uses a computer
controller to continuously monitor
vehicle speed, wheel to body
position, lift/dive, and steering
position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to
each shock absorber to
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
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242 Driving and Operating
The ACC indicator displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) in
the instrument cluster and Head-Up
display (HUD), if equipped. When
ACC is active, the indicator turns
green.
Be mindful of speed limits,
surrounding traffic speeds, and
weather conditions when selecting
the set speed.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the ACC is set at a desired speed
and then the brakes are applied,
ACC is disengaged without erasing
the set speed from memory.
To begin using ACC again, press
+RES on the steering wheel. The
vehicle returns to the previous set
speed.Increasing Speed While ACC is at
a Set Speed
Do one of the following:
.
Use the accelerator to get to the
higher speed. Press SET– .
Release the control and the
accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will now cruise at the higher
speed.
When the accelerator pedal is
pressed, ACC will not brake
because it is overridden.
A warning message will appear
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC) and HUD, if equipped. See
Vehicle Messages 0161.
. Press and hold +RES until the
desired set speed appears on
the display, then release it.
. To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, briefly press
+RES. For each press, the
vehicle goes to the next 1 km/h
(1 mph) faster mark on the
speedometer. .
To increase speed in larger
increments, press and briefly
hold +RES. For each press, the
vehicle speed goes to next
5 km/h (5 mph) faster mark on
the speedometer.
When it is determined that there is
no vehicle ahead or the vehicle
ahead is beyond the selected
following gap, then the vehicle
speed will increase to the set speed.
Reducing Speed While ACC is at a
Set Speed
Do one of the following:
. Use the brake to get to the
desired lower speed. Release
the brake and press SET– . The
vehicle will now cruise at the
lower speed.
. Press and hold SET– until the
desired lower speed is reached,
then release it.
. To decrease the vehicle speed in
small increments, briefly press
SET−. For each press, the
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - CRC - 11/3/17
Driving and Operating 243
vehicle speed goes to the next
1 km/h (1 mph) slower mark on
the speedometer.
. To decrease speed in larger
increments, press and briefly
hold SET−. For each press, the
vehicle speed goes to the next
5 km/h (5 mph) slower mark on
the speedometer.
Selecting the Follow Distance Gap
When a slower moving vehicle is
detected ahead within the selected
following gap, ACC will adjust the
vehicle's speed and attempt to
maintain the follow distance gap
selected.
Press
3on the steering wheel to
adjust the following gap. When
pressed, the current gap setting
displays briefly on the instrument
cluster and HUD, if equipped.
Subsequent presses cycle the
3
button through three settings: Far,
Medium, or Near. The gap setting
will be maintained until it is
changed. Since each gap setting corresponds
to a following time (Far, Medium,
or Near), the following distance will
vary based on vehicle speed. The
faster the vehicle speed, the further
back your vehicle will follow a
vehicle detected ahead. Consider
traffic and weather conditions when
selecting the following gap. The
range of selectable gaps may not be
appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Changing the gap setting
automatically changes the alert
timing sensitivity (Far, Medium,
or Near) for the Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) feature. See
Forward
Collision Alert (FCA) System 0250.
Alerting the Driver
Without Head-Up Display
With Head-Up Display
If ACC is engaged, driver action
may be required when ACC cannot
apply sufficient braking because of
approaching a vehicle too rapidly.
When this condition occurs, six red
lights or the collision alert symbol on
the HUD, if equipped, will flash on
the windshield, and either eight
beeps will sound from the front,
or both sides of the Safety Alert
Seat will pulse five times. See
“Collision/Detection Systems” under
Vehicle Personalization 0162.
See Defensive Driving 0194.