GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G: Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!: Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components
Properly
P: Do Not Apply High Pressure
Water
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
16 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Do not use remote start if the
vehicle is low on fuel as it may run
out of fuel.
Other conditions can affect the
performance of the transmitter. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System08.
Starting the Engine Using Remote
Start
1. Press and release
Qon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash. The
turn signal lamps flashing
confirms the request to remote
start the vehicle has been
received.
During the remote start the
doors will be locked and the
parking lamps will remain on as
long as the engine is running.
The engine will shut off after
15 minutes unless a time
extension is done or the
vehicle is started. 3. With the RKE transmitter in the
vehicle, press the brake pedal
and start the vehicle to drive.
Extending Engine Run Time
The engine run time can also be
extended by another 15 minutes,
if during the first 15 minutes
Steps 1 and 2 are repeated while
the engine is still running. An
extension can be requested
30 seconds after starting. This
provides a total of 30 minutes.
The remote start can only be
extended once.
When the remote start is extended,
the second 15-minute period is
added on to the first 15 minutes for
a total of 30 minutes.
A maximum of two remote starts,
or a remote start with an extension,
are allowed between ignition cycles.
The vehicle must be started and
then turned off before the remote
start procedure can be used again. Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start, do any of
the following:
.
Press and hold
/until the
parking lamps turn off.
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Turn the vehicle on and then off.
Conditions in Which Remote Start
Will Not Work
The remote start will not operate if
any of the following occur:
. A transmitter is in the vehicle.
. The ignition is on.
. The hood is not closed.
. The hazard warning flashers
are on.
. There is an emission control
system malfunction.
. The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
. The oil pressure is low.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Instruments and Controls 105
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 106
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 107
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 107
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 107
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Instrument Cluster (Base and
Midlevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Engine Oil Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 125
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 126
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 127
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 127
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Service Electric Parking Brake Light (Uplevel and Midlevel
Cluster Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Gear Shifting Light . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 131
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 131
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 132
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 132
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 133
Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 134
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 135
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 135
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 136
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 136
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Midlevel and Uplevel) . . . . . . 139
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 142
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 146
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 146
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 146
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Instruments and Controls 123
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Oil Temperature
Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine oil
temperature.
If the gauge pointer moves into the
high end, it means that the engine
oil has overheated. If the vehicle
has been operated under normal
driving conditions, pull off the road,
stop the vehicle, and turn off the
engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Oil 0269.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric Base and Midlevel
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
124 Instruments and Controls
English Base and Midlevel
Metric Uplevel
English Uplevel
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the pointer moves toward the
warning area at the high end of the
gauge, the engine is too hot.
If the engine coolant has
overheated and the vehicle has
been operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the
vehicle, and turn off the engine as
soon as possible. See Engine
Overheating 0279.
Voltmeter Gauge
When the ignition is on, this gauge
indicates the battery voltage.
When the engine is running, this
gauge shows the condition of the
charging system. The gauge can
transition from a higher to lower or a
lower to higher reading. This is
normal. If the vehicle is operating
outside the normal operating range,
the charging system light comes on.
See Charging System Light 0127.
Readings outside the normal
operating range can also occur
when a large number of electrical
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Instruments and Controls 133
SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0209.
StabiliTrak OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
This light comes on when the
StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system is turned off.
If StabiliTrak/ESC is off, the Traction
Control System (TCS) is also off.
If StabiliTrak/ESC and TCS are off,
the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
TCS and the StabiliTrak/ESC
systems, and the warning light
turns off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0209.
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light is on and not flashing, the
TCS and potentially the StabiliTrak/
ESC system have been disabled.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
message may display. Check the
DIC messages to determine which
feature(s) is no longer functioning
and whether the vehicle requires
service.
If the light is on and flashing, the
TCS and/or the StabiliTrak/ESC
system is actively working. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0209.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the vehicle.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light goes off.
Caution
The engine coolant temperature
warning light indicates that the
vehicle has overheated. Driving
with this light on can damage the
(Continued)
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
134 Instruments and Controls
Caution (Continued)
engine and it may not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. See
Engine Overheating0279.
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on when the
engine has overheated.
If this happens, pull over and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Overheating 0279.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS. When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. Stop as soon as possible,
and inflate the tires to the pressure
value shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Tire
Pressure 0305.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0308.Engine Oil Pressure Light
Oil pressure can vary with engine
speed, outside temperature, and oil
viscosity. On some models, the oil pump will
vary engine oil pressure according
to engine needs. Oil pressure may
change quickly as the engine speed
or load varies. This is normal. If the
oil pressure warning light or Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
indicates oil pressure outside the
normal operating range, check the
vehicle's oil as soon as possible.
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
the oil level as soon as possible.
Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Driving and Operating 249
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle could show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run, 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 Overheating0279.
Viewing Systems
If equipped, the viewing systems on
the vehicle can improve visibility
while hitching, backing, and driving
with a trailer. See Driver Assistance
Systems 0225 and
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing 0227.
Parking on Hills
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death,
always park your vehicle and
trailer on a level surface when
possible.
When parking your vehicle and your
trailer 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, gradually release the
brake pedal to allow the chocks
to absorb the load of the trailer.
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:
.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 used to tow trailers. See
Maintenance Schedule 0353. It is
especially important to check the
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system, and brake system
before and during each trip.
Check periodically that all nuts and
bolts on the trailer hitch are tight.