GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
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
g: First Responder
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
H:Flammable
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 17
Power Door Locks
Crew Cab Shown, Extended CabSimilar
If equipped with power door locks:
Q: Press to lock the doors.
K:Press to unlock the doors.
Delayed Locking
This feature delays the actual
locking of the doors until
five seconds after all doors are
closed. Delayed locking can only be turned
on when the Open Door
Anti-Lockout feature has been
turned off.
When
Qis pressed on the power
door lock switch with the door open,
a chime will sound three times
indicating that delayed locking is
active.
The doors will then lock
automatically five seconds after all
doors are closed. If a door is
reopened before five seconds have
elapsed, the five-second timer will
reset once all the doors are closed
again.
Press
Qon the door lock switch
again, or press
Qon the RKE
transmitter, to override this feature
and lock the doors immediately.
Delayed locking can be
programmed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0122.
Automatic Door Locks
If equipped, the doors will lock
automatically when all doors are
closed, the ignition is on, and the
shift lever is moved out of P (Park).
If a vehicle door is unlocked and
then opened and closed, the doors
will lock either when your foot is
removed from the brake or the
vehicle speed becomes faster than
13 km/h (8 mph).
To unlock the doors:
.
Press
Kon a power door lock
switch.
. Shift the transmission into
P (Park).
. If a vehicle door is unlocked and
then opened and closed, the
doors will lock either when your
foot is removed from the brake
or the vehicle speed becomes
faster than 13 km/h (8 mph).
Automatic door locking cannot be
disabled. Automatic door unlocking
can be programmed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0122.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 25
Crew Cab Shown, Extended CabSimilar
Power windows work when the
ignition is on, in ACC/ACCESSORY,
or when Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) is active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0165.
Using the window switch, press to
open or pull to close the window.
The windows may be temporarily
disabled if they are used repeatedly
within a short time.
Rear Window Lockout (Crew
Cab Only)
This feature stops the rear
passenger windows from working.
. Press
Zto engage the rear
window lockout feature. The
indicator light is on when
engaged.
. Press
Zagain to disengage.
Window Express Movement
All windows can be opened without
holding the window switch. Press
the switch down fully and quickly
release to express open the
window.
If equipped, pull the window switch
up fully and quickly release to
express close the window.
Briefly press or pull the window
switch in the same direction to stop
that window’s express movement.
Window Automatic Reversal
System
The express-close feature will
reverse window movement if it
comes in contact with an object.
Extreme cold or ice could cause the
window to auto-reverse. The
window will operate normally after
the object or condition is removed.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
90 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 91
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 91
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 91
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Instrument Cluster (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Instrument Cluster
(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 104
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 105
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 106
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 107
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 110
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . 110
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 110
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 111
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 112
Low Fuel Warning Light (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Low Fuel Warning Light (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 113 Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 114
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 114
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 114
Door Ajar Light (Uplevel
Cluster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 121
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 121
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 122
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 109
Brake System Warning
Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the vehicle is turned on. If it
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
When the vehicle is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
right away.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal might be harder to
push, or the brake pedal may go
closer to the floor. It could take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service.
See
Towing the Vehicle 0294.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started. If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 109.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 141
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 150
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 151
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 153
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 160
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 168
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 169
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 182
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 184
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . 185
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 188
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 189
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 196
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 196
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 145
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.
There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking. .
Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips: 1. Ease off the accelerator and
then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.
3. Turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
13566643) - 2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
152 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, crash).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0183.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0181. .
Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0333. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.