GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
4 Introduction
!: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
H:Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
R: Fuse Block Cover Lock
Location
+: Fuses
j:ISOFIX/LATCH System Child
Restraints
Q: Keep Fuse Block Covers
Properly Installed
|: Lane Change Alert
@:Lane Departure Warning
A:Lane Keep Assist
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
X:Park Assist
~:Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O:Power
7: Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I:Registered Technician
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Seat Belt Reminders
I: Side Blind Zone Alert
h:Stop/Start
7: Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
a: Under Pressure
V:Vehicle Ahead Indicator
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
18 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Keyless Access
If equipped, the RKE transmitter
must be within 1 m (3 ft) of the
liftgate or door being opened. Press
the button on the door handle to
open. See“Keyless Access
Operation” inRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 08.
Driver Door Key Lock Cylinder
Access (In Case of Dead
Battery)
To access the driver door key lock
cylinder:
1. Pull the door handle (1) to the open position and hold it open
until cap removal is complete.
2. Insert the key into the slot (3) on the bottom of the cap (2)
and lift the key upward.
3. Move the cap (2) rearward and remove.
4. Use the key in the cylinder. To replace the cap:
1. Pull the door handle (1) to the open position and hold it open
until cap installation is
complete.
2. Insert the two tabs (6) at theback of the cap between the
seal (5) and the metal base (4).
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
94 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 95
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 95
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 95
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 95
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 97
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Instrument Cluster (Base and Midlevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 113
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 113
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 115
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 115
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 119
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . 119
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 119
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 120
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 120
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Wait-to-Start Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 122 Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 122
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 123
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 123
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 123
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 124
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base and Midlevel) . . . . . . . . . 124
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 134
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 135
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 135
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 140
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
118 Instruments and Controls
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
continues flashing after the parking
brake is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system. A message
may also display in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
This light should come on briefly
when starting the vehicle. If it does
not come on, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
If this light stays on, take the vehicle
to your dealer as soon as possible.
See the information for the Electric
Parking Brake under Electric
Parking Brake 0207. A message
may also display in the Driver
Information Center (DIC).
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), 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 ABS light comes on and stays
on while driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off.
Start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light stays on after
driving at a speed above 20 km/h
(13 mph), see your dealer for
service. A chime may also sound
when the light comes on steady.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
Driving and Operating 161
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 163
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 171
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 172
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 174
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 179
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 192
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 195
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 201
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 207
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 209
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 213
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 214
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 219
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 230
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 231
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
166 Driving and Operating
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.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:
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
Driving and Operating 173
{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 0209.
. 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) 0206. .
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 0389. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
206 Driving and Operating
The system will automatically
command downshifts to reduce
vehicle speed. The normal shift
pattern will return once the vehicle
is on a low grade or when the
accelerator pedal is pressed.
While in the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) mode, grade braking
is deactivated, allowing the driver to
select a range and limiting the
highest gear available. Grade
braking is available for normal
driving and in Tow/Haul Mode.
SeeAutomatic Transmission 0201.Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
For information on All-Wheel
Drive (AWD), see Driver Mode
Control 0214.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
helps prevent a braking skid and
maintain steering while
braking hard.
ABS performs a system check when
the vehicle is first driven.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
may be heard while this test is going
on, and the brake pedal may move
slightly. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
0 118.