GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Driving and Operating 265
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer turn
signals should will illuminate to indicate the
vehicle is turning, changing lanes,
or stopping. When towing a trailer, the
arrows on the instrument cluster will
illuminate even if the trailer is not properly
connected or the bulbs are burned out.
Tow/Haul Mode
For instructions on how to enter Tow/Haul
mode, seeDriver Mode Control 0228.
Tow/Haul assists when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load. See Tow/
Haul Mode 0224.
Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and trailer
combined weight is at least 75% of the
vehicle's Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR). See “Weight of the Trailer” under
Trailer Towing 0259.
Tow/Haul Mode is most useful when towing
a heavy trailer or carrying a large or
heavy load:
.through rolling terrain
.in stop-and-go traffic
.in busy parking lots Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul Mode
when lightly loaded or not towing will not
cause damage; however, it is not
recommended and may result in unpleasant
engine and transmission driving
characteristics and reduced fuel economy.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) have a Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) feature. Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while towing.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at each wheel,
to help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If equipped with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC may
also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/ESC warning light
will flash on the instrument cluster. Reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control
0
226.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash and in
serious injury or death, even if the
vehicle is equipped with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway, reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. Then pull over
to check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes, including an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly inflated or
incorrect vehicle or trailer tires. See
Towing Equipment 0262 for trailer
ratings and hitch setup recommendations.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
288 Vehicle Care
Checking Brake Fluid
With the vehicle in P (Park) on a level
surface, the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and maximum marks
on the brake fluid reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir may go down:
.Normal brake lining wear. When new
linings are installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic system.
Have the brake hydraulic system fixed.
With a leak, the brakes will not
work well.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before
removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding fluid
does not correct a leak. If fluid is added
when the linings are worn, there will be too
much fluid when new brake linings are
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 0108.
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 0346.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3 brake fluid
from a clean, sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 0354.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake fluid
could result in damage to the brake
system. This could result in the loss of
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 on the
original battery label when a new battery is
needed. For replacement of the battery, see
your dealer.
Stop/Start System
The vehicle has a Stop/Start system to shut
off the engine to help conserve fuel. See
Stop/Start System0215.
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Index 387
Fuel (cont'd)Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Fuses Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 293
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 298
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Gauges Engine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Engine Oil Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Gauges (cont'd)
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 96
Gear Shifting Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . . 161
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Guidance
Problems with the Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
HD Radio Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 133
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Headlamps (cont'd)
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . .41
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192, 196
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . 48
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192, 196
I
If the System Needs Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Indicator Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
388 Index
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . 66
InformationPublication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 100
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 138
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . 332
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 132
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . 137
Malfunction Indicator (CheckEngine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Lamps (cont'd)
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 78
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Lights (cont'd)
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Gear Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Hill Descent Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Lane Keep Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 109
StabiliTrak OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Index 389
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Map Data Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Media Avoiding Untrusted Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Messages Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Mirror
Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mirrors Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . 28
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Driver Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
N
Navigation Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Navigation Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . 376
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Operation Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4