2021 GMC ACADIA engine overheat

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
284 Vehicle Care
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such as
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. With plain water or
the wrong mixture, the engine could get
too hot but there would not be an
overheat warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific coolant fill
procedure could cause the engine to
overheat and could cause system
damage. If coolant is not visible in the
surge tank, contact your dealer.
If no problem is found, check to see if
coolant is visible in the coolant surge tank.
If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at or above the indicated mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant. Be sure the cooling
system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank (2.5L and 3.6L Engines Only)
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about one-quarter of a
turn. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still
left to be vented out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with theproper mixture to the indicated
level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be lower. If the
level is lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until
the level reaches the indicated
level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Vehicle Care 285
6. Verify coolant level after the engine isshut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down again,
see your dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly installed,
coolant loss and engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly and
tightly secured.
Automatic Coolant Service Fill (2.0L
Engine Only)
If equipped, this feature assists in filling and
removing air from the cooling system after
service of components or when coolant is
added after being too low.
To activate the fill and air removal process:
1. With a cold system, disconnect the vent line from the port near the cap on the
surge tank. Add coolant to the indicated
mark on the surge tank.
2. Reconnect the vent line to the surge tank and replace the cap on the
surge tank. 3. Connect the vehicle to a battery charger.
4. Put the vehicle in Service Mode. See
Ignition Positions 0213.
5. Turn off the air conditioning.
6. Set the parking brake.
7. At the same time, press the accelerator and the brake for automatic transmission
vehicles for two seconds, then release.
At the end of the cycle, check the coolant
level in the surge tank and add coolant, if it
is low. Turn off the vehicle, allow the Engine
Control Module (ECM) to go to sleep, about
two minutes, and repeat steps 3-7.
Listen for pump activation and movement of
the control valves while watching the level
of the tank. If the tank empties, turn the
ignition off, carefully remove the surge tank
cap, refill to the indicated mark and repeat
steps 3-6. The fill and air removal process
will run for approximately 10 minutes.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators to warn of
the engine overheating. There is an engine coolant temperature
gauge on the instrument cluster. See
Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 0104. The
vehicle may also display a message on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
If the decision is made not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, get service help
right away. See Roadside Assistance Program
0 366.
If the decision is made to lift the hood,
make sure the vehicle is parked on a level
surface. Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be running. If it
is not, do not continue to run the engine.
Have the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a leak
in the engine cooling system. This can
cause a loss of all coolant and can
damage the system and vehicle. Have
any leaks fixed right away.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
286 Vehicle Care
If Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system are under pressure.
Turning the pressure cap, even a little,
can cause them to come out at high
speed and you could be burned. Never
turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and pressure cap
to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from the Engine
Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is displayed
but no steam can be seen or heard, the
problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.Stops after high-speed driving.
.Idles for long periods in traffic.
If the overheat warning is displayed with no
sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off. 2. Turn the heater on to the highest
temperature and to the highest fan
speed. Open the windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or N (Neutral), and
let the engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge is
no longer in the overheated area, the
vehicle can be driven. Continue to drive the
vehicle slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the
warning does not come back on, continue to
drive normally and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and
park the vehicle right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the engine
for three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still displayed, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is needed, be
sure to read the manufacturer's instructions
before use. If operating the vehicle in an area where the temperature may fall below
freezing, use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0271 for
reservoir location.
Caution
.Do not use washer fluid that contains
any type of water repellent coating.
This can cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
(Continued)

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
386 Index
Driving (cont'd)Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
E
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Electrical SystemEngine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 293
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . 298
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . 107
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Engine (cont'd)
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 112
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Engine Oil Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . 137
F
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . 245
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 256

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