
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
132 Lighting
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the high beams
when driving over 40 km/h (25 mph).
The blue high-beam on light appears on the
instrument cluster when the high beams
are on.
There is a sensor near the top center of the
windshield that automatically controls the
system. Keep this area of the windshield
clear of debris to allow for best system
performance.
The high-beam headlamps remain on, under
the automatic control, until one of the
following situations occurs:
.The system detects an approaching
vehicle's headlamps.
.The system detects a preceding vehicle's
taillamps.
.The outside light is bright enough that
high-beam headlamps are not required.
.The vehicle's speed drops below 20 km/h
(12 mph).
.The IntelliBeam system is disabled by the
button on the turn signal lever. If this
happens, press the button on the end of
the turn signal lever when the exterior
lamp control is in the AUTO or
2
position. The instrument cluster light will
come on to indicate the IntelliBeam
system is reactivated.
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot detect
another vehicle's lamps because of any of
the following:
.The other vehicle's lamps are missing,
damaged, obstructed from view,
or otherwise undetected.
.The other vehicle's lamps are covered
with dirt, snow, and/or road spray.
.The other vehicle's lamps cannot be
detected due to dense exhaust, smoke,
fog, snow, road spray, mist, or other
airborne obstructions.
.The vehicle's windshield is dirty, cracked,
or obstructed by something that blocks
the view of the light sensor.
.The vehicle is loaded such that the front
end points upward, causing the light
sensor to aim high and not detect
headlamps and taillamps.
.The vehicle is being driven on winding or
hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam headlamps may
need to be disabled if any of the above
conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver door is
opened while the ignition is off and the
exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
Push the turn signal lever away from you
and release, to turn the high beams on. To
return to low beams, push the lever again
or pull it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the high-beam
headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the turn signal
lever toward you, and release.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Lighting 133
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day. Fully
functional DRL are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The dedicated DRL will come on when all of
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp control is in AUTO.
.The light sensor determines it is daytime.
.The parking brake is released or the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
The taillamps, instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the headlamps are
turned to
Oor the ignition is off. For
vehicles sold in Canada, this control only
works when the vehicle is parked.
Automatic Headlamp System
When the exterior lamp control is set to
AUTO and it is dark enough outside, the
headlamps come on automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the sensor.
The system may also turn on the headlamps
when driving through a parking garage or
tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the
automatic headlamp system comes on
immediately. If it is light outside when the
vehicle leaves the garage, there is a slight delay before the automatic headlamp
system changes to the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as bright as
usual. Make sure the instrument panel
brightness control is in the full bright
position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0135.
When it is bright enough outside, the
headlamps will turn off or may change
to DRL.
The automatic headlamp system turns off
when the exterior lamp control is turned to
Oor the ignition is off.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are activated in
daylight with the engine on, and the
exterior lamp control is in AUTO, the
headlamps, parking lamps, and other
exterior lamps come on. The transition time
for the lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are not
operating, these lamps turn off. Move the
exterior lamp control to
Oor;to disable
this feature.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
134 Lighting
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:Press this button to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are having
trouble. Press again to turn the flashers off.
The turn signals do not work while the
hazard warning flashers are on.
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
Move the lever all the way up or down to
signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster will
flash in the direction of the turn or lane
change.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane change. Hold
it there until the lane change is complete.
If the lever is moved momentarily to the
lane change position, the arrow will flash
three times. It will flash six times if Tow/
Haul Mode is active.
The lever returns to its starting position
when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane change, the
arrow flashes rapidly or does not come on, a
signal bulb may be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs replaced. If a
bulb is not burned out, check the fuse. See
Instrument Panel Fuse Block 0296.
Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision in foggy
or misty conditions.
To turn on the fog lamps, the ignition and
the headlamps or parking lamps must be on.
#:Turn the band down and release to
turn the fog lamps on or off. A light comes
on in the instrument cluster when the fog
lamps are in use. The ignition must be on
for the fog lamps to work.
When the headlamps are changed to high
beam, the fog lamps turn off. The fog lamps
come back on again when the high-beam
headlamps are turned off.
Some localities have laws that require the
headlamps to be on along with the fog
lamps.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Lighting 135
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
This feature adjusts the brightness of the
steering wheel controls and instrument
panel lights.
D:Move the thumbwheel up or down to
brighten or dim the lights.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps come on when any door
is opened,
Kon the RKE transmitter is
pressed, or when the ignition is switched
off. See Dome Lamps 0135.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp is in the overhead console.
To operate, press the following buttons:
jOFF : Press to turn off the dome
lamps when any door is opened,
Kon the
RKE transmitter is pressed, or when the
ignition is switched off. An indicator light on
the button will turn on when the dome
lamp override is activated. Press
jOFF
again to deactivate this feature and the
indicator light will turn off. The dome lamps
will come on when any door is opened,
K
on the RKE transmitter is pressed, or when
the ignition is switched off. +
ON/OFF : Press to turn the dome lamps
on manually.
Reading Lamps
There are front and rear reading lamps on
the overhead console and in the headliner.
These lamps come on when any door is
opened,
Kon the RKE transmitter is
pressed, or when the ignition is
switched off.
To operate, the ignition must be on, or in
ACC/ACCESSORY, or using Retained Accessory
Power (RAP).
Front Reading Lamps
Press the lamp lenses to turn the front
reading lamps on or off.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
136 Lighting
Rear Reading Lamps
Press the buttons to turn the rear passenger
reading lamps on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps turn on briefly at
night, or in areas with limited lighting,
when
Kis pressed on the RKE transmitter.
After about 30 seconds the exterior lamps
turn off. Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by turning the ignition on or to
ACC/ACCESSORY, or by pressing
Qon the
RKE transmitter. When any door is opened,
the remote unlock is pressed, or when the
ignition is switched off, all interior lights
turn on and then interior lamps dim to off
within 20 seconds after all doors are closed. The entry lighting feature for exterior
lighting can be changed. See
“Vehicle
Locator Lights” underVehicle Personalization
0 123.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is turned
off. The dome lamp comes on when any
door is opened or after the ignition is
turned off. The exterior lamps and dome
lamp remain on after the door is closed for
a set amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off immediately by
turning the exterior lamp control off.
The exit lighting for exterior lights can be
changed. See Vehicle Personalization 0123.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM) that estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then
adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery. When the battery's state of charge is low,
the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring
the charge back up. When the state of
charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the
vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for
all vehicles. This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the power
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of
the following are on, such as: headlamps,
high beams, rear window defogger, climate
control fan at high speed, heated seats,
engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of
the battery. It does this by balancing the
generator's output and the vehicle's
electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power
demands of some accessories.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Lighting 137
Normally, these actions occur in steps or
levels, without being noticeable. In rare
cases at the highest levels of corrective
action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC battery voltage and
charging message displays. It is
recommended that the driver reduce the
electrical loads as much as possible. See
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base)0115
or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Midlevel and
Uplevel) 0117.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the interior lamps if
they are left on for more than 10 minutes
when the ignition is off. This will keep the
battery from draining.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off, if the parking
lamps or headlamps have been manually
left on. This protects against draining the
battery. To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the off position
and then back to the parking lamp or
headlamp position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on or in
ACC/ACCESSORY.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
Infotainment System 163
updated periodically, provided that the map
information has changed and the vehicle has
a relevant service plan.
Over-the-Air-Vehicle Map Updates
If equipped, the infotainment system can
receive map updates over the air. Map
updates occur within a 161 km (100 mi)
radius around the home address on file. This
boundary will adjust over time based on
driving patterns. The vehicle uses a
Cloud-connected service to receive the date
and downloads it to the system’s onboard
SD card, if equipped. A data plan or
compatible mobile device hotspot is
required. The SD card is required for
navigation system function.
When a map update is available, a prompt
will appear on the infotainment display.
Once the update is accepted, it will
download and run in the background
without interruption any infotainment
functions. The download will carry over
ignition cycles, stopping and starting where
it left off. The updates can be set to
download automatically.See www.gmnavdisc.com for details on
ordering, purchasing, and installing a new or
replacement SD card. Features are subject to
change. For more information on this
feature, see my.gmc.com/learn.Database Coverage Explanations
Coverage areas vary with respect to the
level of map detail available for any given
area. Some areas feature greater levels of
detail than others. If this happens, it does
not mean there is a problem with the
system. As the map data is updated, more
detail can become available for areas that
previously had limited detail. See
Map Data
Updates 0162.
Voice Recognition
If equipped, voice recognition allows for
hands-free operation within the navigation,
audio, phone, and weather applications. This
feature can be started by pressing
gon the
steering wheel or touching
gon the
infotainment display. However, not all features within these areas
are supported by voice commands.
Generally, only complex tasks that require
multiple manual interactions to complete
are supported by voice commands.
For example, tasks that take more than one
or two touches, such as a song or artist to
play from a media device, would be
supported by voice commands. Other tasks,
like adjusting the volume or seeking up or
down, are audio features that are easily
performed by touching one or two options,
and are not supported by voice commands.
In general there are flexible ways to speak
commands for completing the tasks.
If your language supports it, try stating a
one-shot command, such as
“Directions to
address
while stating the address during the
command. Another example of a one-shot
Destination Entry command is, “Directions to
Place of Interest at
commands do not work, try saying, “Take
me to Place of Interest” or“Find address”
and the system will walk you through by
asking additional questions.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-14608671) - 2021 - CRC - 10/26/20
164 Infotainment System
Hybrid Speech Recognition
If equipped, this feature helps distinguish
words by using Internet-based information
along with the system’s voice recognition
database. This allows you to speak more
naturally when using voice recognition.
Using Voice Recognition
Voice recognition becomes available once
the system has been initialized. This begins
when the ignition is turned on. Initialization
may take a few moments.1. Press
gon the steering wheel controls
to activate voice recognition.
2. The audio system mutes and the system plays a prompt.
3. Clearly speak one of the commands described in this section.
A voice recognition system prompt can
be interrupted while it is playing by
pressing
gagain.
Once voice recognition is started, both the
infotainment display and instrument cluster
show the selections and visual dialog
content. These displays can be turned on or
off in the Tutorial Mode under Settings
0 174. There are three voice prompt modes
supported:
.Informative verbal prompts: This type of
prompt will provide more information
regarding the supported actions.
.Short prompts: This type of prompt will
provide simple instructions about what
can be stated.
.Auto informative prompts: This type of
prompt plays during the first few speech
sessions, then automatically switches to
the short prompt after some experience
has been gained through using the
system.
If a command is not spoken, the voice
recognition system says a help prompt.
Prompts and Infotainment Displays
While a voice recognition session is active,
there may be corresponding options
showing on the displays. A selection can be
made by manually touching the option,
or by speaking the number for the option to
select. Manual interaction in the voice
recognition session is permitted. Interaction
during a voice session may be completed
entirely using voice commands while some
manual commands may expedite a task. If a
selection is made using a manual control, the voice recognition dialog will progress in
the same way as if the selection were made
using a voice command. Once the system
completes the task, or the session is
terminated, the voice recognition dialog
stops.
An example of this type of manual
intervention is touching an entry of a
displayed number list instead of speaking
the number associated with the entry
desired.
Canceling Voice Recognition
.Touch or say
“Cancel”or“Exit” to
terminate the voice recognition session
and show the display where voice
recognition was initiated.
.Pression the steering wheel controls
to terminate the voice recognition session
and show the display where voice
recognition was initiated.
Natural Language Commands
Most languages do not support natural
language commands in sentence form. For
those languages, use direct commands like
the examples shown on the display.