2021 GMC CANYON coolant temperature

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
246 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
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.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant. This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down to −37 °C
(−34 °F) outside temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to 129 °C
(265 °F) engine temperature.
.Protects against rust and corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a mix of
DEX-COOL coolant that meets GM
Standard GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause damage
to the engine cooling system and the
vehicle, which would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never dispose of engine coolant by putting
it in the trash, or by pouring it on the
ground, or into sewers, streams or, bodies of
water. Have the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used coolant
disposal. This will help protect the
environment and your health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level surface when
checking the coolant level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in the
coolant surge tank. If the coolant inside the
coolant surge tank is boiling, do not do
anything else until it cools down. If coolant is visible but the coolant level is
not at or above the mark pointed to, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Be sure the cooling system is cool before
this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the coolant surge
tank, add coolant as follows:
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine parts can
burn you. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough.
{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.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Vehicle Care 247
{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.
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.
The coolant surge tank pressure cap can be
removed when the cooling system, including
the surge tank pressure cap and upper
radiator hose, is no longer hot.
1. Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise. If a hiss is heard, wait
for that to stop. A hiss means there is
still some pressure left.
2. Keep turning the cap and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture to the mark pointed to
on the front of the coolant surge tank. 4. With the coolant surge tank cap off,
start the engine and let it run until the
upper radiator hose starts 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 mark pointed to on
the front of the coolant surge tank.
5. Replace the cap tightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the coolant is cold.
If necessary, repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
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.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the instrument
cluster to warn of engine overheating. See
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge 085.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
248 Vehicle Care
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.
If the decision is made not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, get service help
right away.
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 and have the
vehicle serviced.
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 (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 overheat zone, 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.
Engine Fan
If the vehicle has a clutched engine cooling
fan, when the clutch is engaged, the fan
spins faster to provide more air to cool the
engine. In most everyday driving conditions,
the fan is spinning slower and the clutch is
not fully engaged. This improves fuel
economy and reduces fan noise. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing, and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more fully engages,
so an increase in fan noise may be heard.
This is normal and should not be mistaken
as the transmission slipping or making extra

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Vehicle Care 249
shifts. It is merely the cooling system
functioning properly. The fan will slow down
when additional cooling is not required and
the clutch disengages.
This fan noise may also be heard when
starting the engine. It will go away as the
fan clutch partially disengages.
If the vehicle has electric cooling fan(s), the
fans may be heard spinning at low speed
during most everyday driving. The fans may
turn off if no cooling is required. Under
heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing, high
outside temperatures, or operation of the air
conditioning system, the fans may change
to high speed and an increase in fan noise
may be heard. This is normal and indicates
that the cooling system is functioning
properly. The fans will change to low speed
when additional cooling is no longer
required.
The electric engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been turned. off. This is
normal and no service is required.Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs to be
added, be sure to read the manufacturer's
instructions before use. Use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall below
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment Overview0237 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.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze)
in the windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield washer system
and paint.
.Do not mix water with ready-to-use
washer fluid. Water can cause the
solution to freeze and damage the
washer fluid tank and other parts of
the washer system.
.When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer instructions
for adding water.
.Fill the washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators
that make a high-pitched warning sound
when the brake pads are worn and new
pads are needed. The sound can come and
go or be heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the brake
pedal firmly.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Index 349
CompartmentsStorage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Control Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 204
Control Light Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Controls Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164, 166
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 332
Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Customer Assistance (cont'd)
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Customer Information Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 334
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 327
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Database Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . 136
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Differential, Limited-Slip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Door (cont'd)
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . 94, 96
Driving
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . 217
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
E
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Electrical SystemEngine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 260
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 264

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
350 Index
Electrical System (cont'd)Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Check Light (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . 87
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . 108
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Four-Wheel Drive Transfer Case . . . . . . . . 197
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . 211
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197, 252
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 216
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 92, 93
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 260
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 264
G
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
GaugesEngine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84