2021 GMC CANYON tow

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
88 Instruments and Controls
If the light is flashing :A malfunction has
been detected that could damage the
emission control system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
To help prevent damage, reduce vehicle
speed and avoid hard accelerations and
uphill grades. If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as soon as
possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a safe
place to park. Turn the vehicle off and wait
at least 10 seconds before restarting the
engine. If the light is still flashing, follow
the previous guidelines and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the light is on steady : A malfunction has
been detected. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
.If fuel has been added to the vehicle
using the capless funnel adapter, make
sure that it has been removed. See
“Filling the Tank with a Portable Gas Can”
under Filling the Tank 0215. The
diagnostic system can detect if the
adapter has been left installed in the
vehicle, allowing fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the adapter removed may turn off the
light.
.Poor fuel quality can cause inefficient
engine operation and poor driveability,
which may go away once the engine is
warmed up. If this occurs, change the fuel
brand. It may require at least one full
tank of the proper fuel to turn the light
off. See
Recommended Fuel 0214.
If the light remains on, see your dealer.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the test
equipment will likely connect to the
vehicle's Data Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument panel to
the left of the steering wheel. Connecting
devices that are not used to perform an
Emissions Inspection/Maintenance test or to service the vehicle may affect vehicle
operation. See
Add-On Electrical Equipment
0 232. See your dealer if assistance is
needed.
The vehicle may not pass inspection if:
.The light is on when the engine is
running.
.The light does not come on when the
ignition is on while the engine is off.
.Critical emission control systems have not
been completely diagnosed. If this
happens, the vehicle would not be ready
for inspection and might require
several days of routine driving before the
system is ready for inspection. This can
happen if the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if the
vehicle has been recently serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will not pass
or cannot be made ready for the test.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Instruments and Controls 89
Brake System Warning Light
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly when the
vehicle is turned on. If it does not come on
then, have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
When the vehicle is on, the brake system
warning light also comes on when the
parking brake is set. The light stays on if
the parking brake does not fully release. If it
stays on after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
If the light comes on while driving, pull off
the road and stop carefully. The brake pedal
might be harder to push, or the brake pedal
may go closer to the floor. It could take
longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. See Towing
the Vehicle 0296.
{Warning
The brake system might not be working
properly if the brake system warning
light is on. Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a crash.
If the light is still on after the vehicle has
been pulled off the road and carefully
stopped, have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
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 light comes on while driving, stop as
soon as it is safely possible and turn off the
vehicle. Then start the engine again to reset the system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. A chime may also sound
when the light comes on steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on, the
vehicle has regular brakes, but the antilock
brakes are not functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake system
warning light are on, the vehicle's antilock
brakes are not functioning and there is a
problem with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light 089.
Four-Wheel-Drive Light
Auto Mode Shown, Other Modes Similar
If equipped, the four-wheel-drive light
displays what mode the vehicle is in. The
light will show each mode: 2WD, 4HI, AUTO
(all transfer cases); 4LOW and N (two-speed
transfer case only).

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
90 Instruments and Controls
The light will flash when a shift is in
progress. Once the shift is complete the
light will be steady.
If the light turns amber, there may be a
malfunction with the four-wheel-drive
system. See your dealer.
SeeFour-Wheel Drive 0197.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul Mode
feature, this light comes on when the Tow/
Haul Mode has been activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0196.
Hill Descent Control Light
If equipped, the Hill Descent Control light
comes on when the system is ready for use.
When the light flashes, the system is active.
See Hill Descent Control (HDC) 0205.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Light
This light is green if LDW is on and ready to
operate.
This light changes to amber and flashes to
indicate that the lane marking has been
crossed without using a turn signal in that
direction.
See Lane Departure Warning (LDW) 0213.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will display green
when a vehicle is detected ahead and amber
when you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0 211.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while starting
the engine. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the system is
working normally, the indicator light then
turns off.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Lighting 103
for an additional 10 minutes. To keep the
lamps on for more than 10 minutes, the
ignition must be on or in ACC/ACCESSORY.
#:If equipped, this turns on the fog
lamps. See Fog Lamps0105.
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder
A reminder chime sounds when the
headlamps or parking lamps are manually
turned on, the ignition is off, and a door is
open. To disable the chime, turn the
lamps off.
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.
When the high-beam headlamps are on, this
indicator light on the instrument cluster will
also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the high-beam
headlamps to signal a driver in front of you
that you want to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward
you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the automatic
position or on low beam, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on. They will stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward you. The
high-beam indicator on the instrument
cluster will come on. Release the lever to
return to normal operation.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to see the
front of the vehicle during the day. Fully
functional DRL are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system comes on when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp control is in AUTO.
.The parking brake is released or the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
.The light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only the DRL
are on. The taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
instrument panel lights, and other lamps
will not be on.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic
headlamp system switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior lamp
control to
Oand then release. For vehicles
first sold in Canada, off will only work 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.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
112 Infotainment System
pressed. PressingOwill mute the
system and trigger this pane to
show a long press is required to
actually power down the system.
.Turn to decrease or increase the
volume.
4.6
.Radio: Press and release to go to
the next station or channel. Press
and hold to fast seek the next
strongest station or channel.
.USB/Bluetooth: Press to seek the
next track. Press and hold to fast
forward through a track. Release to
return to playing speed. See USB
Port 0119 or
Bluetooth Audio 0122.
5.v
.Press and release to access the
phone display or answer an
incoming call.
Home Page
The Home Page is where vehicle application
icons are accessed. Some applications are
disabled when the vehicle is moving.
The Home Page can be set up to have up to
four pages with eight icons per page. Swipe left or right across the display to
access the pages of icons.
Managing Home Page Icons
1. Touch and hold any of the Home Page icons to enter edit mode.
2. Continue holding the icon and drag it to the desired position.
3. Release your finger to drop the icon in the desired position.
4. To move an application to another page, drag the icon to the edge of the display
toward the desired page.
5. Continue dragging and dropping application icons as desired.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls can be
adjusted at the steering wheel.
g:Press to answer an incoming call or
start voice recognition (if equipped). Press
and hold to activate Bluetooth Voice
Recognition/Siri Eyes Free. See Voice
Recognition 0136 and
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a Phone) 0142
or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0141.
i:Press to decline an incoming call or
end a current call. Press to mute or unmute
the infotainment system when not on a call.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
118 Infotainment System
seconds. The radio will also display icons
representing additional channels (HD2,
...HD8), that may be available. When the
radio successfully tunes to a HD station,
the HD logo will display and digital
audio will play.
2. Touch the display arrows to tune to the previous or next HD Radio station.
There may be a delay before the station
starts playing.
The HD Radio station number is indicated
next to the HD logo.
HD Radio stations can be saved as favorites.
For a list of all stations, see
www.hdradio.com.
HD Radio Troubleshooting
Digital Audio Delay : Wait for the signal to
process. This can take several seconds.
Volume Change, Audio Skip, Echo, Digital
Audio Lost : Station signal strength may be
weak, the station is out of range, or the
station may be out of alignment. Verify
proper reception on another station.
If the HD Radio signal weakens while
listening to HD1, the radio will automatically
switch to the analog version of the radio
station. If the HD Radio signal loses reception while
listening to stations HD2 to HD8, the radio
mutes until the signal can be recovered or
until the station is changed.
HD Radio can be disabled if driving in a
weak signal area. Touch HD Radio On/Off to
toggle HD Radio reception on and off.
Radio Data System (RDS)
If equipped, RDS features are available for
use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS
information. With RDS, the radio can:
.Group stations by Category (i.e., Program
Type) such as Rock, Jazz, Classical, etc.
.Display messages from radio stations.
This system relies on receiving specific
information from these stations and only
works when the information is available.
It is possible that a radio station could
broadcast incorrect information that causes
the radio features to work improperly. If this
happens, contact the radio station.
When information is broadcast from a RDS
station, the station name or call letters
display on the audio screen. Radio text
supporting the currently playing broadcast
may also appear.
Satellite Radio
SiriusXM Radio Service
If equipped, vehicles with a valid SiriusXM
radio subscription can receive SiriusXM
programming.
SiriusXM radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free music,
coast to coast, in digital-quality sound. In
the U.S., see www.siriusxm.com or call
1-888-601-6296. In Canada, see
www.siriusxm.ca or call 1-877-438-9677.
When SiriusXM is active, the channel name,
number, song title, and artist appear on the
display.
SiriusXM with 360L
SiriusXM with 360L interface has enhanced
in-vehicle listening experience for
subscribers. The experience now offers more
categories and system learned
recommendations toward discovering more
personalized content.
To use the full SiriusXM 360L program,
including streaming content and listening
recommendations, OnStar Connected Access
is required. Connected vehicle services vary

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Infotainment System 155
.When trying to change a safety feature
that is not configurable in Teen Driver,
the DIC displays a message indicating
that Teen Driver is active and the action
is not available.
.Super Cruise, if equipped, is not available.
.Enhanced Low Fuel Warning (if equipped)
–When the vehicle is low on fuel, the
low fuel light on the instrument cluster
flashes and the DIC low fuel warning
cannot be dismissed.
.Do not tow a trailer.
Report Card
The vehicle owner must secure the driver’s
consent to record certain vehicle data when
the vehicle is driven with a registered Teen
Driver key. There is one Report Card per
vehicle. Data is only recorded when a
registered Teen Driver key is used to
operate the vehicle.
The Report Card data is collected from the
time Teen Driver is activated or the last
time the Report Card was reset. The
following items may be recorded:
.Distance Driven –the total distance
driven.
.Maximum Speed –the maximum vehicle
speed detected.
.Overspeed Warnings –the number of
times the speed warning setting was
exceeded.
.Wide Open Throttle –the number of
times the accelerator pedal was pressed
nearly all the way down.
.Forward Collision Alerts –the number of
times the driver was notified when
approaching a vehicle ahead too quickly
and at potential risk for a crash.
.Forward Automatic Braking, also called
Automatic Emergency Braking (if
equipped) –the number of times the
vehicle detected that a forward collision
was imminent and applied the brakes.
.Reverse Automatic Braking (if equipped) –
the number of times the vehicle detected
that a rearward collision was imminent
and applied the brakes.
.Traction Control –the number of times
the Traction Control System activated to
reduce wheel spin or loss of traction.
.Stability Control –the number of events
which required the use of electronic
stability control.
.Antilock Braking System Active –The
number of Antilock Brake System
activations.
.Tailgating Alerts –the number of times
the driver was alerted for following a
vehicle ahead too closely.
Report Card Data
Cumulative Data is saved for all trips until
the Report Card is reset or until the
maximum count is exceeded. If the
maximum count is exceeded for a Report
Card line item, that item will no longer be
updated in the Report Card until it is reset.
Each item will report a maximum of
1,000 counts. The distance driven will report
a maximum of 64 374 km (40,000 mi).
To delete Report Card data, do one of the
following:
.From the Report Card display, touch
Reset.
.Touch Clear All Teen Keys and PIN from
the Teen Driver menu. This will also
unregister any Teen Driver keys and
delete the PIN.
Forgotten PIN
See your dealer to reset the PIN.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
170 Driving and Operating
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 171
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Truck-Camper Loading Information . . . . . 185
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 190
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . 191
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 192
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic StabilityControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . 211 Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . 213
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 216
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 232