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126 Instruments and Controls
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
The LCA system is a lane-changing aid that
assists drivers with avoiding lane change
crashes. SeeLane Change Alert (LCA) 0251.
When Lane Change Alert is disabled, Side
Blind Zone Alert is also disabled.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic Alert
feature to be turned on or off. See
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing
0 241.
Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may display:
.Chime Volume
.Hands Free Liftgate/Trunk Control
.Reverse Tilt Mirror
.Remote Mirror Folding
.Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
.Extended Hill Start Assist
Chime Volume
This determines the chime volume level. Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to adjust the volume.
Hands Free Liftgate/Trunk Control
The liftgate may be operated with a kicking
motion under the rear bumper between the
left exhaust pipe and the license plate. See
Liftgate
018.
Touch Off, On-Open and Close,
or On-Open Only.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, the driver, passenger, or both
driver and passenger outside mirrors will tilt
downward when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of the
ground near the rear wheels. They may
move from their tilted position when the
vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse) or
turned off. See Reverse Tilt Mirrors 028.
Touch Off, On - Driver and Passenger, On -
Driver, or On - Passenger.
Remote Mirror Folding
When on, the outside mirrors will
automatically fold or unfold when the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitterQ
orKis pressed and held on.
Touch Off or On. Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
When on and the front wiper is on, the rear
wiper will automatically activate when the
vehicle is shifted to R (Reverse).
Touch Off or On.
Extended Hill Start Assist
This allows the duration of the Hill Start
Assist to be changed.
Touch Extended Hold or Standard Hold.
Lighting
Touch and the following may display:
.Vehicle Locator Lights
.Exit Lighting
Vehicle Locator Lights
This feature will flash the exterior lamps and
allows some of the exterior lamps and most
of the interior lamps to turn on briefly
when
Kon the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter is pressed to locate the vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Exit Lighting
This allows the selection of how long the
exterior lamps stay on when leaving the
vehicle when it is dark outside.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Driving and Operating 199
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . 200
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 217
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . 219
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 220
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 224
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . 232
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Surround Vision System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 246
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 257

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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202 Driving and Operating
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:
.Keep enough distance between you and
the vehicle in front of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is
being driven, brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the engine
stops, there will be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering system,
do not drive over curbs, parking barriers,
or similar objects at speeds greater than
3 km/h (1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused by
misuse of the vehicle is not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
The vehicle has electric power steering.
It does not have power steering fluid.
Regular maintenance is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can be
steered, but may require increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an extended
period of time while the vehicle is not
moving, power assist may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is held
against that position for an extended period
of time, power steering assist may be
reduced. Normal use of the power steering assist
should return when the system cools down.
See your dealer if there is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady speed
through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of the curve
before accelerating gently into the
straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when steering
around a problem may be more effective
than braking.
.Holding both sides of the steering wheel
allows you to turn 180 degrees without
removing a hand.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) allows
steering while braking.

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208 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
.Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
.Pay attention to special road signs (e.g.,
falling rocks area, winding roads, long
grades, passing or no-passing zones) and
take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0227.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0224.
.Allow greater following distance and
watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded
areas. The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden
steering maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode for
vehicles equipped with AWD. Select
Snow/Ice Mode for FWD only vehicles.
See Driver Mode Control 0229 and
All-Wheel Drive 0224.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and signal
for help. Stay with the vehicle unless there
is help nearby. If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside Assistance Program
0 368. To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust under the
vehicle. This may cause exhaust gases to
get inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
.Clear snow from the base of the
vehicle, especially any blocking the
exhaust pipe.
.Open a window about 5 cm (2 in) on
the vehicle side that is away from the
wind, to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under
the instrument panel.
(Continued)

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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236 Driving and Operating
speed. The faster the vehicle speed, the
further back your vehicle will follow a
vehicle detected ahead. Consider traffic and
weather conditions when selecting the
following gap. The range of selectable gaps
may not be appropriate for all drivers and
driving conditions.
Changing the gap setting automatically
changes the alert timing sensitivity (Far,
Medium, or Near) for the Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) feature. SeeForward Collision
Alert (FCA) System 0246.
Alerting the Driver
With Head-Up Display
Without Head-Up Display If ACC is engaged, driver action may be
required when ACC cannot apply sufficient
braking because of approaching a vehicle
too rapidly.
When this condition occurs, the collision
alert symbol will flash on the windshield.
Either eight beeps will sound from the front,
or both sides of the Safety Alert Seat will
pulse five times. See
“Collision/Detection
Systems” underVehicle Personalization
0 124.
See Defensive Driving 0201.
Approaching and Following a Vehicle
The vehicle ahead indicator is in the
instrument cluster and HUD, if equipped.
The vehicle ahead indicator only displays
when a vehicle is detected in your vehicle’s
path moving in the same direction.
If this symbol is not displaying, ACC will not
respond to or brake for vehicles ahead. ACC automatically slows the vehicle down
and adjusts vehicle speed to follow the
vehicle in front at the selected follow gap.
The vehicle speed increases or decreases to
follow the vehicle in front of you, but will
not exceed the set speed. It may apply
limited braking, if necessary. When braking
is active, the brake lights will come on. The
automatic braking may feel or sound
different than if the brakes were applied
manually. This is normal.
Passing a Vehicle While Using ACC
If the set speed is high enough, and the left
turn signal is used to pass a vehicle ahead
in the selected following gap, ACC may
assist by gradually accelerating the vehicle
prior to the lane change.
{Warning
When using ACC to pass a vehicle or
perform a lane change, the following
distance to the vehicle being passed may
be reduced. ACC may not apply sufficient
acceleration or braking when passing a
vehicle or performing a lane change.
Always be ready to manually accelerate
or brake to complete the pass or lane
change.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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244 Driving and Operating
Hitch Guidance
If equipped, this feature displays a single,
centered guideline on the camera display to
assist with aligning a vehicle’s hitch ball
with a trailer coupler. Select the trailer
guidance line button, then align the trailer
guidance line over the trailer coupler.
Continuously steer the vehicle to keep the
guidance line centered on the coupler when
backing. RVC Park Assist overlays will not
display when the trailer guidance line is
active. Hitch Guidance is only available in
Standard View.
To check the trailer when in a forward gear
above 12 km/h (8 mph), touch CAMERA on
the infotainment display to view the rear
camera. Touch X to exit the view or it will
be removed automatically after
eight seconds.
{Warning
Use Hitch Guidance only to help back the
vehicle to a trailer hitch or, when
traveling above 12 km/h (8 mph), to
briefly check the status of your trailer. Do
not use for any other purpose, such as
making lane change decisions. Before(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
making a lane change, always check the
mirrors and glance over your shoulder.
Improper use could result in serious
injury to you or others.
Park Assist
The vehicle may be equipped with Front and
Rear Park Assist (FRPA). Under certain
conditions, the Park Assist system can assist
the driver during backing and parking
maneuvers when the vehicle is driven at no
more than 9 km/h (6 mph). An illuminated
indicator in the Park Assist button indicates
the system is ready.
Sensors located in the bumpers measure the
distance between the vehicle and objects
using sonar technology. These sensors are
designed to detect certain objects up to
2.5 m (8 ft) behind and 1.2 m (4 ft) in front of
your vehicle that are taller than
25 cm (10 in).
Different environmental conditions may
affect whether and how far the Park Assist
system can detect objects. Keep the sensors
clean of mud, dirt, snow, ice, and slush; and
clean sensors after a car wash in freezing temperatures. Sensors that are not clean
may not detect objects or may cause the
system to alert when not required.
{Warning
The Park Assist System is no substitute
for careful and attentive driving. The Park
Assist system does not detect children,
pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, or objects
located below the bumper or that are too
close or too far from the vehicle. It is not
available at speeds greater than 9 km/h
(6 mph). To prevent injury, death,
or vehicle damage, even with Park Assist,
always check the area around the vehicle
and check all mirrors before moving
forward or backing.
How the System Works
The vehicle may have a Park
Assist amphitheatre-like display on the
cluster with bars that represent the
estimated location of a detected object and
the vehicle’s distance from the object. As a
detected object becomes closer, more bars
light up and change color from yellow to
amber to red.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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246 Driving and Operating
pulses occur on the left or right side,
depending on the direction of the detected
vehicle.
Driving With a Trailer
Use caution while backing up when towing
a trailer. The RCTA feature is automatically
disabled when a trailer is attached to the
vehicle.
Turning the Features On or Off
The
Xbutton on the center console is
used to turn on or off Rear Park Assist (RPA)
and RCTA at the same time. The indicator
light in the button comes on when the
features are on and turns off when the
features have been disabled.
Turn off RPA and RCTA when towing a
trailer.
RCTA can be turned on or off using the
infotainment system. See “Collision/
Detection Systems” underVehicle
Personalization 0124.
Assistance Systems for Driving
If equipped, when driving the vehicle in a
forward gear, Forward Collision Alert (FCA),
Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep
Assist (LKA), Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA),
Lane Change Alert (LCA), Automatic
Emergency Braking (AEB), and/or the Front
Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System can help to
avoid a crash or reduce crash damage.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System
If equipped, the FCA system may help to
avoid or reduce the harm caused by
front-end crashes. When approaching a
vehicle ahead too quickly, FCA provides a
red flashing alert on the windshield and
rapidly beeps or pulses the driver seat. FCA
also lights an amber visual alert if following
another vehicle too closely.
FCA detects vehicles within a distance of
approximately 60 m (197 ft) and operates at
speeds above 8 km/h (5 mph). If the vehicle
has Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), it can
detect vehicles to distances of approximately
110 m (360 ft) and operates at all speeds.
See Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced)
0 232.
{Warning
FCA is a warning system and does not
apply the brakes. When approaching a
slower-moving or stopped vehicle ahead
too rapidly, or when following a vehicle
too closely, FCA may not provide a
warning with enough time to help avoid
a crash. It also may not provide any
warning at all. FCA does not warn of
pedestrians, animals, signs, guardrails,
bridges, construction barrels, or other
objects. Be ready to take action and
apply the brakes. See Defensive Driving
0 201.
FCA can be disabled. See “Collision/Detection
Systems” underVehicle Personalization
0 124.
Detecting the Vehicle Ahead

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248 Driving and Operating
Additional button presses will change this
setting. The chosen setting will remain until
it is changed and will affect the timing of
both the Collision Alert and the Tailgating
Alert features. The timing of both alerts will
vary based on vehicle speed. The faster the
vehicle speed, the farther away the alert will
occur. Consider traffic and weather
conditions when selecting the alert timing.
The range of selectable alert timings may
not be appropriate for all drivers and driving
conditions.
If your vehicle is equipped with Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC), changing the FCA
timing setting automatically changes the
following gap setting (Far, Medium,
or Near).
Following Distance Indicator
The following distance to a moving vehicle
ahead in your path is indicated in following
time in seconds on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level) 0116 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Midlevel and
Uplevel) 0118. The minimum following time
is 0.5 seconds away. If there is no vehicle
detected ahead, or the vehicle ahead is out
of sensor range, dashes will be displayed.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may provide unnecessary alerts for
turning vehicles, vehicles in other lanes,
objects that are not vehicles, or shadows.
These alerts are normal operation and the
vehicle does not need service.
Cleaning the System
If the FCA system does not seem to operate
properly, this may correct the issue:
.Clean the outside of the windshield in
front of the rearview mirror.
.Clean the entire front of the vehicle.
.Clean the headlamps.
Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB)
If the vehicle has Forward Collision Alert
(FCA), it also has AEB, which includes
Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA). When the
system detects a vehicle ahead in your path
that is traveling in the same direction that
you may be about to crash into, it can
provide a boost to braking or automatically
brake the vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when driving
in a forward gear. Depending on the
situation, the vehicle may automatically brake moderately or hard. This automatic
emergency braking can only occur if a
vehicle is detected. This is shown by the FCA
vehicle ahead indicator being lit. See
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0246.
The system works when driving in a forward
gear between 8 km/h (5 mph) and 80 km/h
(50 mph), or on vehicles with Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC), above 4 km/h (2 mph).
It can detect vehicles up to approximately
60 m (197 ft).
{Warning
AEB is an emergency crash preparation
feature and is not designed to avoid
crashes. Do not rely on AEB to brake the
vehicle. AEB will not brake outside of its
operating speed range and only responds
to detected vehicles.
AEB may not:
.Detect a vehicle ahead on winding or
hilly roads.
.Detect all vehicles, especially vehicles
with a trailer, tractors, muddy
vehicles, etc. (Continued)