
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-15170041) - 2022 - CRC - 10/6/21
42 Seats and Restraints
Cancel Memory Seating Recalls
.During any memory recall:
Press a power seat control
Press SET memory button
.During Manual memory recall:
Release 1, 2, or
Bmemory button
.During Auto Seat Entry Memory Recall:
Turn vehicle off
Press SET, 1, 2, or
Bmemory buttons
.During Auto Seat Exit Memory Recall:
Press SET, 1, 2, or
Bmemory buttons
Obstructions
If something has blocked the seat while
recalling a memory position, the recall may
stop. Remove the obstruction and try the
recall again. If the memory position still
does not recall, see your dealer.
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats
{Warning
If temperature change or pain to the skin
cannot be felt, the seat heater may cause
burns. To reduce the risk of burns, use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of time. Do
not place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket,
cushion, cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to overheat. An
overheated seat heater may cause a burn
or may damage the seat.
Heated and Ventilated Seat Buttons Shown, Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If equipped, the buttons are near the
climate controls on the center stack. To
operate, the engine must be running.
Press
Ior+, if available, to heat the
driver or passenger seatback only.
Press
Jorzto heat the driver or
passenger cushion and seatback.
Press
Cor{, if available, to ventilate the
driver or passenger seat. A ventilated seat
has a fan that pulls or pushes air through
the seat. The air is not cooled.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-15170041) - 2022 - CRC - 10/6/21
46 Seats and Restraints
Folding the Seatbacks
To fold the second row seatbacks:1. Remove anything on or under the seat.
2. Fold the head restraint rearward. See Head Restraints 035.
3. Pull forward on the reclining seatback handle.
To return the seatback to the seating
position, lift the seatback and push it
rearward until it locks into place. Push and
pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked. Push on the head restraint to return
it to the upright, locked position.
The second row seatbacks can also be folded
forward by pulling the levers on the driver
side of the rear cargo area. The top lever
folds the driver side seatback and the
bottom lever folds the passenger side
seatback.
Heated Rear Seats
{Warning
If temperature change or pain to the skin
cannot be felt, the seat heater may cause
burns. See the Warning under Heated
and Ventilated Front Seats 042.
If equipped, the buttons are on the rear of
the center console.
With the engine running, press
MorLto
heat the left or right outboard seat cushion.
On vehicles with rear climate controls, an
indicator on the climate control display
appears when this feature is on.
Press the button again to turn this feature
off. The light on the button will turn off. On
vehicles with rear climate controls, this
feature turns on at the highest setting. With
each press of the button, the heated seat
changes to the next lower setting, and then
the off setting. Three lights indicate the
highest setting, and one light indicates the

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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62 Seats and Restraints
For some children, including children in child
restraints, and for very small adults, the
passenger sensing system may or may not
turn off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the person's
seating posture and body build. Everyone in
the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a seat belt
properly—whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever comes
on and stays on, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag
system. To help avoid injury to yourself
or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light 0106
for more information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint
The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag if the system determines that
an infant is present in a child restraint. If a
child restraint has been installed and the ON
indicator is lit: 1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the
vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear
Seat) 079 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Seat) 081.
Make sure the seat belt retractor is
locked by pulling the shoulder belt all
the way out of the retractor when
installing the child restraint, even if the
child restraint is equipped with a seat
belt lock off. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but not
pulled out of the retractor.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the ON
indicator is still lit, turn the vehicle off.
Then slightly recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that the
vehicle seatback is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. Also make sure the child restraint is not
trapped under the vehicle head restraint.
If this happens, adjust the head restraint.
See
Head Restraints 035.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may or may
not turn off the airbag for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the child’s size.
It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if the ON
indicator is not lit.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Seats and Restraints 63
If a person of adult size is sitting in the
front outboard passenger seat, but the OFF
indicator is lit, it could be because that
person is not sitting properly in the seat or
that the child restraint locking feature is
engaged. Use the following steps to allow
the system to detect that person and enable
the front outboard passenger frontal airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs
comfortably extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint
locking feature will be engaged. This
may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag off for
some adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let the belt
go back all the way, and then buckle the
belt again without pulling the belt out
all the way. 6. Restart the vehicle and have the person
remain in this position for two to
three minutes after the ON indicator
is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger airbag is
turned off for an adult-sized occupant,
the airbag will not be able to inflate and
help protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of serious
injury or even death. An adult-sized
occupant should not ride in the front
outboard passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag OFF indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting System
Operation
Seat belts help keep the passenger in
position on the seat during vehicle
maneuvers and braking, which helps the
passenger sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See “Seat Belts”
and “Child Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the importance
of proper restraint use. A thick layer of additional material, such as
a blanket or cushion, or aftermarket
equipment such as seat covers, seat heaters,
and seat massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates. We
recommend that you not use seat covers or
other aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific vehicle.
See
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 064 for more
information about modifications that can
affect how the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an object,
such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery bag,
laptop, or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not desired,
remove the object from the seat.{Warning
Stowing articles under the passenger seat
or between the passenger seat cushion
and seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-15170041) - 2022 - CRC - 10/6/21
64 Seats and Restraints
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should be
serviced. There are parts of the airbag
system in several places around the vehicle.
Your dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the vehicle and
the airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, seePublication Ordering
Information 0372.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the vehicle is
turned off and the battery is
disconnected, an airbag can still inflate
during improper service. You can be
injured if you are close to an airbag
when it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the airbag
system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to
do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the vehicle's
frame, bumper system, height, front end,
or side sheet metal may keep the airbag
system from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system can also
be affected by changing, including
improperly repairing or replacing, any parts
of the following:
.Airbag system, including airbag modules,
front or side impact sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, airbag wiring, or front
center console
.Front seats, including stitching, seams or
zippers
.Seat belts
.Steering wheel, instrument panel,
overhead console, ceiling trim, or pillar
garnish trim
.Inner door seals, including speakers
Your dealer and the service manual have
information about the location of the airbag
modules and sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, and airbag wiring along with the
proper replacement procedures. In addition, the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front outboard
passenger position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger's seat. The
passenger sensing system may not operate
properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery, or trim,
or with GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any object,
such as an aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device, installed
under or on top of the seat fabric, could
also interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This could either
prevent proper deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger sensing
system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing
System 060.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags,
see Different Size Tires and Wheels 0316 for
additional important information.
If the vehicle must be modified because you
have a disability and you have questions
about whether the modifications will affect
the vehicle's airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag system

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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216 Driving and Operating
.The transmission is shifted out of
D (Drive) to any gear other than P (Park).
.Certain driver modes have been selected.
SeeDriver Mode Control 0229.
.The vehicle is on a steep hill or grade.
.The driver door has been opened or driver
seat belt has been unbuckled.
.The hood has been opened.
.The Auto Stop has reached the maximum
allowed time.
Auto Stop/Start Disable Switch
The automatic engine Stop/Start feature can
be disabled and enabled by pressing
h.
Auto Stop/Start is enabled each time you
start the vehicle. When the
hindicator is illuminated, the
system is enabled.
Engine Heater
The engine heater can provide easier
starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below −18 °C (0 °F). Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in at least
four hours before starting. An internal
thermostat in the plug-end of the cord may
exist, which will prevent engine heater
operation at temperatures above −18 °
C (0 °F).
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block heater
while the vehicle is parked in a garage or
under a carport. Property damage or
personal injury may result. Always park
the vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.
To Use the Engine Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Check the heater cord for damage. If it is damaged, do not use it. See your dealer
for a replacement. Inspect the cord for
damage yearly.
Base model shown

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
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Driving and Operating 217
3. Remove the engine heater connectorcover by gently prying with a flat
blade tool.
4. Plug the heater cord into the connectorin the front fascia.
5. Plug the cord into a grounded 110-volt AC outlet that is protected by a ground
fault detection function.
{Warning
Improper use of the heater cord or an
extension cord can damage the cord and
may result in overheating and fire.
.Plug the cord into a three-prong
electrical utility receptacle that is
protected by a ground fault detection
function. An ungrounded outlet could
cause an electric shock.
.Use a weatherproof, heavy-duty,
15 amp-rated extension cord if needed.
Failure to use the recommended
extension cord in good operating
condition, or using a damaged heater
or extension cord, could make it
overheat and cause a fire, property
damage, electric shock, and injury.
.Do not operate the vehicle with the
heater cord permanently attached to
the vehicle. Possible heater cord and
thermostat damage could occur.
.While in use, do not let the heater
cord touch vehicle parts or sharp
edges.
.Before starting the vehicle, unplug the
cord. Keep the cord away from any
moving parts. 6. Before starting the engine, be sure to
unplug and store the cord.
7. Install the engine heater connector cover.
The length of time the heater should remain
plugged in depends on several factors. Ask a
dealer in the area where you will be parking
the vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
When the ignition is turned from on to off,
the following features (if equipped) will
continue to function for up to 10 minutes,
or until the driver door is opened. These
features will also work when the ignition is
in RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY:
.Infotainment System
.Power Windows (during RAP this
functionality will be lost when any door
is opened)
.Sunroof (during RAP this functionality will
be lost when any door is opened)
.Auxiliary Power Outlet
.Audio System
.OnStar System