
GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/28/22
Introduction 3
A circle with a slash through it is a safety
symbol which means“Do not,” “Do not do
this,” or“Do not let this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that
use symbols instead of text. Symbols are
shown along with the text describing the
operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gauge,
or indicator.
M:Shown when the owner’s manual has
additional instructions or information.
*: Shown when the service manual has
additional instructions or information.
0: Shown when there is more information
on another page — “see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may
be found on the vehicle and what they
mean. See the features in this manual for
information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components Properly
P:Do Not Apply High Pressure Water
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
H: Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
R:Fuse Block Cover Lock Location
+:Fuses
j:ISOFIX/LATCH System Child Restraints
Q:Keep Fuse Block Covers Properly
Installed
|: Lane Change Alert
@:Lane Departure Warning
A:Lane Keep Assist
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
X:Park Assist
~:Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O:Power
7:Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I:Registered Technician
/:Remote Vehicle Start
h:Risk of Electrical Fire
>:Seat Belt Reminders
I:Side Blind Zone Alert
h:Stop/Start
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)
a: Under Pressure
k: Vehicle Ahead Indicator

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/28/22
Keys, Doors, and Windows 15
.The engine coolant temperature is
too high.
.The oil pressure is low.
.Two remote vehicle starts or a start with
an extension have already been used.
.The vehicle is not in P (Park).
Door Locks
{Warning
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
.Passengers, especially children, can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. The doors can be
unlocked and opened while the vehicle
is moving. The chance of being thrown
out of the vehicle in a crash is
increased if the doors are not locked.
So, all passengers should wear seat
belts properly and the doors should be
locked whenever the vehicle is driven.
.Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out.
A child can be overcome by extreme
heat and can suffer permanent injuries
or even death from heat stroke.
Always lock the vehicle whenever
leaving it.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down
or stop the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from happening.
To lock or unlock the door from the outside:
.PressQorKon the remote key. See
Remote Key Operation 07.
.Use the key in the driver door. The key
lock cylinder is covered with a cap.
To lock or unlock the door from the inside:
.PressQorKon the power door lock
switch.
.Push down on the door lock knob to lock
a door.
.Pull the door handle once to unlock the
door. Pull the handle again to unlatch it. Keyless Access
The remote key must be within 1 m (3 ft) of
the liftgate or door being opened. Press the
button on the door handle to open. See
“Keyless Access Operation”
inRemote Key
Operation 07.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/28/22
88 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Instrument Cluster (Base Level and Midlevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Engine Oil Temperature Gauge (Uplevel only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . 103
Voltmeter Gauge (Uplevel only) . . . . . . . 103
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . 105
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 107
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Service Electric Parking Brake Light
(Uplevel and Midlevel
Cluster Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Gear Shifting Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Driver Mode Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Midlevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Universal Remote System Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Universal Remote System Operation . . . 127

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/28/22
Instruments and Controls 99
Instrument Cluster (Uplevel)
English Uplevel Standard Theme Shown, Metric Similar
1.Engine Oil Temperature Gauge (Uplevel
only) 0102
2. Speedometer 0101
3. Voltmeter Gauge (Uplevel only) 0103
4. Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
0103
5. Fuel Gauge 0101 6.
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0114 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Midlevel) 0116 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0119
7. Tachometer 0101
Cluster Menu
There is an interactive display area in the
center of the instrument cluster.
Use the right steering wheel control to open
and scroll through the different items and
displays.
Press
oto access the cluster applications.
Use
worxto scroll through the list of
available applications. Press
Vto select. Not
all applications will be available on all
vehicles.
.Info App. This is where the selected Driver
Information Center (DIC) displays can be
viewed. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level) 0114 or

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/28/22
102 Instruments and Controls
English Uplevel
When the ignition is on, the fuel gauge
indicates the approximate amount of fuel
left in the tank.
There is an arrow near the fuel gauge
pointing to the side of the vehicle the fuel
door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the low
fuel light comes on. There still is a little fuel
left, but the vehicle should be refueled soon.
The fuel gauge may:
.Take a little more, or less fuel to fill up
than it indicates. For example, the gauge
may have indicated the tank is half full, but it actually will take a little more,
or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.Moves a little while turning a corner,
speeding up, or braking.
.Take a few seconds to stabilize after the
ignition is turned on and goes back to
empty when the ignition is turned off.
These are normal conditions, none of which
indicate a problem with the fuel gauge.
Engine Oil Temperature Gauge
(Uplevel only)
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine oil
temperature.
If the gauge pointer moves into the high
end, it means that the engine oil has
overheated. If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull off the
road, stop the vehicle, and turn off the
engine as soon as possible.
See Engine Oil 0268.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/29/22
206 Driving and Operating
The idle speed will go down as the
engine gets warm. Do not race the
engine immediately after starting it.
If the remote key is not in the vehicle,
if there is interference, or if the remote
key battery is low, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display a
message.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by trying to start the engine
immediately after cranking has ended,
can overheat and damage the cranking
motor, and drain the battery. Wait at
least 15 seconds between each try, to let
the cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds, especially in very cold
weather (below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there as you
press ENGINE START/STOP, for up to a
maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow
the cranking motor to cool down. When
the engine starts, let go of the button and the accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing. This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate
the engine and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Stop/Start System
The Stop/Start system will shut off the
engine to help conserve fuel. It has
components designed for the increased
number of starts.
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start feature
causes the engine to shut off while the
vehicle is still on. Do not exit the vehicle
before shifting to P (Park). The vehicle
may restart and move unexpectedly.
Always shift to P (Park), and then turn
the ignition off before exiting the vehicle.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and the vehicle
is at a complete stop, the engine may turn
off. When stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See Tachometer0101. When the brake pedal is released or the
accelerator pedal is pressed, the engine will
restart.
To maintain vehicle performance, other
conditions may cause the engine to
automatically restart before the brake pedal
is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or auto
restarts may occur because:
.The climate control settings require the
engine to be running to cool or heat the
vehicle interior.
.The vehicle battery needs to charge.
.The vehicle battery has recently been
disconnected.
.Minimum vehicle speed has not been
reached since the last Auto Stop
.The accelerator pedal is pressed.
.The engine or transmission is not at the
required operating temperature.
.The outside temperature is not in the
required operating range.
.The transmission is shifted out of
D (Drive) to any gear other than P (Park).
.Certain driver modes have been selected.
See
Driver Mode Control 0220.
.The vehicle is on a steep hill or grade.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/29/22
Driving and Operating 251
The trailer structure, the tires, and the
brakes must be all be rated to carry the
intended cargo. Inadequate trailer
equipment can cause the combination to
operate in an unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before driving, inspect all trailer hitch parts
and attachments, safety chains, electrical
connectors, lamps, tires, and mirrors. See
Towing Equipment0255. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the combination
moving and then manually apply the trailer
brake controller to check the trailer brakes
work. During the trip, occasionally check
that the cargo and trailer are secure and
that the lamps and any trailer brakes are
working.
Towing with a Stability Control System
When towing, the stability control system
might be heard. The system reacts to
vehicle movement caused by the trailer,
which mainly occurs during cornering. This is
normal when towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle
ahead as you would when driving without a
trailer. This can help to avoid heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when
towing a trailer. The combination of the
vehicle and trailer will not accelerate as
quickly and is much longer than the vehicle
alone. It is necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before returning
to the lane. Pass on level roadways. Avoid
passing on hills if possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. To move the trailer to the left,
move that hand to the left. To move the
trailer to the right, move that hand to the
right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider arcs
when towing a trailer to prevent damage
to your vehicle. Making very sharp turns
could cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle. Make wider turns than normal when towing,
so the trailer will not go over soft shoulders,
over curbs, or strike road signs, trees,
or other objects. Always signal turns well in
advance. Do not steer or brake suddenly.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before starting down a long or steep
downhill grade. If the transmission is not
shifted down, the brakes may overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive). Shift the
transmission to a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often under heavy
loads and/or hilly conditions.
When towing at higher altitudes, engine
coolant will boil at a lower temperature
than at lower altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle
could show signs similar to engine
overheating. To avoid this, let the engine
run, preferably on level ground, with the
transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes
before turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine
Overheating 0276.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16402009) - 2023 - CRC - 3/29/22
252 Driving and Operating
Parking on Hills
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death,
always park your vehicle and trailer on a
level surface when possible.
When parking your vehicle and your trailer
on a hill: 1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into
the curb if facing downhill or into traffic
if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, gradually release the brake pedal to
allow the chocks to absorb the load of
the trailer.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal:
.Start the engine.
.Shift into the desired gear.
.Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle needs service more often when
used to tow trailers. See Maintenance
Schedule 0339. It is especially important to
check the engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system, and brake system before
and during each trip.
Check periodically that all nuts and bolts on
the trailer hitch are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating conditions.
See Engine Overheating 0276.
Trailer Towing
Caution
Towing a trailer improperly can damage
the vehicle and result in costly repairs
not covered by the vehicle warranty. To
tow a trailer correctly, follow the
directions in this section and see your
dealer for important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Trailer Weight
{Warning
Never exceed the towing capacity for
your vehicle.
Safe trailering requires monitoring the
weight, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature, dimensions of the front of the
trailer, and how frequently the vehicle is
used to tow a trailer.