GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
242 Driving and Operating
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) have a Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) feature. Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while towing.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at each wheel,
to help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If equipped with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC may
also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/ESC warning light
will flash on the instrument cluster. Reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control
0185.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash and in
serious injury or death, even if the
vehicle is equipped with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway, reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. Then pull over
to check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes, including an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly inflated or
incorrect vehicle or trailer tires. See
Towing Equipment 0236 for trailer
ratings and hitch setup recommendations.
Aftermarket Electronic Trailer Sway
Control Devices
Some trailers may come equipped with an
electronic device designed to reduce or
control trailer sway. Aftermarket equipment
manufacturers also offer similar devices that
connect to the wiring between the trailer
and the vehicle. These devices may interfere
with the vehicle’s trailer brake or other
systems, including integrated anti-sway
systems, if equipped. Messages related to
trailer connections or trailer brakes could
appear on the DIC. The effects of these
aftermarket devices may have on vehicle
handling or trailer brake performance is not
known.
{Warning
Use of aftermarket electronic trailer sway
control devices could result in reduced
trailer brake performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and result
in a crash. You or others could be
seriously injured or killed. Before using
one of these devices: (Continued)
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
Driving and Operating 243
Warning (Continued)
.Ask the device or trailer manufacturer
if the device has been thoroughly
tested for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of your vehicle
and any optional equipment installed
on your vehicle.
.Before driving, check the trailer brakes
are working properly, if equipped.
Drive the vehicle with the trailer
attached on a level road surface that
is free of traffic at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply the
manual trailer brake apply lever. Also,
check the trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning correctly.
.If the trailer brakes are not operating
properly at any time, or if a DIC
message indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer brakes,
carefully pull the vehicle over to the
side of the road when traffic
conditions allow.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from vehicle
tires. Trailer tires are designed with stiff
sidewalls to help prevent sway and to
support heavy loads. These features can
make it difficult to determine if the trailer
tire pressures are low only based on a visual
inspection.
Always check all trailer tire pressures before
each trip when the tires are cool. Low trailer
tire pressure is a leading cause of trailer tire
blowouts.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time. The trailer
tire sidewall will show the week and year
the tire was manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend replacing tires
more than six years old.
Overloading is another leading cause of
trailer tire blowouts. Never load your trailer
with more weight than the tires are
designed to support. The load rating is
located on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed rating for
the trailer tires before driving. This may be
significantly lower than the vehicle tire
speed rating. The speed rating may be onthe trailer tire sidewall. If the speed rating is
not shown, the default trailer tire speed
rating is 105 km/h (65 mph).
Trailering App
Trailer Light App
If equipped, the Trailering App is on the
infotainment home screen.
Status View
The Status view shows:
.Lights
.Checklists
.Brakes (If equipped)
Each section shows high level status
information for the feature. Selecting a
section opens up a new screen with
additional information and/or options.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
244 Driving and Operating
Light Test
Select“Start” to cycle the trailer lamps on
and off to determine if they are working.
The test follows this sequence:
1. The running lights turn on first and remain on throughout the sequence.
2. The brake lights turn on for about two seconds.
3. The left turn signal light flashes three times.
4. The right turn signal light flashes three times.
5. The reverse lights turn on for about two seconds.
6. Repeat steps 2–5 for about one minute and 45 seconds, or until the test
deactivates
Select “Stop” to stop the test.
The sequence also deactivates when any of
the following occur:
.The vehicle is turned off.
.The transmission is shifted out of P (Park)
.The brake pedal is pressed.
.The turn signal is activated
.The hazard warning lights are activated. Checklist
This view shows the recommended steps to
take before towing a trailer.
Touch the box next to each item if that step
has been completed.
Touch > to access a detailed view of
each step.
Within each detailed view, touch Next and
Previous to navigate between steps.
Touch Clear All to clear the completed
statuses from all items in the current
checklist.
Brakes
If equipped with Integrated Trailer Brake
Controller (ITBC) system and if the
connected trailer is equipped with electric
brakes or electric over hydraulic brakes, this
view will display the current state of the
brakes including brake gain setting and
output. If no electric brakes are detected or
if no trailer is connected, this view will
display the last known brake gain setting
and the output will be shown as dashed
lines.
Touch Show In Cluster to show trailer brake
gain and output in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) Touch How To Set Brake Gain to access
detailed steps to set trailer brake gain.
The Trailering App System will show any
brake issues reported by the trailer brake
controller in the brakes view. Trailer
diagnosis and service may be required.
Repair your trailer brakes if needed. A trailer
braking issue is not covered by your GM
warranty.
See
“Integrated Trailer Brake Control
System” section under Towing Equipment
0 236.
Trailering App
If equipped, the Trailering App is on the
infotainment home screen.
This feature creates profiles for connected
trailers to view the status, and store and
track trailer usage information.
The Trailering App welcome page appears
when the Trailering App is opened for the
first time from the infotainment home
screen.
When a trailer is electrically connected and
a trailer profile has not been created, there
will be an option to create a profile, use a
guest profile, or select Accessory.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
Driving and Operating 245
After a Trailer Profile has been created and
the trailer is electrically connected, the
trailer detection pop-up appears with a list
of all of the custom Trailer Profiles stored
on the vehicle. To load an existing Trailer
Profile, select one of the Trailer Profiles
listed or load the Guest Trailer Profile by
selecting GUEST TRAILER. Selecting Accessory
as the active Trailer Profile dismisses the
pop-up. Shifting the vehicle from P (Park)
selects Guest Trailer as the active Trailer
Profile and dismisses the pop-up.
Create a Trailer Profile
Touch Add Trailer on the trailer detection
pop-up or touch + Add New Trailer in the
Trailering App.
After a profile is created, set up for
additional trailer features may become
available through the sections shown in the
Status View. See“Status View”below.
Import a Trailer Profile
Touch Import on the trailer detection pop-up
or touch Import in the Trailering App.
Follow on-screen instructions to import a
profile. After a profile is imported, it can be selected
from the trailer list. If equipped, the Tow/
Haul Mode reminder and Brake Gain Setting
do not import.
Status View
If a trailer is connected, the Status view
shows status information for the active
trailer profile.
If no trailer is connected, the Status view
shows the last trailer profile with a status of
Not Connected.
The Status view shows:
.Lights
.Maintenance
.Checklists
.Brakes (If equipped)
Scroll right or left to see more options. The Status view displays mileage and fuel
economy information.
Each section shows high level status
information for the feature. Selecting a
section opens up a new screen with
additional information and/or options.
Lights
This view displays the names of the trailer
connector pins, a graphic of the trailer
connector, and a graphic of the back of the
trailer.
Any connector pin that fails will be an
amber color with the corresponding location
highlighted on the graphic of the back of
the trailer.
If a trailer connection is detected without
any faults, the view displays No Issues
Found.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
246 Driving and Operating
When a trailer is connected, the Trailering
App System detects the trailer connection
using the Stop/Turn Signal lighting circuits
and requests the driver to setup a trailer
profile through the Trailering App System on
the infotainment screen. When a trailer is
connected and a default trailer profile is
selected, the Trailering App System will not
display a Trailer Detection Alert to the user.
When a trailer is connected and the vehicle
is off, the Trailering App System periodically
pulses the lighting circuits of the trailer to
verify it is still connected. The trailer lights
may periodically flash as a result of this
trailer connection detection. These flashes
may be more visible in dark ambient light
environments. The flashing or flickering
lights are a normal condition and the
Trailering App System has built-in
protections to prevent the battery from
draining. When Theft Alert is enabled, the
frequency and pattern of this flashing
changes.
If the trailer disconnects when the vehicle is
on, a message appears on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) immediately. If the
trailer disconnects when the vehicle is off,the next time the vehicle is turned on the
message on the DIC displays. Check your
trailer connection if needed.
Connection Problem
If any of the trailer connections are lost, a
message appears on the DIC. The
infotainment screen will also show the
connection issue in the Lights Status view.
Connection Trailer Lighting Faults Detected
The Trailering App System monitors for
electrical faults on the trailer lights. If there
is a lighting issue, a message appears on the
DIC. The infotainment screen shows the
lighting issue in the Lights Status view.
Repair your trailer lights if needed. A trailer
lighting issue is not covered by your GM
warranty.
The Running Lights connection may not
detect partial outages. Activate the light test
to check all trailer lamps. See
“Light Test”
following. Light Test
Touch Start Light Test to cycle the trailer
lights on and off to determine if they are
working. The test follows this sequence:
1. The running lights turn on first and remain on throughout the sequence.
2. The brake lights turn on for about two seconds.
3. The left turn signal light flashes three times.
4. The right turn signal light flashes three times.
5. The reverse lights turn on for about two seconds.
6. Steps 2–5 repeat for approximately on minute and 45 seconds, or until the test
deactivates.
Touch Stop to manually stop the test.
The sequence also deactivates when any of
the following occur:
.The vehicle is turned off.
.The transmission is shifted out of P (Park).
.The brake pedal is pressed.
.The turn signal is activated.
.The hazard warning lights are activated.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
248 Driving and Operating
Brakes
If equipped with Integrated Trailer Brake
Controller (ITBC) system and if the
connected trailer is equipped with electric
brakes or electric over hydraulic brakes, this
view displays the current state of the brakes
including brake gain setting and output.
If no electric brakes are detected or if no
trailer is connected, this view displays the
last known brake gain setting and the
output shown as dashed lines.
Touch Show In Cluster to show trailer brake
gain and output in the DIC.
Touch How To Set Brake Gain to access
detailed steps to set trailer brake gain.
The Trailering App System shows any brake
issues reported by the trailer brake
controller in the brakes view. Trailer
diagnosis and service may be required.Repair your trailer brakes if needed. A trailer
braking issue is not covered by your GM
warranty.
See
“Integrated Trailer Brake Control
System” underTowing Equipment 0236 for
more information on the vehicle trailer
brakes.
Guest Trailer Status View
If the Guest Trailer Profile is active, the
Status view shows:
.Lights
.Checklist
.Brakes (If equipped)
The Trailer Status view displays mileage and
fuel economy information. Mileage and fuel
economy resets after the trailer disconnects.
Accessory Status View
If the Accessory profile is active, trailer
status information is not available.
Trailers View
Touch the trailer profile icon/name in the
Status View to view, activate, create, edit,
or delete Trailer Profiles.
If a trailer is connected, touch the Trailer
Profile name to activate a Trailer Profile. There can be up to five Custom Trailer
Profiles on the vehicle.
The Custom Trailer Profiles and Guest Trailer
are in order of the most frequently used.
The Accessory profile is shown below the
Custom Trailer Profiles and Guest Trailer
Profile.
Guest Trailer
If the Guest Trailer Profile is the active
Trailer Profile, trailer detection, lights/
connections status, theft, and the Tow/Haul
reminder alerts can be sent. The system
does not track total mileage or fuel
economy, but the system tracks trip mileage
and fuel economy if the Guest Trailer Profile
is active. The maintenance reminders cannot
be set up for a Guest Trailer Profile. The
Guest Trailer Profile cannot be edited.
Accessory
If the Accessory Profile is active, alerts will
not be sent and the system will not track
mileage or fuel economy. Maintenance
reminders cannot be set up for the
Accessory profile. The Accessory profile
cannot be edited.
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
252 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 253
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . 254
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 256
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 260
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Brake Pad Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 277
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 288
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 291
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 292 Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 297
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 299
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 301
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . 312
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 314
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-16510661) - 2023 - CRC - 11/29/22
268 Vehicle Care
How to Disable the Brake Pad Life
System
The brake pad life system can be turned off.
This may be necessary if aftermarket brake
pads without wear sensors are installed.
When the system is turned off, the front
and rear brake pad life percentages will not
display. However, the built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn can
still determine when the pads should be
replaced. SeeBrakes0266.
To turn off the brake pad life system: 1. Display Brake Pad Life on the DIC. See Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 098 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 100.
2. Select DISABLE.
To turn the brake pad life system back on,
follow the above steps but select ENABLE in
Step 2.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir is filled
with GM approved DOT 4 brake fluid as
indicated on the reservoir cap. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0256 for the
location of the reservoir.
Checking Brake Fluid
With the vehicle in P (Park) on a level
surface, the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and maximum marks
on the brake fluid reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir may go down:
.Normal brake lining wear. When new
linings are installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic system.
Have the brake hydraulic system fixed.
With a leak, the brakes will not
work well. Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before
removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding fluid
does not correct a leak. If fluid is added
when the linings are worn, there will be too
much fluid when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove fluid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it can
spill on the engine and burn, if the
engine is hot enough. You or others could
be burned, and the vehicle could be
damaged. Add brake fluid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low level,
the brake warning light comes on. See Brake
System Warning Light 091.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time which
degrades the effectiveness of the brake fluid.
Replace brake fluid at the specified intervals
to prevent increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0328.