headlamp GMC ACADIA 2009 User Guide

The exterior lamps control has four
positions:
9(Off):Briey turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again.
AUTO (Automatic):Turns the
headlamps on automatically at
normal brightness, together with
the following:
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps):Turns the
parking lamps on together with the
following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps):Turns the
headlamps on together with the
following lamps listed below.
A warning chime sounds if the
driver’s door is opened when the
ignition switch is off and the
headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
#(Fog Lamps):Push the fog
lamps control in to turn on the
fog lamps.
SeeFog Lamps on page 3-13.
Delayed Headlamps
Delayed headlamps provide a period
of exterior lighting as you leave
the area around your vehicle.
This feature is activated when the
headlamps are on due to the
automatic headlamps control
feature, and when the ignition is
turned off. The headlamps remain
on until the exterior lamps control
is moved to the parking lamps
position or until the pre-selected
delayed headlamp lighting period
has ended.
If the ignition is turned off with the
headlamps switch in the parking
lamps or headlamps position,
the delayed headlamps cycle will
not occur.
To disable the delayed headlamps
feature or change the time of delay,
seeDIC Vehicle Customization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 3-64.
3-12 Instrument Panel

Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)/Automatic
Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see
the front of your vehicle during the
day. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes either the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness or the DRL lights,
for vehicles with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps when
the following conditions are met:
The ignition is in the ON/RUN
position.
The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
The engine is running.When the DRL are on, the regular
headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker,
and other lamps will not be on.
The instrument panel and cluster will
also not be lit.
For vehicles with HID headlamps, if
the DRL are on and the left or
right turn signal lamp is turned on,
the left or right DRL will go off.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings.
The other lamps that come on with
the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will go off and
the DRL will come on.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Do not cover the light sensor on
top of the instrument panel because
it works with the DRL.
Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision
in foggy or misty conditions.
The fog lamps button is located on
the exterior lamps control to the
left of the steering column.
#(Fog Lamps):Press the exterior
lamps button to turn the fog lamps
on or off. A light comes on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
fog lamps are in use. The ignition
must be on for the fog lamps
to work.
When the headlamps are changed
to high-beam, the fog lamps will
turn off. The fog lamps come back
on again when the high-beam
headlamps are turned off.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be
on along with the fog lamps.
Instrument Panel 3-13

they slowly dim after the delay time
until they go out. The delay time is
canceled if the ignition key is turned
to ON/RUN or the power door lock
switch is pressed. The lamps will dim
right away.
When the ignition is on, illuminated
entry is inactive, which means
the courtesy lamps will not come on
unless a door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting illuminates the
interior for a period of time after
all the doors have been closed.
The ignition must be off for delayed
entry lighting to work. Immediately
after all the doors have been closed,
the delayed entry lighting feature
will continue to work until one of the
following occurs:
The ignition is in ON/RUN.
The doors are locked.
An illumination period of
25 seconds has elapsed.If during the illumination period a
door is opened, the timed
illumination period will be canceled
and the interior lamps will remain
on because a door is open.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior
for a period of time after the key
is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed
exit lighting to work. When the
key is removed, interior illumination
will activate and remain on until
one of the following occurs:
The ignition is in ON/RUN.
The power door locks are
activated.
An illumination period of
20 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a
door is opened, the timed
illumination period will be canceled
and the interior lamps will remain
on because a door is open.
Parade Dimming
Parade mode automatically prohibits
the dimming of the instrument panel
displays during the daylight while the
headlamps are on so that the
displays are still able to be seen.
Reading Lamps
The vehicle has reading lamps that
also act as the dome lamp. Press
the button to turn them on and off.
Electric Power
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery’s temperature and
state of charge. It then adjusts the
voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised
slightly to quickly bring the charge
back up. When the state of charge
is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging.
Instrument Panel 3-15

If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage
or a voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you
may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there
is a problem, an alert will be
displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are
very high. This is true for all
vehicles. This is because the
generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to
produce all the power that is needed
for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling
fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power
outlets.EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator’s
output and the vehicle’s electrical
needs. It can increase engine
idle speed to generate more power,
whenever needed. It can temporarily
reduce the power demands of
some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable
to the driver. If so, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
might be displayed, such as
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE,
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW, or
LOW BATTERY. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible. See
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-56.Battery Run-Down
Protection
This feature helps prevent the
battery from being drained, if the
interior courtesy lamps, reading/map
lamps, visor vanity lamps or trunk
lamp are accidentally left on.
If any of these lamps are left on,
they automatically turn off after
10 minutes, if the ignition is off.
The lamps will not come back on
again until one of the following
occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is
turned off, then on again.
The headlamps will timeout after
10 minutes, if they are manually
turned on before the ignition is off.
3-16 Instrument Panel

Highbeam On Light
The highbeam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 3-7for more
information.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light comes on when the
Tow/Haul mode has been activated.
For more information, see
Tow/Haul Mode on page 2-26.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gage shows how much fuel is left
in the tank.
An arrow in the fuel gage indicates
the side of the vehicle the fuel
door is on.
The gage will rst indicate empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel, the
vehicle’s fuel tank should be
lled soon.
When the fuel tank is low on fuel,
the FUEL LEVEL LOW message will
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). For more information
seeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-56.Here are some situations that may
occur with the fuel gage. None
of these indicate a problem with the
fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel
to ll up than the fuel gage
indicated. For example, the gage
may have indicated the tank
was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to ll the tank.
The gage goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off.
United StatesCanada
Instrument Panel 3-45

DIC Warnings and
Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status
of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by
the driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear one
after another.
Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you can press
any of the DIC buttons on the
instrument panel or the trip odometer
reset stem on the instrument panel
cluster to acknowledge that you
received the messages and to clear
them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared
from the DIC display because
they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they
can be cleared. You should take
any messages that appear on
the display seriously and remember
that clearing the messages will
only make the messages disappear,
not correct the problem.The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed
and some information about them.ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF
If your vehicle has the All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) system, this message
displays when there is a compact
spare tire on the vehicle, when
the Antilock Brake System (ABS)
warning light comes on, or when the
rear differential uid is overheating.
This message turns off when
the differential uid cools.
The AWD system is disabled until
the compact spare tire is replaced
by a full-size tire. If the warning
message is still on after putting on
the full-size tire, you need to reset
the warning message. To reset
the warning message, turn
the ignition off and then back on
again after 30 seconds. If the
message stays on, see your
dealer/retailer right away. See
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System on
page 4-7for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned off.
This message clears itself after
10 seconds.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned on.
This message clears itself after
10 seconds.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when
the system detects that the battery
voltage is dropping below
expected levels. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point
that the features are disabled, this
message is displayed. It means that
the vehicle is trying to save the
charge in the battery.
3-56 Instrument Panel

The customization preferences are
automatically recalled.
To change customization
preferences, use the following
procedure.
Entering the Feature
Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place
the vehicle in P (Park).
To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that
the headlamps are turned off.
2. Press the customization button to
enter the feature settings menu.
If the menu is not available,
FEATURE SETTINGS
AVAILABLE IN PARK will
display. Before entering the
menu, make sure the vehicle is
in P (Park).
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization
features that allow you to program
settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a
language other than English has
been set. This feature allows you to
change the language in which the
DIC messages appear to English.
Press the customization button until
the PRESS
VTO DISPLAY IN
ENGLISH screen appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to display all DIC
messages in English.
DISPLAY LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the
language in which the DIC messages
will appear.
Press the customization button until
the DISPLAY LANGUAGE screen
appears on the DIC display.Press the set/reset button once to
access the settings for this feature.
Then press the customization
button to scroll through the following
settings:
ENGLISH (default):All messages
will appear in English.
FRANCAIS:All messages will
appear in French.
ESPANOL:All messages will
appear in Spanish.
NO CHANGE:No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
You can also change the language
by pressing the trip odometer
reset stem. See “Language” under
DIC Operation and Displays
(Without DIC Buttons) earlier in this
section for more information.
Instrument Panel 3-65

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control
of the vehicle. Defensive drivers
avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing
conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle’s three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the steering
or cornering skid, too much speed
or steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator
pedal and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you
start steering quickly enough, the
vehicle may straighten out. Always
be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping
distance is longer and vehicle
control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear.
Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You might not
realize the surface is slippery until
the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving because some drivers
are likely to be impaired — by alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems,
or by fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare by
adjusting the inside rearview
mirror.
Slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles
because headlamps can only
light up so much road ahead.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into
approaching headlamps.
4-10 Driving Your Vehicle

To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm the
vehicle and then shut the engine off
and close the window most of the
way to save heat. Repeat this until
help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold.
Moving about to keep warm also
helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help with
the headlamps. Do this as little as
possible to save fuel.
If Your Vehicle is
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It
Out on page 4-15.If the vehicle has a traction system,
it can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. Refer to the vehicle’s
traction system in the Index. If stuck
too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{CAUTION
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin
at high speed, they can explode,
and you or others could be
injured. The vehicle can overheat,
causing an engine compartment
re or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and
avoid going above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, seeTire
Chains on page 5-54.
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around
the front wheels. Turn off any
traction or stability system. Shift
back and forth between R (Reverse)
and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. To
prevent transmission wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the
accelerator pedal while shifting, and
press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that
could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a
few tries, it might need to be towed
out. If the vehicle does need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-20.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-15

Basic Trailer Wiring
The trailer wiring harness, with a
seven-pin connector, is located
at the rear of the vehicle and is
tied to the vehicle’s frame.
The harness connector can be
plugged into a seven-pin universal
heavy-duty trailer connector
available through your
dealer/retailer.
The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn
Signal
Brown: Taillamps
Black: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Red/Black: Battery Feed
Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuse for this circuit is installed
in the underhood electrical center,
but the wires are not connected.
They should be connected by your
dealer/retailer or a qualied
service center.
If the back-up lamp circuit is not
functional, contact your
dealer/retailer.If a remote (non-vehicle) battery is
being charged, press the Tow/Haul
mode switch located on the center
console near the climate controls.
This will boost the vehicle system
voltage and properly charge the
battery. If the trailer is too light for
Tow/Haul mode, turn on the
headlamps (Non-HID only) as a
second way to boost the vehicle
system and charge the battery.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-21.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-33