warning GMC CANYON 2010 Owner's Manual

Driving in Water
{WARNING:
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers could drown. If it is
only shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you could lose
traction and roll the vehicle over. Do not drive
through rushing water.
Heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before driving through it.
Do not try it if it is deep enough to cover the wheel
hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe — you probably will not get
through. Deep water can damage the axle and other
vehicle parts.If the water is not too deep, drive slowly through it.
At faster speeds, water splashes on the ignition system
and the vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if
you get the tailpipe under water. If the tailpipe is under
water, you will never be able to start the engine.
When going through water, remember that when the
brakes get wet, it might take longer to stop. SeeDriving
in Rain and on Wet Roads on page 5-26.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust system
for damage and check the fuel lines and cooling system
for any leakage.
The vehicle requires more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
5-24

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{WARNING:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal until
the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
Driving through flowing water could cause your
vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you
and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be very cautious about
trying to drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
•Allow extra following distance.
•Pass with caution.
•Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
•Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
•Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 6-57.
•Turn off cruise control.
5-26

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different
than driving on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for driving
in these conditions include:
•Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
•Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, cooling
system, and transmission.
•Going down steep or long hills, shift to a
lower gear.
{WARNING:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could get so
hot that they would not work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{WARNING:
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition
off is dangerous. The brakes will have to do all the
work of slowing down and they could get so hot
that they would not work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have the engine running
and the vehicle in gear when going downhill.
•Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
•Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
•Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
SeeOff-Road Driving on page 5-13for information
about driving off-road.
5-28

Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a serious situation. Stay
with the vehicle unless there is help nearby. If possible,
use theRoadside Assistance Program on page 8-7.
To get help and keep everyone in the vehicle safe:
•Turn on theHazard Warning Flashers on page 4-3.
•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 the snow:
•Clear away snow from around the base of
your vehicle, especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
•Check again from time to time to be sure
snow does not collect there.
WARNING: (Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
•
Open a window about 5 cm (two inches) on
the side of the vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
•Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
•Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that circulates the air inside the vehicle and
set the fan speed to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the Index.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3-34.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking the exhaust.
5-30

Run the engine for short periods only as needed to
keep warm, but be careful.
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. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 5-32.
If stuck too severely for the traction system to free the
vehicle, turn the traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING:
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 fire 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 6-78.
5-31

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the
area around the front wheels. For four-wheel drive
vehicles, shift into 4HI. Turn off any traction system.
Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission, between 1 (First)
or 2 (Second) and R (Reverse), 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. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle has them. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle
on page 5-41.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING:
These hooks, when used, are under a lot of force.
Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never pull on
the hooks at a sideways angle. The hooks could
break off and you or others could be injured from
the chain or cable snapping back.
5-32

Notice:Never use recovery hooks to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it would
not be covered by warranty.
For vehicles with recovery hooks at the front of the
vehicle, you can use them if you are stuck off-road and
need to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Certification/Tire label.
{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on the
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of the vehicle.
5-33

{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or
either the maximum front or rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on the
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of the vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components to get
added durability might not change your weight
ratings. Ask your dealer/retailer to help you load
your vehicle the right way.
Notice
:Overloading the vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not overload the vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like
suitcases, tools, packages, or anything
else — they will go as fast as the vehicle goes.
If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a
crash, they will keep going.
{WARNING:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
•Put things in the cargo area of your
vehicle. Try to spread the weight evenly.
•Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some
of them are above the tops of the seats.
•Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
in your vehicle.
•When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
•Do not leave a seat folded down unless
you need to.
There is also important loading information for
off-road driving in this manual.
See“Loading Your
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving”underOff-Road
Driving on page 5-13.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight
rating (GAWR) of the front or rear axle.
5-39

3. Turn the engine off and firmly set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 3-30.
4. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow
vehicle.
{WARNING:
Shifting a full-time four-wheel-drive vehicle’s
transfer case into N (Neutral) can cause the
vehicle to roll even if the automatic transmission is
in P (Park) or the manual transmission is in any
gear. You or others could be injured. Make sure
the parking brake is firmly set before the transfer
case is shifted to N (Neutral).5. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting
into N (Neutral)” underFour-Wheel Drive on
page 3-25.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF and remove the
key — the front wheels will still turn.
7. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is firmly attached to the towing
vehicle.
After towing see “Shifting Out of N (Neutral)” under
Four-Wheel Drive on page 3-25.
If the vehicle being towed will not be started or driven
for six weeks or more, remove the battery cable from the
negative terminal (post) of the battery to prevent the
battery from draining.
5-43

Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to dolly tow a
four-wheel-drive vehicle from the front:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the
dolly manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Drive the front wheels onto the dolly.
3. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in 1 (First).
4. Turn the engine off and firmly set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 3-30.
{WARNING:
Shifting a full-time four-wheel-drive vehicle’s
transfer case into N (Neutral) can cause the
vehicle to roll even if the automatic transmission is
in P (Park) or the manual transmission is in any
gear. You or others could be injured. Make sure
the parking brake is firmly set before the transfer
case is shifted to N (Neutral).
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following the
manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral). See “Shifting
into N (Neutral)” underFour-Wheel Drive on
page 3-25.
7. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is firmly attached to the towing vehicle.
8. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
After towing, see “Shifting Out of N (Neutral)” under
Four-Wheel Drive on page 3-25.
If the vehicle being towed will not be started or driven
for six weeks or more, remove the battery cable from the
negative terminal (post) of the battery to prevent the
battery from draining.
5-45