warning light GMC CANYON 2012 Owner's Guide

Black plate (18,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-18 Instruments and Controls
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. SeeVehicle Messages on
page 5‑23 for more information.
Stop as soon as possible, and
inflate the tires to the pressure value
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑54 for more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑58 for
more information.Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine
oil low can also damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Check the oil level as soon as
possible. Add oil if required, but
if the oil level is within the
operating range and the oil
pressure is still low, have the
vehicle serviced. Always follow
the maintenance schedule for
changing engine oil.
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
goes off.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and it might
have some other system problem.

Black plate (23,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Vehicle 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. The messages are
displayed for several seconds each.
Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you should
press and release the trip odometer
reset stem to acknowledge that you
received the messages and to clear
them from the display. Each
message must be acknowledged
individually.
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 only makes
the messages disappear, not correct
the problem.The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed
and some information about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
SERVICE CHARG (Charge)
SYS (System)
This message displays if there is a
problem with the battery charging
system. Under certain conditions,
the battery warning light may also
turn on in the instrument panel
cluster. See
Charging System Light
on page 5‑12. The battery will not
be charging at an optimal rate and
the vehicle will lose the ability to
enter the fuel economy mode. The
vehicle is safe to drive, however
have the electrical system checked
by your dealer. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
Brake System Messages
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
FAULT
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS). Check the ABS as
soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer. See
Braking on page 9‑4 andAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
Press and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
BRAKES
This message displays if there is a
problem with the brakes. Check the
brakes as soon as possible and
have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer. See Braking on page 9‑4
and Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 5‑16 for
more information. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
FLUID
This message displays if the brake
fluid is low. Check the brake fluid as
soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
SeeBraking on page 9‑4 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
PARK BRK (Brake)
This message displays when the
parking brake is set. See Parking
Brake on page 9‑42 andAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
The message clears from the
display after the parking brake is
released or by pressing and
releasing the reset stem.
Door Ajar Messages
DOORS
This message displays when one or
more of the doors is ajar. Check all
the doors on your vehicle to make
sure they are closed. The message
clears from the display after all of
the doors are closed.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
AC (Air Conditioning) OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
high and the air conditioning in your
vehicle needs to be turned off. See
Engine Overheating on page 10‑23
and Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 for more information. This
message displays along with the
ENG HOT message.
ENG (Engine) HOT
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is hot.
Check the engine coolant
temperature gauge. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑9. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon as
possible if you suspect the engine is
overheating. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑23 for
more information.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE OIL
This message displays when the oil
needs to be changed. Check the oil
in your vehicle as soon as possible
and have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Service Vehicle Messages
SERV (Service) VEH (Vehicle)
This message displays if your
vehicle needs service. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer as
soon as possible.
Tire Messages
LOW TIRE
This message displays if a low tire
pressure is detected in any of the
vehicle's tires. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display. The message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tires
are inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. SeeTires on page 10‑48
and Tire Pressure on page 10‑54 for
more information on tires and the
correct inflation pressures.
SERV (Service)
TPM (Tire Pressure Monitor)
This message displays if a part on
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑17. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑58 for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.
Transmission Messages
SERV (Service)
4WD (Four-Wheel Drive)
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transfer case
control system. Check the transfer
case on your vehicle and have it
serviced by your dealer. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 9‑37 for
more information about the transfer
case. Press and release the reset
stem to acknowledge the message
and clear it from the display.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-8
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-8
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
on the instrument panel on the left
side of the steering wheel.
O(Exterior Lamps): Turn the
knob, located to the right of this
symbol, to choose one of the four
exterior lamp positions.
O(Off): Turns off all exterior lamps
including the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).

Black plate (4,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system will turn
on after the transmission has been
shifted from P (Park) to D (Drive).
The headlamps, taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, roof
marker lamps, and the instrument
panel lights turn on at normal
brightness. The radio lights will
become dimmer when the
headlights are off compared to
when the headlights are on.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel. Do not cover the sensor,
or the system will be on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system can turn on the
headlamps when driving in a
parking garage, through a tunnel or
when there is overcast weather.
This is normal.There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system will only be
affected when the light sensor
detects a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it will take about 1 minute for the
automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside.
During that delay, the instrument
panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness control is in the full
bright position. See
Instrument
Panel Illumination Control on
page 6‑7.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button located on the
instrument panel, to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. This warns others that you
are having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.
The turn signals do not work while
the hazard warning flashers are on.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{WARNING
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{WARNING
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position
for a manual transmission. This is
because the N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
for a manual transmission. Shift
the transfer case to any position
but N (Neutral).
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{WARNING
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a
low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating
Driving 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.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
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 the 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 the 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. See
Tires on
page 10‑48.
.Turn off cruise control.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating
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 the Vehicle Is Stuck
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” later in this section.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.{WARNING
If the 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 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑68.

Black plate (17,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17
Rocking the 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
the Vehicle on page 10‑91.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING
Never pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
straight out.
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.