spare tire GMC ACADIA 2009 Owner's Manual

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 traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will ash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If traction control is
turned off, only the brake-traction
control portion of traction control
will work. The engine speed
management will be disabled. In this
mode, engine power is not reduced
automatically and the driven
wheels can spin more freely. This
can cause the brake-traction control
to activate constantly.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak, ABS and
brake warning lights and any
relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power
and do not spin the wheel(s)
excessively while these lights
and messages are displayed.The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads
or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will ash and cruise control
will automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. SeeCruise
Control on page 3-9.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer/retailer for service.All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System
If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel drive,
but there is no separate lever or
switch to engage or disengage the
axle. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire
on the AWD equipped vehicle,
the AWD system automatically
detects the presence of the compact
spare and the AWD is disabled.
To restore the AWD operation and
prevent excessive wear on the
AWD system, replace the compact
spare with a full-size tire as
soon as possible. SeeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-81for more
information.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-7

3. Set the parking brake.
4. Turn the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
5. Shift the transmission to
N (Neutral).
6. To prevent the battery from
draining while the vehicle is being
towed, remove the 50 amp
BATT1 fuse from the underhood
fuse block and store in a safe
location. SeeUnderhood
Fuse Block on page 5-92.
7. Release the parking brake.
Notice:If the vehicle is towed
without performing each of
the steps listed under “Dinghy
Towing,” the automatic
transmission could be damaged.
Be sure to follow all steps of
the dinghy towing procedure prior
to and after towing the vehicle.Notice:If 65 mph (105 km/h) is
exceeded while towing the
vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 65 mph (105 km/h)
while towing the vehicle.
Once the destination is reached:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Reinstall the 50 amp BATT1 fuse
to the underhood fuse block.
3. Shift the transmission to P (Park),
turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF
and remove the key from
the ignition.
4. Disconnect the vehicle from the
towing vehicle.
Notice:Do not tow a vehicle
with the front drive wheels on the
ground if one of the front tires
is a compact spare tire. Towing
with two different tire sizes on the
front of the vehicle can cause
severe damage to the
transmission.Dolly Towing (All-Wheel-Drive
Vehicles)
All-wheel-drive vehicles must not be
towed with two wheels on the
ground. To properly tow these
vehicles, they should be placed on
a platform trailer with all four
wheels off of the ground or dinghy
towed from the front.
4-22 Driving Your Vehicle

When It Is Time for
New Tires.......................5-48
Buying New Tires.............5-49
Different Size Tires and
Wheels............................5-50
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading...........................5-51
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance....................5-53
Wheel Replacement..........5-53
Tire Chains.......................5-54
If a Tire Goes Flat............5-55
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit...............5-56
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit Storage. . .5-68
Changing a Flat Tire.........5-69
Removing the Spare Tire
and Tools........................5-69
Removing the Flat Tire
and Installing the
Spare Tire
.......................5-72
Secondary Latch System. . .5-76
Storing a Flat or Spare
Tire and Tools.................5-78
Compact Spare Tire..........5-81
Appearance Care
Interior Cleaning................5-81
Fabric/Carpet....................5-83
Leather.............................5-83
Instrument Panel, Vinyl,
and Other Plastic
Surfaces
..........................5-84
Care of Safety Belts.........5-84
Weatherstrips....................5-84
Washing Your Vehicle.......5-84
Cleaning Exterior
Lamps/Lenses.................5-85
Finish Care.......................5-85
Windshield, Backglass,
and Wiper Blades............5-86
Aluminum or
Chrome-Plated
Wheels and Trim
.............5-86
Tires.................................5-87
Sheet Metal Damage........5-87
Finish Damage..................5-88
Underbody Maintenance. . . .5-88
Chemical Paint Spotting. . . .5-88
Vehicle Identication
Vehicle Identication
Number (VIN)..................5-88
Service Parts
Identication Label...........5-89
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices
and Wiring......................5-89
Add-On Electrical
Equipment.......................5-89
Windshield Wiper Fuses. . . .5-90
Power Windows and
Other Power Options.......5-90
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers.........................5-90
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block...............................5-90
Underhood Fuse Block......5-92
Capacities and
Specications
Capacities and
Specications..................5-96
5-2 Service and Appearance Care

Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire
is molded into its sidewall. The
examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
(A) Tire Size
:The tire size
is a combination of letters and
numbers used to dene aparticular tire’s width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specication)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM’s specic tire performance
criteria have a TPC specication
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department
of Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that the tire
is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.(D) Tire Identication Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identication Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and
date the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although
only one side may have the
date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies
in the sidewall and under
the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required
to grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more information
seeUniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 5-51. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
Example
5-36 Service and Appearance Care

(G) Maximum Cold Ination
Load Limit:Maximum load that
can be carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load.
(A) Temporary Use Only
:The
compact spare tire or temporary
use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) and should not be
driven at speeds over 65 mph
(105 km/h). The compact spare
tire is for emergency use when aregular road tire has lost air and
gone at. If your vehicle has a
compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-81andIf a
Tire Goes Flat on page 5-55.
(B) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in the
sidewall and under the tread.
(C) Tire Identication Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following the DOT (Department
of Transportation) code is the
Tire Identication Number (TIN).
The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and
date the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although only
one side may have the date of
manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Ination
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and
the maximum pressure needed
to support that load.(E) Tire Ination
:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inated
to 60 psi (420 kPa). For
more information on tire
pressure and ination see
Inflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-41.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination
of letters and numbers dene a
tire’s width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
rst character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specication)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM’s specic tire performance
criteria have a TPC specication
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM’s TPC specications
meet or exceed all federal
safety guidelines. Compact Spare Tire Example
Service and Appearance Care 5-37

When to Check
Check your tires once a month
or more. Do not forget to check
the compact spare tire, if the
vehicle has one. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa). For additional
information regarding the
compact spare tire, seeCompact
Spare Tire on page 5-81.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gage to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inated even when
they are under-inated. Check
the tire’s ination pressure when
the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for
at least three hours or driven
no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gage rmly onto the valve to get
a pressure measurement. If the
cold tire ination pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further
adjustment is necessary. If the
ination pressure is low, add air
until you reach the recommended
amount.
If you overll the tire, release air
by pushing on the metal stem
in the center of the tire valve.
Re-check the tire pressure with
the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps
back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by
keeping out dirt and moisture.Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor
the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires
and transmit tire pressure readings to
a receiver located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare
(if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inated to the
ination pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire ination
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire ination pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
ination pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is signicantly under-inated.
5-42 Service and Appearance Care

Changes or modications to
this system by other than an
authorized service facility could void
authorization to use this equipment.
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn
the driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors
are mounted onto each tire
and wheel assembly, excluding the
spare tire and wheel assembly,
if the vehicle has one. The TPMS
sensors monitor the air pressure in
the vehicle’s tires and transmits
the tire pressure readings to
a receiver located in the vehicle.When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning
light located on the instrument
panel cluster.
At the same time a message to
check the pressure in a specic tire
appears on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) display. The low tire
pressure warning light and the DIC
warning message come on at each
ignition cycle until the tires are
inated to the correct ination
pressure. Using the DIC, tire
pressure levels can be viewed by
the driver. For additional information
and details about the DIC operation
and displays seeDIC Operation and
Displays (With DIC Buttons) on
page 3-46orDIC Operation and
Displays (Without DIC Buttons) on
page 3-51andDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-56.The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather
when the vehicle is rst started, and
then turn off as you start to drive.
This could be an early indicator that
the air pressure in the tire(s) are
getting low and need to be inated
to the proper pressure.
A Tire and Loading Information
label, attached to your vehicle,
shows the size of your vehicle’s
original equipment tires and
the correct ination pressure for
your vehicle’s tires when they
are cold. SeeLoading the Vehicle
on page 4-16, for an example of
the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location on your
vehicle. Also seeInflation - Tire
Pressure on page 5-41.
Your vehicle’s TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire
maintenance. SeeTire Inspection
and Rotation on page 5-47andTires
on page 5-35.
5-44 Service and Appearance Care

Notice:Using non-approved tire
sealants could damage the Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
sensors. TPMS sensor damage
caused by using an incorrect tire
sealant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use the
GM approved tire sealant available
through your dealer/retailer.
Your vehicle, when new, may have
included a factory-installed Tire
Inator Kit. This kit uses a GM
approved liquid tire sealant. Using
non-approved tire sealants could
damage the TPMS sensors.
See Tire Sealant and Compressor
Kit for information regarding the
inator kit materials and instructions.
TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light ashes for
about one minute and then stays
on for the remainder of the ignitioncycle. A DIC warning message is
also displayed. The low tire warning
light and DIC warning message
come on at each ignition cycle until
the problem is corrected. Some of
the conditions that can cause the
malfunction light and DIC message
to come on are:
One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire, if
your vehicle has one. The spare
tire does not have a TPMS
sensor. The TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message should go
off once you re-install the road tire
containing the TPMS sensor.
The TPMS sensor matching
process was started but not
completed or not completed
successfully after rotating the
vehicle’s tires. The DIC message
and TPMS malfunction light
should go off once the TPMS
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
“TPMS Sensor Matching Process”
later in this section.
One or more TPMS sensors
are missing or damaged. The
DIC message and the TPMS
malfunction light should go off
when the TPMS sensors are
installed and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See your dealer/
retailer for service.
Replacement tires or wheels do
not match your vehicle’s original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 5-49.
Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer/ retailer
for service if the TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message comes on
and stays on.
Service and Appearance Care 5-45

9. Turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF.
10. Set all four tires to the
recommended air pressure level
as indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
11. Put the valve caps back on the
valve stems.
Tire Inspection and
Rotation
We recommend that you
regularly inspect the vehicle’s
tires, including the spare tire, if
the vehicle has one, for signs of
wear or damage. SeeWhen It Is
Time for New Tires on page 5-48
for more information.Tires should be rotated every
5,000 to 8,000 miles (8 000 to
13 000 km). SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-3.
The purpose of a regular tire
rotation is to achieve a uniform
wear for all tires on the vehicle.
This will ensure that the vehicle
continues to perform most like it
did when the tires were new.
Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate the tires as soon
as possible and check wheel
alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels.
SeeWhen It Is Time for
New Tires on page 5-48
andWheel Replacement
on page 5-53.When rotating the vehicle’s tires,
always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
If the vehicle has a compact
spare tire, do not include it in
the tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated,
adjust the front and rear ination
pressures as shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
SeeInflation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-41andLoading the
Vehicle on page 4-16.
Service and Appearance Care 5-47