power steering GMC ACADIA 2010 Owner's Manual

Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-11
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-15
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-16
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Storage Compartments . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-19
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑11.
B. Windshield Wiper/Washer
on
page 5‑5.
C. Instrument Cluster
on
page 5‑11.
D. Head-Up Display (HUD)
on
page 5‑31(If Equipped).
E. Solar Sensor. See Dual
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4.
F. AM-FM Radio
on page 7‑6.
Navigation/Radio System (If
Equipped). See Navigation
System manual.
G. Exterior Lamp Controls
on
page 6‑1.
H. Hood Release. See Hood
on
page 10‑5. I.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
on page 6‑5.
J. Cruise Control on page 9‑30.
K. Steering Wheel Adjustment
on
page 5‑2.
L. Horn on page 5‑5.
M. Steering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑3.
N. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑23or Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Without DIC Buttons)
on
page 5‑28.
O. Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4. P. Center Console Shift Lever (If
Equipped). See “Console Shift
Lever” underShifting Into Park
on page 9‑19.
Q. Hazard Warning Flashers
on
page 6‑3.
R. Cupholders on page 4‑1.
S. Power Outlets on page 5‑8.
T. Rear Window Wiper/Washer
on
page 5‑6.
U. Heated Front Seats
on
page 3‑8(If Equipped).
V. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
on page 5‑15(If
Equipped) .
W. Glove Box on page 4‑1.

1-22 In Brief
service is needed, and technology
that is compatible with the OnStar
service. Not all services are
available everywhere, particularly in
remote or enclosed areas, or at all
times.
The OnStar system can record and
transmit vehicle information. This
information is automatically sent to
an OnStar call center when
Qis
pressed,
]is pressed, or if the
airbags or ACR system deploy. This
information usually includes the
vehicle's GPS location and, in the
event of a crash, additional
information regarding the crash that
the vehicle was involved in (e.g. the
direction from which the vehicle was
hit). When the virtual advisor feature
of OnStar hands-free calling is
used, the vehicle also sends OnStar
the vehicle's GPS location so they
can provide services where it is
located. Location information about the
vehicle is only available if the GPS
satellite signals are unobstructed
and available.
The vehicle must have a working
electrical system, including
adequate battery power, for the
OnStar equipment to operate. There
are other problems OnStar cannot
control that may prevent OnStar
from providing OnStar service at
any particular time or place. Some
examples are damage to important
parts of the vehicle in a crash, hills,
tall buildings, tunnels, weather or
wireless phone network congestion.
OnStar Steering Wheel
Controls
This vehicle may have a Talk/Mute
button that can be used to interact
with OnStar hands-free calling. See
Steering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑3for more information. On some vehicles, the mute button
can be used to dial numbers into
voice mail systems, or to dial phone
extensions. See the OnStar Owner's
Guide for more information.
Your Responsibility
Increase the volume of the radio if
the OnStar advisor cannot be heard.
If the light next to the OnStar
buttons is red, the system may not
be functioning properly. Press
Q
and request a vehicle diagnostic.
If the light appears clear (no light
is appearing), your OnStar
subscription has expired and all
services have been deactivated.
Press
Qto confirm that the OnStar
equipment is active.

Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-5
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Voltmeter Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-14
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light . . . 5-20
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21 Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-21
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Information Displays
Driver Information Center
(DIC) (With DIC Buttons) . . . 5-23
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Without DIC
Buttons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-35
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-35
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36

5-2 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-37
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-38
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-38
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-39
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Object Detection SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-40
Anti-Theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-41
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-42
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . 5-43
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-43Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization (With DIC Buttons) . . . . . . . . 5-44
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . 5-51
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-51
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The steering wheel can be adjusted.
The adjustment lever is on the
outboard side of the steering
column.
Pull the lever down to move the
steering wheel up or down and in or
out. Pull the lever up to lock the
steering wheel in place.

Instruments and Controls 5-41
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE A/C (Air
Conditioning) SYSTEM
This message displays when the
electronic sensors that control the
air conditioning and heating
systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer/retailer if
you notice a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays when a
problem is detected with the power
steering system. When this
message is displayed, you may
notice that the effort required to
steer the vehicle increases or feels
heavier, but you will still be able to
steer the vehicle. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer/retailer
immediately.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when a
non-emissions related malfunction
occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer/retailer as soon as
possible.
STARTING DISABLED
SERVICE THROTTLE
This message displays when your
vehicle's throttle system is not
functioning properly. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer/
retailer.
Tire Messages
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires is low.This message also displays
LEFT FRT (left front), RIGHT FRT
(right front), LEFT RR (left rear),
or RIGHT RR (right rear) to indicate
the location of the low tire.
The low tire pressure warning light
will also come on. See
Tire
Pressure Light on page 5‑21.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to the
values shown on the Tire Loading
Information label. See Tires
on
page 10‑37, Vehicle Load Limitson
page 9‑10, and Tire Pressureon
page 10‑43.
You can receive more than one tire
pressure message at a time. To
read the other messages that may
have been sent at the same time,
press the set/reset button or the trip
odometer reset stem. The DIC also
shows the tire pressure values. See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑23or

Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)/Automatic Headlamp
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Delayed Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . 6-6
Delayed Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-7
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-8Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps

Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-10
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Parking Over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-22
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak System . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-32
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-40
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-40
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55

Driving and Operating 9-3
Medical research shows that alcohol
in a person's system can make
crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord,
or heart. This means that when
anyone who has been
drinking—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to
control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle. See StabiliTrak System
on
page 9‑28.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Lighton page 5‑19.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But that is
only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and
eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But
even in three-fourths of a second, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h
(60 mph) travels 20 m (66 ft). That
could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive in
spurts
—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is