ABS GMC ACADIA 2012 User Guide

Black plate (10,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
7-10 Infotainment System
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up
their radio station favorites while
the vehicle is in P (Park). Tune to
favorite stations using the presets,
favorites button, and steering
wheel controls. SeeSteering Wheel
Controls on page 5‑2.
FAV (Favorites): A maximum of
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency
tabs and by using the radio favorites
page button (FAV button). Press to
go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page.
Each page of favorites can contain
any combination of AM, FM, or XM
stations. The balance/fade and tone settings
that were previously adjusted are
stored with the favorite stations.
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to the desired radio station.
2. Press FAV to display the page to
store the station.
3. Press and hold one of the six softkeys until a beep sounds.
When that softkey is pressed
and released, the station that
was set returns.
4. Repeat the steps for each radio station to be stored as a favorite.
To set up the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
2. Press the softkey below the FAV 1-6 tab. 3. Select the desired number of
favorites pages by pressing the
softkey below the displayed
page numbers.
4. Press FAV, or let the menu time out, to return to the original
main radio screen showing the
radio station frequency tabs
and to begin the process of
programming favorites for the
chosen number of favorites
pages.
XM™ Radio Messages
XL (Explicit Language
Channels): These channels,
or any others, can be blocked at a
customer's request, by calling
1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. and
1-877-438-9677 in Canada.
XM Updating: The encryption
code in the receiver is being
updated, and no action is required.
This process should take no longer
than 30 seconds.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-13
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen,
and other airborne irritants from
outside air and inside air when in
recirculation mode.
To find out what type of replacement
filter to use, seeMaintenance
Replacement Parts on page 11‑13.
1. Open the glove box.
2. Twist the compartment retainers (A) and pull outward
to remove.
3. Lower the instrument panel compartment assembly (B)
beyond the stops.
4. If needed, unsnap the instrument panel compartment
assembly (B) from the
instrument panel. When
reinstalling, be sure the
instrument panel compartment
dampener arm is aligned
properly to the dampener gear
assembly.5. Squeeze the housing cover (A)tabs to remove.
6. Remove the old air filter from the passenger compartment air filter
housing (B).
7. Install the new air filter.
8. Replace the housing cover.
9. If removed, reinstall the instrument panel compartment
assembly.
10. Reinstall the compartment retainers.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
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
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-23
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-34
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-40
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53

Black plate (4,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up,
it can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Hydraulic Power Steering
Your vehicle has hydraulic
power steering. It may require
maintenance. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 10‑21.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
Variable Effort Steering
Some vehicles have a steering
system that varies the amount of
effort required to steer the vehicle in
relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort
required is less at slower speeds
to make the vehicle more
maneuverable and easier to park.
At faster speeds, the steering effort
increases to provide a sport-like feel
to the steering. This provides
maximum control and stability.
If the vehicle seems harder to steer
than normal when parking or driving
slowly, there may be a problem with
the system. You will still have power
steering, but steering will be stiffer
than normal at slow speeds.
See your dealer for service.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑27 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the Roadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑8 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑10. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.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
(Continued)

Black plate (27,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-27
Automatic Engine Grade
Braking
Automatic Engine Grade Braking
assists when driving on a downhill
grade. It maintains vehicle speed by
automatically implementing a shift
schedule that uses the engine and
the transmission to slow the vehicle.
The system will automatically
command downshifts to reduce
vehicle speed, until the brake pedal
is no longer being pressed.
While in the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) mode, grade braking
is deactivated, allowing the driver
to select a range and limiting the
highest gear available. Grade
braking is available for normal
driving and in Tow/Haul mode.
SeeAutomatic Transmission on
page 9‑23.
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive
Vehicles with this feature always
send engine power to all four
wheels. It is fully automatic, and
adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
When using a compact spare tire
on an AWD vehicle, the system
automatically detects the compact
spare and disables AWD. To restore
AWD operation and prevent
excessive wear on the system,
replace the compact spare with a
full-size tire as soon as possible.
See Compact Spare Tire on
page 10‑77 for more information.
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑22.

Black plate (28,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
9-28 Driving and Operating
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal down, then
push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑21.

Black plate (29,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-29
Notice:Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the park brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake
system warning light will be on and
a chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑45.Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the
driver in stopping or decreasing
vehicle speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement
the power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle.
The stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when
the brake pedal is released or
brake pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
This vehicle has a Hill Start Assist
(HSA) feature, which may be useful
when the vehicle is stopped on a
grade. This feature is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling,
either forward or rearward, during
vehicle drive off. After the driver
completely stops and holds the
vehicle in a complete standstill on a
grade, HSA will be automatically
activated. During the transition
period between when the driver
releases the brake pedal and starts
to accelerate to drive off on a grade,
HSA holds the braking pressure
to ensure that there is no rolling.
The brakes will automatically
release when the accelerator pedal
is applied within the two‐second
window. It will not activate if the
vehicle is in a drive gear and facing
downhill or if the vehicle is facing
uphill and in R (Reverse).

Black plate (31,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
system. See“Traction Control
Operation” following for more
information.
When the traction control system
has been turned off, system noises
may be heard and felt as a result of
the brake-traction control working.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow,
and you want to “rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. See If the Vehicle Is Stuck
on page 9‑10.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part
of the StabiliTrak system. Traction
control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels (engine
speed management) and by
applying the brakes as necessary. The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will flash 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, 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 flash and cruise control will
automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. See
Cruise
Control on page 9‑32.
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 for service.

Black plate (49,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-49
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, butdo not shift into P (Park) yet.
Turn the wheels into the curb if
facing downhill or into traffic if
facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake
and shift into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
1.1. Start the engine.
1.2. Shift into a gear.
1.3. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal. 3. Drive slowly until the trailer is
clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer.
See Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3. Things that are
especially important in trailer
operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine Overheating
on page 10‑18.
Trailer Towing
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment.
The weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.