engine GMC ACADIA 2012 Owner's Guide

Black plate (18,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
5-18 Instruments and Controls
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery.
When this light comes on, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) also
displays the SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM message.See
Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑37 for more information.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, to produce
a cleaner environment. This light
comes on when the vehicle is
placed in ON/RUN, as a check to
show it is working. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. See Ignition Positions on
page 9‑16 for more information.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.

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Instruments and Controls 5-19
Notice:Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of
the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. This could
also result in a failure to
pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required. To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling the Tank on
page 9‑42. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn
the light off.
.Check that good quality fuel
is used. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
5-20 Instruments and Controls
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
SeeRecommended Fuel on
page 9‑40.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment.
For the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is
connected to the vehicle’s Data
Link Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off. See your
dealer for assistance in verifying
proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp.
.The OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics) system
determines that critical
emission control systems have
not been completely diagnosed.
The vehicle would be considered
not ready for inspection. This
can happen if the 12-volt battery
has recently been replaced or
run down. The diagnostic system
is designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.

Black plate (22,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The ABS warning light comes on
briefly when the ignition key is
turned to ON/RUN. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then,
have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off.
Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. If the regularbrake system warning light is not
on, there are still brakes, but no
antilock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on,
there are no antilock brakes and
there is a problem with the regular
brakes. See
Brake System Warning
Light on page 5‑21.Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light comes on when the
Tow/Haul mode has been activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑26.
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
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 goes off.
If it stays on, or comes on while
driving, there could be a problem
with the StabiliTrak system and the
vehicle might need service. When
this warning light is on, the system
is off and will not limit wheel spin.
This light flashes when the
StabiliTrak system is active.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑30 for more information.

Black plate (23,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on briefly when
the vehicle is started.
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
while driving, the vehicle may have
a problem with the cooling system.
Stop and turn off the vehicle to
avoid damage to the engine.
A warning chime sounds when this
light is on.
SeeEngine Overheating on
page 10‑18 for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. See Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑37 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 10‑44 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 10‑46 for more
information.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
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.The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
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 might have
some other system problem.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started.
If the system is working normally, the indicator light turns off. If it does
not come on, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system.
This light is also used to indicate
the status of the anti-theft alarm
system when the ignition is turned
off. The light will flash rapidly if the
alarm system is arming and one or
more of the monitored entry points
is not closed. The light will stay on if
the alarm is arming and all entry
points are closed.
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑13.

Black plate (25,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-25
High-Beam On Light
The high-beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.
Front Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light comes on when
the fog lamps are in use. The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. See
Fog
Lamps on page 6‑5 for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on whenever the
cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑32 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information Center
(DIC) (With DIC Buttons)
If your vehicle has DIC buttons,
the information below explains the
operation of this system.
The DIC displays information about
your vehicle. It also displays
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
All messages will appear in the
DIC display located at the top of
the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC also displays a shift lever
position indicator on the bottom line
of the display. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑23 for
more information.

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Instruments and Controls 5-27
means 99% of the current oil life
remains. The engine oil life system
will alert you to change the oil on a
schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL
LIFE display yourself after each oil
change. It will not reset itself. Also,
be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change. To reset the engine oil life system,
see
Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.
PARK ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system,
press the vehicle information button
until PARK ASSIST displays.
This display allows the system to
be turned on or off. Once in this
display, press the set/reset button
to select between ON or OFF.
If you choose ON, the system will
be turned on. If you choose OFF,
the system will be turned off. The
URPA system automatically turns
back on after each vehicle start.
When the URPA system is turned
off and the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park), the DIC will display the
PARK ASSIST OFF message as a
reminder that the system has been
turned off. See Object Detection
System Messages on page 5‑41
and Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑34 for more information. UNITS
Press the vehicle information button
until UNITS displays. This display
allows you to select between metric
or English units of measurement.
Once in this display, press the
set/reset button to select between
METRIC or ENGLISH units.
All of the vehicle information will
then be displayed in the unit of
measurement selected.
FRONT TIRES or REAR TIRES
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure will be
shown in either kilopascals (kPa)
or pounds per square inch (psi).
Press the vehicle information button
until the DIC displays FRONT
TIRES kPa (PSI) LEFT ##
RIGHT ##. Press the vehicle
information button again until the
DIC displays REAR TIRES kPa
(PSI) LEFT ## RIGHT ##.

Black plate (31,1)GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Each trip odometer can be reset to
zero separately by pressing and
holding the trip odometer reset stem
while the desired trip odometer is
displayed.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retroactive reset. This can
be used to set the trip odometer to
the number of kilometers (miles)
driven since the ignition was last
turned on. This can be used if the
trip odometer is not reset at the
beginning of the trip.
To use the retroactive reset feature,
press and hold the trip odometer
reset stem for at least four seconds.
The trip odometer will display the
number of kilometers (km) or
miles (mi) driven since the ignition
was last turned on and the vehicle
was moving. Once the vehicle
begins moving, the trip odometer
will accumulate mileage.For example, if the vehicle was
driven 8 km (5 mi) before it is started
again, and then the retroactive reset
feature is activated, the display will
show 8 km (5 mi). As the vehicle
begins moving, the display will then
increase to 8.2 km (5.1 mi), 8.4 km
(5.2 mi), etc.
If the retroactive reset feature is
activated after the vehicle is started,
but before it begins moving, the
display will show the number of
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) driven
during the last ignition cycle.
OIL LIFE
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of thecurrent oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See
“CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON”
under Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑40. You should change the
oil as soon as you can. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑8. In addition to the
engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, you must reset the
OIL LIFE display yourself after each
oil change. It will not reset itself.

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5-32 Instruments and Controls
Also, be careful not to reset the OIL
LIFE display accidentally at any
time other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
seeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.
PARK ASSIST
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). If your vehicle
has the Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system, press the
trip odometer reset stem until PARK
ASSIST displays. This display
allows the system to be turned on or
off. Once in this display, press and
hold the trip odometer reset stem to
select between ON or OFF. If you
choose ON, the system will be
turned on. If you choose OFF,
the system will be turned off. The URPA system automatically
turns back on after each vehicle
start. When the URPA system is
turned off and the vehicle is shifted
out of P (Park), the DIC will display
the PARK ASSIST OFF message
as a reminder that the system
has been turned off. See
Object
Detection System Messages on
page 5‑41 andUltrasonic Parking
Assist on page 9‑34 for more
information.
UNITS
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). Press the trip
odometer reset stem until UNITS
displays. This display allows you to
select between metric or English
units of measurement. Once in this
display, press and hold the trip
odometer reset stem to select
between METRIC or ENGLISH
units. All of the vehicle information
will then be displayed in the unit of
measurement selected. DISPLAY LANGUAGE
To access this display, the vehicle
must be in P (Park). This display
allows you to select the language
in which the DIC messages will
appear. To select a language:
1. Press the trip odometer reset
stem until DISPLAY LANGUAGE
displays.
2. Continue to press and hold the trip odometer reset stem to scroll
through all of the available
languages.
The available languages are
ENGLISH (default), FRANCAIS
(French), ESPANOL (Spanish),
and NO CHANGE.
3. Once the desired language is displayed, release the trip
odometer reset stem to set
your choice.