engine overheat GMC ACADIA 2018 User Guide

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
292 Vehicle Care
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fan (Outof View)
2. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can
start up even when the engine is
not running and can cause injury.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator
hoses, or other engine parts.
They can be very hot and can
burn you. Do not run the engine if
there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an
engine fire and can burn you. Fix
any leak before driving the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. This coolant needs to be
checked and replaced at
appropriate intervals. See
Maintenance Schedule 0369.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0295.
What to Use
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator
hoses, or other engine parts.
They can be very hot and can
burn you. Do not run the engine if
there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an
engine fire and can burn you. Fix
any leak before driving the
vehicle.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 293
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. See Engine
Overheating 0295.
The coolant surge tank is located in
the engine compartment on the
driver side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 283.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine
parts can burn you. Coolant
contains ethylene glycol and it will
burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
294 Vehicle Care
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific
coolant fill procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and could
cause system damage. If coolant
is not visible in the surge tank,
contact your dealer.
If no problem is found, check to see
if coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank. If coolant is visible but
the coolant level is not at or
above the indicated mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant. Be
sure the cooling system, including
the coolant surge tank pressure
cap, is cool before you do it.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with
the proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 295
5. Replace the pressure captightly.
6. Verify coolant level after the engine is shut off and the
coolant is cold. If necessary,
repeat coolant fill procedure
Steps 1–6.
If the coolant still is not at the
proper level when the system
cools down again, see your
dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of the engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument cluster. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 0133. The vehicle may also display a
message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0
388.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface. Then
check to see if the engine cooling
fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, do not continue
to run the engine. Have the vehicle
serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
. Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
296 Vehicle Care
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the
overheated area, the vehicle can be
driven. Continue to drive the vehicle
slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a
safe distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away. If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0283 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
. Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
(Continued)

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Index 413
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
DrivingAssistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 256
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 27
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 215
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 217
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 233
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 139
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 306 Electrical System (cont'd)
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 283
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 229
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 396 Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 164
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 166
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 168
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 289
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 258
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Index 417
OperationFog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 176
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 393
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Parking Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 300
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 228
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Parking or Backing Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 252
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 85
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . 141 Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . . 281
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Phone Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188, 189
Hands-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Port USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 226
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . 76
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 396
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 390
Proposition
65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .280, 299, 351, Back Cover
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 394
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
RadiosAM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Rear Climate Control System . . . 201
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 252
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 121
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 354
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91