climate control GMC ACADIA 2018 Owner's Guide

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
204 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter reduces the dust, pollen,
and other airborne irritants from
outside air and inside air when in
recirculation mode.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule 0369.
1. Open the glove box completely. 2. Disconnect the glove box door
dampener arm from the glove
box door assembly.
3. Squeeze both sides of the glove box door to open beyond
the stops.
4. Release the retainer clipsholding the service door. Open
the service door (1) slightly and
slide toward the center of the
vehicle to disengage the hinge.
Remove the old air filter (2).
5. Install the new air filter.
6. Reattach the service door and close. 7. Reverse the steps to reinstall
the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
206 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
216 Driving and Operating
.Allow greater following distance
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.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode for vehicles equipped with
AWD. Select Snow/Ice Mode for
FWD only vehicles.
See Driver Mode Control 0238
and All-Wheel Drive 0232.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0388. 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
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0228.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
224 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you press ENGINE START/
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the button and
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Stop/Start System
{Warning
The automatic engine Stop/Start
feature causes the engine to shut
off while the vehicle is still on. Do
not exit the vehicle before shifting
to P (Park). The vehicle may
restart and move unexpectedly.
Always shift to P (Park), and then
turn the ignition off before exiting
the vehicle.
If equipped with the 2.5L L4 engine,
the vehicle has a fuel saving stop/
start system to shut off the engine to
help conserve fuel.
Auto Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See
Tachometer
0 131. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pushed, the engine will restart.
Auto Stop may be deactivated if:
. A minimum vehicle speed is not
reached.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range,
typically between −10 °C (14 °F)
and 50 °C (122 °F).
. The shift lever is in any gear
other than D (Drive).
. The battery charge is low.
. The interior comfort level has not
reached the required level for
the climate control system or
defog settings.
. The Auto Stop time is greater
than two minutes.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Driving and Operating 271
.Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi), to prevent
damage to the engine, axle or
other parts.
. Then, during the first 800 km
(500 mi) trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
. The vehicle can tow in D (Drive)
but Manual Mode is
recommended. See Manual
Mode 0231. Use a lower gear if
the transmission shifts too often.
. Turn off Parking Assist and Rear
Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) when
towing.
. Turn off Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
when towing.
. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) when towing a
trailer.{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
When towing a trailer:
. Do not drive with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch,
or rear-most window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside
air. See “Climate Control
Systems” in the Index.
For information about carbon
monoxide, see Engine Exhaust
0 228.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is longer and not as responsive as the
vehicle itself. Get acquainted with
the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires, and mirrors. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure
and the lamps and any trailer
brakes still work.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of the
stability control system might be
heard. The system is reacting to the
vehicle movement caused by the
trailer, which mainly occurs during
cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
Vehicle Care 333
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions onspecified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349114) - 2018 - crc - 9/21/17
412 Index
Child RestraintsInfants and Young Children . . . . . 93
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105, 108
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Climate Control Systems Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 391
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 337
Connections
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Control
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Control Light
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . 133
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198, 201
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 242
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 393
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 391
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 397
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 396
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Devices
Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Diagnostics
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 383
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 232, 300
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 251
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145, 148

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