climate control GMC ACADIA 2020 Owner's Guide

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Driving and Operating 185
{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.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0200.
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.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 209.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
Mode. See Driver Mode Control
0 212 and
All-Wheel Drive 0206.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Driving and Operating 193
Caution (Continued)
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
The Stop/Start system will shut off
the engine to help conserve fuel.
It has components designed for the
increased number of starts.
{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.
Auto Engine 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
0 121. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pressed, the engine will restart.
To maintain vehicle performance,
other conditions may cause the
engine to automatically restart
before the brake pedal is released.
Auto Stops may not occur and/or
auto restarts may occur because:
. The climate control settings
require the engine to be running
to cool or heat the vehicle
interior.
. The vehicle battery charge
is low.
. The vehicle battery has recently
been disconnected.
. Minimum vehicle speed has not
been reached since the last
Auto Stop

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Driving and Operating 247
.Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
Tow/Haul Mode is recommended
for heavier trailers. See Tow/
Haul Mode 0206. If the
transmission downshifts too
often, a lower gear may be
selected using Manual Mode.
See Manual Mode 0205.
If equipped, the following driver
assistance features should be
turned off when towing a trailer:
. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
. Super Cruise Control
. Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
. Park Assist
. Automatic Parking Assist (APA)
. Reverse Automatic
Braking (RAB)
If equipped, the following driver
assistance features should be
turned to alert or off when towing a
trailer:
. Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB)
. Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA)
. Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) If equipped with Lane Change Alert
(LCA), the LCA detection zones that
extend back from the side of the
vehicle do not move further back
when a trailer is towed. Use caution
while changing lanes when towing a
trailer.
If equipped with Rear Cross Traffic
Alert (RCTA), use caution while
backing up when towing a trailer, as
the RCTA detection zones that
extend out from the back of the
vehicle do not move further back
when a trailer is towed.
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death
from carbon monoxide (CO),
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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air.
See “Climate Control
Systems” in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust 0200.
Towing a trailer requires experience.
The combination of the vehicle and
trailer is longer and not as
responsive as the vehicle itself. Get
used to the handling and braking of
the combination by driving on a
level road surface before driving on
public roads.
The trailer structure, the tires, and
the brakes must be all be rated to
carry the intended cargo.
Inadequate trailer equipment can
cause the combination to operate in
an unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before driving, inspect all trailer
hitch parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Vehicle Care 317
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 on
specified 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
vehicle is significantly pulling to one
side or the other. Some slight pull to
the left or right, depending on the
crown of the road and/or other road
surface variations such as troughs
or ruts, is normal. If the vehicle is
vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels may need
to be rebalanced. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
Index 395
Child Restraints (cont'd)Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93, 95
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Climate Control Systems Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 115, 119
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 377
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 321
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 391
Control
Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Control (cont'd)
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Control Light Hill Descent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . 123
Engine TemperatureWarning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165, 169
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 216
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Customer Information
Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 377
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 383
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 382
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 392
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 369
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 206, 284
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 225

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
396 Index
Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137, 139
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 231
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . 174
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 183
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 185
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
E
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 207
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 130
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 289
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 264
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Engine (cont'd)
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 201
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 273
Engine Oil Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 123
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 382
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 155
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 157
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
F
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 159
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 272
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

GMC Acadia/Acadia Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/-
Mexico-13687875) - 2020 - CRC - 10/28/19
400 Index
Oil (cont'd)Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 271
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 77
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 373
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Operation Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Overview
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
P
ParkShifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Parking Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 285
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 199 Parking or Backing
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 227
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 71
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . 132
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . . 261
Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 196
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . 62
Privacy
Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 381
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 376
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Proposition
65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .260, 283, 335,
Back Cover
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 380
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Rear Camera Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Rear Climate Control System . . . 169
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 227
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 109
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 339