GMC CANYON 2007 Owner's Manual

If you need to leave your key in the ignition but not
in LOCK for an extended period, it is recommended
that you disconnect the battery cable from the
battery to prevent discharging your battery.
There are several different positions for your
shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake rmly set. Your
vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, always set your parking brake
and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) (Automatic
Transmission) on page 132. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 300.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an
automatic transmission shift lock control system.
You must fully apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition key
is in ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting Out of
Park (P) (Automatic Transmission) on page 134.
121

REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage
the transmission. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out
of snow, ice, or sand without damaging your
transmission, seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 284.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) with the engine running at high
speed may damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting your vehicle.
122

DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
If provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 255Loss of
Control.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
more than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes.
You might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D)
when driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between
gears and when going down a steep hill.SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. You can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in
FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward, the
transmission will not shift into rst gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only
the accelerator pedal may damage the
transmission. The repair will not be covered
by your warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use
the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
123

Manual Transmission Operation
This is your shift
pattern.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you slowly press down on the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going
less than 20 mph (30 km/h). If you have come to a
complete stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1),
put the shift lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the
clutch. Then press the clutch pedal back down and
shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you
let up on the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH (3, 4 and 5):
Shift into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5)
the same way you do for SECOND (2). Slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press
the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops,
press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal,
and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press the clutch
pedal. After the vehicle stops, shift into
REVERSE (R). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal. If it is hard
to shift, let the shift lever return to NEUTRAL and
release the clutch pedal. Then press the clutch
again and shift into REVERSE (R). Do not attempt
to shift into the fth gear position prior to shifting
into REVERSE (R). Your transmission has a
lock out feature which prevents a fth gear
to reverse gear shift.
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Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only
after your vehicle is stopped.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions
permit. For the best fuel economy, accelerate
slowly and shift when the light comes on.While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to
go on and off if you quickly change the position of
the accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you
downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and has a
manual transmission, disregard the shift light when
the transfer case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, seeUp-Shift Light (Manual
Transmission) on page 185.Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift,
you could lose control of your vehicle.
You could injure yourself or others.
Do not shift down more than one gear at
a time when you downshift.
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Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send
your engine’s driving power to all four wheels
for extra traction. To get the best performance
out of four-wheel drive, you must be familiar
with its operation. Read the part that follows
before using four-wheel drive. You should use
two-wheel-drive high for most normal driving
conditions.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time
can cause premature wear on your vehicle’s
powertrain. Do not drive on clean, dry pavement
in four-wheel drive for extended periods of time.
Notice:If your vehicle has four-wheel drive
and the compact spare tire is installed on your
vehicle, do not drive in four-wheel drive until
you can have your at tire repaired and/or
replaced. You could damage your vehicle, and
the repair costs would not be covered by your
warranty. Never use four-wheel drive when the
compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.The transfer case buttons are located to the right
of the steering wheel on the instrument panel.
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES
Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 293
orTowing Your Vehicle on page 292for further
information.
126

Use these buttons to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive. You can choose from the following:
2
m(Two-Wheel High):This setting is for driving
in most street and highway situations. Your front
axle is not engaged in two-wheel drive.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
can cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P), or if you
have a manual transmission, even if you
are in gear. You or someone else could
be seriously injured. Be sure to set the
parking brake before placing the transfer
case in NEUTRAL. SeeParking Brake
on page 130.
N (NEUTRAL):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle.4
m(Four-Wheel High):This setting engages
your front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use
four-wheel high when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads, or in most off-road
situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low):This setting also
engages your front axle to give you extra traction.
It sends the maximum power to all four wheels.
You might choose four-wheel low if you were
driving off-road in sand, mud, or deep snow and
while climbing or descending steep hills.
Indicator lights in the buttons show you which
setting you are in. The indicator lights will come on
briey when you turn on the ignition and one will
stay on the selected setting. If the lights do
not come on, you should take your vehicle in for
service. An indicator light will ash while shifting.
It will stay on when the shift is completed.
If for some reason the transfer case does not shift,
it will return to the last chosen setting.
127

Shifting from Two-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel High
Press and release the Four-Wheel High button.
This can be done at any speed, and the front
axle will lock automatically.
Shifting from Four-Wheel High to
Two-Wheel High
Press and release the Two-Wheel High button.
This can be done at any speed, and the front axle
will unlock automatically.
It is normal to hear and feel your vehicle’s transfer
case shift into Four-Wheel High. If you shift with
the vehicle stopped, the indicator light may
still ash slowly. It may be necessary to shift the
transmission momentarily into REVERSE (R)
and DRIVE (D), for an automatic transmission,
or REVERSE (R) and FIRST (1) for a manual
transmission to have the light stop ashing.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High to Four-Wheel Low
To shift from Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High
to Four-Wheel Low, the vehicle must be stopped
or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N) for an automatic
transmission or the clutch pedal pressed for
a manual transmission. The preferred method for
shifting into Four-Wheel Low is to have your
vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel Low button.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel Low indicator
light to stop ashing and stay on before shifting
the transmission into gear or releasing the
clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel Low button is pressed when
your vehicle is in gear and/or moving faster
than 3 mph (5 km/h), the four-wheel low indicator
light will ash for 30 seconds and not complete
the shift.
128

Shifting from Four-Wheel Low to
Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High
To shift from Four-Wheel Low to Two-Wheel
High or Four-Wheel High, your vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h)
with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N) for
an automatic transmission or the clutch pedal
engaged for a manual transmission. The preferred
method for shifting out of four-wheel low is to
have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel High or
Two-Wheel High button. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel High indicator
light to stop ashing and stay on before shifting
the transmission into gear or releasing the
clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel High button
is pressed when your vehicle is in gear and/or
moving faster than 3 mph (5km/h), the Four-Wheel
High or Two Wheel High indicator light will ash
for 30 seconds but not complete the shift.
Shifting to NEUTRAL
Use NEUTRAL when you plan to tow your vehicle.
SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 293
for towing instructions. To shift the transfer case
into NEUTRAL do the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Press the regular brake pedal and shift the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N), or press in
the clutch for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel High.
5. Press and hold the Two-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel Low buttons at the same time
for 10 seconds. The NEUTRAL (N) light
will come on when the transfer case shift to
NEUTRAL (N) is complete.
6. Press and hold the regular brake pedal and
shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for
one second, then shift the transmission
to DRIVE (D) for one second, or FIRST (1) for
vehicles with manual transmissions, and let
out the clutch to insure the transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. If the vehicle is not in NEUTRAL,
repeat this procedure starting at Step 3.
129

7. Turn the engine off by turning the key
to ACC (Accessory).
8. Place the transmission shift lever in
PARK (P), or FIRST (1) for vehicles that
have a manual transmission.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
After towing your vehicle, you will have to shift out
of NEUTRAL in order to drive. To shift out of
NEUTRAL, do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular
brake pedal.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission
in PARK (P). Use FIRST (1) for vehicles with
a manual transmission.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N), or
press the clutch pedal for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case
shift position (Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel
High, or Four-Wheel Low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of
NEUTRAL, the indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired position.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal
is located to the left of
the regular brake pedal,
near the driver’s door.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot. Push the
parking brake pedal down to its fully-applied
position with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the brake warning light,
located on the instrument panel, will ash when the
parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving
at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds.
The chime will deactivate and the light will turn off
when the parking brake is set and the vehicle is
moving below 3 mph (5 km/h). SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 185.
130