headlamp GMC CANYON 2012 User Guide

Black plate (4,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system will turn
on after the transmission has been
shifted from P (Park) to D (Drive).
The headlamps, taillamps,
sidemarker, parking lamps, roof
marker lamps, and the instrument
panel lights turn on at normal
brightness. The radio lights will
become dimmer when the
headlights are off compared to
when the headlights are on.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on the top of the instrument
panel. Do not cover the sensor,
or the system will be on whenever
the ignition is on.
The system can turn on the
headlamps when driving in a
parking garage, through a tunnel or
when there is overcast weather.
This is normal.There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system will only be
affected when the light sensor
detects a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system will come on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it will take about 1 minute for the
automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside.
During that delay, the instrument
panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness control is in the full
bright position. See
Instrument
Panel Illumination Control on
page 6‑7.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button located on the
instrument panel, to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. This warns others that you
are having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.
The turn signals do not work while
the hazard warning flashers are on.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp button is located near
the exterior lamps control.
#(Fog Lamps):For vehicles with
fog lamps, press to turn the fog
lamps on or off. An indicator light
will turn on in the button when the
fog lamps are on.
The parking lamps or low-beam
headlamps must be on for the fog
lamps to work. The fog lamps will
go off whenever the high-beam
headlamps come on. When the high
beams go off, the fog lamps come
on again. Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Exterior Cargo Lamps
The cargo lamps (if equipped) can
be used if more light is needed in
the cargo area of the vehicle or in
the top-box storage units.
This button is located on the driver
side of the instrument panel near
the exterior lamp control.
Press to turn the cargo lamps on
and off.
The dome lamps must be on for the
cargo lamps to come on. See
Dome
Lamps on page 6‑7.
If the vehicle is equipped with
Bluetooth
®, turning the instrument
panel illumination control
thumbwheel all the way up will
turn on the cargo lamps.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-7
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
D
(Instrument Panel Lights):
Turn the thumbwheel up or down to
brighten or dim the instrument panel
lights and the radio display. The
instrument panel lights, cluster, and
radio display do not dim to complete
darkness. Turning the thumbwheel
all the way up will turn on the dome
lamps and may also turn on the
cargo lamp, if the vehicle is
equipped with Bluetooth.
The instrument panel light
brightness control will only work if
the headlamps or parking lamps are
on. See Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened.
To manually turn on the dome
lamps, turn the thumbwheel, located
next to the exterior lamps control, all
the way up. The cargo lamps may
come on, if the vehicle is equipped
with Bluetooth. In this position, the
lamps remain on whether a door is
opened or closed.
Reading Lamps
Press the lens on the lamps to
turn each reading lamp on or off.
These lamps will not come on with
the dome lamps. Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is
located below the exterior lamps
control.
E(Dome Lamp Override):
Press this button in to make the
dome lamps remain off when the
doors are open. To return the lamps
to automatic operation, press
E
again and return it to the out
position.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
6-8 Lighting
Lighting Features
Exit Lighting
The interior lamps will come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The lamps will not come on
if the dome override button is
pressed in.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see thevoltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays, it
is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑20.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome
lamp if it is left on for more than
20 minutes when the ignition is in
LOCK/OFF. This helps to prevent
the battery from running down.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
7-24 Infotainment System
Bluetooth Controls
Use thegbutton, located on the
driver side of the instrument panel
near the headlamp controls, to
operate the Bluetooth system.
g(Push To Talk): Press to answer
incoming calls, to confirm system
information, and to start speech
recognition.
Pairing
A Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone
must be paired to the Bluetooth
system and then connected to the
vehicle before it can be used. See
your cell phone manufacturer's user
guide for Bluetooth functions before
pairing the cell phone. If a Bluetooth
phone is not connected, calls will be
made using OnStar
®Hands‐Free
Calling, if available. Refer to the
OnStar owner's guide for more
information. Pairing Information
.A Bluetooth phone with MP3
capability cannot be paired to
the vehicle as a phone and an
MP3 player at the same time.
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are
within range of the system, the
system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To link to a
different paired phone, see
“Linking to a Different Phone”
later in this section.Pairing a Phone
1. Press and release
g.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” This command
can be skipped.
3. Say “Pair.”The system responds
with instructions and a four‐digit
Personal Identification
Number (PIN).
4. Start the pairing process on the cell phone that you want to pair.
For help with this process, see
your cell phone manufacturer's
user guide.
5. Locate the device named “Your
Vehicle” in the list on the cell
phone. Follow the instructions
on the cell phone to enter the
PIN that was provided in Step 3.
After the PIN is successfully
entered, the system prompts you
to provide a name for the paired
cell phone. This name will be
used to indicate which phones
are paired and connected to
the vehicle. The system
responds with “

Black plate (8,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-8 Driving and Operating
When driving on hills:
.Use a low gear and keep a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.Maintain a slow speed.
.When possible, drive straight up
or down the hill.
.Slow down when approaching
the top of the hill.
.Use headlamps even during the
day to make the vehicle more
visible.
{WARNING
Driving to the top of a hill at high
speed can cause an accident.
There could be a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be
seriously injured or killed. As you
near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.
.Never go downhill forward or
backward with either the
transmission or transfer case in
N (Neutral). The brakes could
overheat and you could lose
control.
{WARNING
If the vehicle has the two‐speed
automatic transfer case, shifting
the transfer case to N (Neutral)
can cause your vehicle to roll
even if the transmission is in
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position
for a manual transmission. This is
because the N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If leaving
the vehicle, set the parking brake
and shift the transmission to
P (Park) for an automatic
transmission or any gear position(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
for a manual transmission. Shift
the transfer case to any position
but N (Neutral).
.When driving down a hill, keep
the vehicle headed straight
down. Use a low gear because
the engine will work with the
brakes to slow the vehicle and
help keep the vehicle under
control.
{WARNING
Heavy braking when going down
a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and you or
others could be injured or killed.
Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a
low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
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.
See“Rocking Your vehicle to get
It Out” later in this section.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.{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 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑68.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-17
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-23
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-34
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps, Turn Signal,Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-39
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41

Black plate (36,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
10-36 Vehicle Care
5. Be sure that the notches arelocked by the bottom claws.
Make sure that all other claws
are properly locked on both
sides of the insert slots.
A. Claw in Notch
B. Correct Installation
C. Incorrect Installation 6. Put the blade assembly pivot in
the wiper arm hook. Pull up until
the pivot locking tab locks in the
hook slot.
7. Carefully lower the wiper arm and blade assembly onto the
windshield.
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp aim has been preset at
the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the headlamp aim may
be affected. Aim adjustment to the
low-beam headlamps may be
necessary if oncoming drivers flash
their high-beam headlamps at you
(for vertical aim).
If the headlamps need to be
re-aimed, it is recommended that
the vehicle be taken to the dealer
for service.

Black plate (37,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-37
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 10‑39.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
Headlamps
A. Low-Beam Headlamp/Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
B. High-Beam Headlamp
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
2. Reach in and access the bulb sockets from inside the engine
compartment.
3. Turn the bulb socketcounterclockwise to remove it
from the headlamp assembly
and pull it straight out.
4. Unplug the electrical connector from the old bulb by releasing
the clips on the bulb socket.
5. Pull the old bulb straight out.
6. Push the new bulb straight in until it clicks to secure it.
7. Plug in the electrical connector to the new bulb socket.
8. Push the bulb socket straight in and turn it clockwise to secure it
in the headlamp assembly.