tow GMC CANYON 2012 User Guide

Black plate (16,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-16 Seats and Restraints
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the safety belt
webbing when the safety belt is not
in use. The latch plate should rest
on the stitching on the safety belt,
near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
belt is out of the way. If a door is
slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the belt
and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
right front passenger seating
position.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3‑13.
To move it up or down, squeeze the
release buttons (A) together and
move the height adjuster to the
desired position.
After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it down
without squeezing the release
buttons to make sure it has locked
into position.

Black plate (26,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-26 Seats and Restraints
Your vehicle may or may not have
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 3‑21. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to
severe side crashes. Roof-rail
airbags will inflate if the crash
severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
Both roof-rail airbags will deploy
when either side of the vehicle
is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Roof-rail
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑25 for more information.

Black plate (33,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-33
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑34 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system.
To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑17.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.

Black plate (49,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-49
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.

Black plate (62,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-62 Seats and Restraints
7. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint,
it may be helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 7. 8. Tighten the top tether. See
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑44.
9. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the vehicle is equipped with the
passenger sensing system, and
when the passenger sensing system
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator on the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑11. If a child restraint has been installed
and on indicator is lit, see
“If the On
Indicator is Lit for a Child Restraint”
under Passenger Sensing System
on page 3‑28 for more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The steering wheel adjustment lever
is located on the left side of the
steering wheel.To adjust:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn
symbol on the steering wheel pad.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper controls are
located on the turn signal/lane
change lever. They are controlled
by turning the band with this
zsymbol.
The windshield wipers work in all
ignition positions, except LOCK/
OFF. This includes the Retained
Access Power mode. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑28.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-13
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. SeeIgnition
Positions on page 9‑24 for more
information.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice: If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice:
Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than
those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑4. This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-16 Instruments and Controls
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop. The brake
pedal might be harder to push, or it
might go closer to the floor. It can
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑91.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the ABS light stays
on, or comes on again while driving,
the vehicle needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light
is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑15.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑20 for all brake related
DIC messages.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
AUTO:Turns the headlamps on
automatically at normal brightness,
together with the following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
See Automatic Headlamp System
on page 6‑4 for more information.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps, together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned
on and the key is out of the ignition.
To turn off the chime, turn the
headlamp switch to off and then
back on. In the automatic mode, the
headlamps turn off once the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
if the parking lamps are turned on
manually, the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) will stay on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/
multifunction lever away from you to
turn the high beams on.
Pull the lever towards you to return
to low beams.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high beam headlamps are on.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want
to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will turn
on. They will stay on as long as the
lever is held toward you. The
high-beam indicator on the
instrument panel cluster will come
on. Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will come on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The transmission is not in
P (Park) if you have an
automatic transmission.
.The light sensor determines
it is daytime.When the DRL are on, only the
parking lamps or reduced intensity
low beam headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarkers, and
other lamps will not be on. The
instrument panel will not be lit
up either.
When it begins to get dark, the
headlamps will automatically switch
from DRL to the regular headlamps.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.