traction control GMC CANYON 2012 User Guide

Black plate (5,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-5
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can
drop off the edge of a road onto
the shoulder while driving.
Follow these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. 3. Then turn the steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are
not rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions.
But skids are always possible. If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-7
Loading the Vehicle for
Off-Road Driving
{WARNING
.Unsecured cargo on the load
floor can be tossed about
when driving over rough
terrain. You or your
passengers can be struck by
flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly.
.Keep cargo in the cargo area
as far forward and as low as
possible. The heaviest things
should be on the floor,
forward of the rear axle.
.Heavy loads on the roof raise
the vehicle's center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll
over. You can be seriously or
fatally injured if the vehicle
rolls over. Put heavy loads
inside the cargo area, not on
the roof.For more information about loading
the vehicle, see
Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑18 andTires on
page 10‑48.
Environmental Concerns
.Always use established trails,
roads, and areas that have been
set aside for public off-road
recreational driving and obey all
posted regulations.
.Do not damage shrubs, flowers,
trees, or grasses or disturb
wildlife.
.Do not park over things that
burn. See Parking over Things
That Burn on page 9‑31.
Driving on Hills
Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of
what the vehicle can and cannot do.
{WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. Driving up hills
can cause the vehicle to stall.
Driving down hills can cause loss
of control. Driving across hills can
cause a rollover. You could be
injured or killed. Do not drive on
steep hills.
Before driving on a hill, assess
the steepness, traction, and
obstructions. If the terrain ahead
cannot be seen, get out of the
vehicle and walk the hill before
driving further.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
.If an incline must be driven
across, and the vehicle starts to
slide, turn downhill. This should
help straighten out the vehicle
and prevent the side slipping.
{WARNING
Getting out of the vehicle on the
downhill side when stopped
across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you could
be crushed or killed. Always get
out on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow,
or Ice
Use a low gear when driving in
mud–the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. Keep the vehicle
moving to avoid getting stuck.
Traction changes when driving on
sand. On loose sand, such as on
beaches or sand dunes, the tires
tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and
braking. Drive at a reduced speed
and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers. Traction is reduced on hard packed
snow and ice and it is easy to lose
control. Reduce vehicle speed when
driving on hard packed snow
and ice.
{WARNING
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds,
or rivers can be dangerous. Ice
conditions vary greatly and the
vehicle could fall through the ice;
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road. There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See
Tires on
page 10‑48.
.Turn off cruise control.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-14 Driving and Operating
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑41 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road 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 on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (38,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-38 Driving and Operating
Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*See Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 10‑91 orTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑91 for further information.
Shifting into Four‐Wheel Low will
turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See Traction
Control System (TCS) on page 9‑44
and StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑45 for more information. Use these buttons to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive. You can
choose from the following:
2m(Two-Wheel High):
This setting
is for driving in most street and
highway situations. The front axle is
not engaged in two-wheel drive.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑42.
N (Neutral): Shift the vehicle's
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle.
4
m(Four-Wheel High): This
setting engages the front axle to
help drive the 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 the front axle to give
you extra traction. It sends the
maximum power to all four wheels.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-39
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.
Shifting into Four‐Wheel Low
will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 9‑44
and StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑45 for more information.
Indicator lights in the buttons show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
one will stay on the selected setting.
If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle in for
service. An indicator light will flash
while shifting. It will stay on when
the shift is completed.
If the transfer case does not shift, it
will return to the last chosen setting. 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 the
vehicle's transfer case shift into
Four-Wheel High. If you shift with
the vehicle stopped, the indicator
light may still flash slowly. It may be
necessary to shift the transmission
momentarily into R (Reverse) and
D (Drive), for an automatic
transmission, or R (Reverse) and
1 (First) for a manual transmission
to have the light stop flashing.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 5 km/h (3 mph)
with the transmission in N (Neutral)
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
1.6 to 3.2 km/h (1 to 2 mph).
Press and release the Four-Wheel
Low button. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel Low indicator light to
stop flashing and stay on before
shifting the transmission into gear or
releasing the clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel Low button is
pressed when the vehicle is in gear
and/or moving faster than 5 km/h
(3 mph), the Four-Wheel Low
indicator light will flash for
30 seconds and not complete
the shift.

Black plate (44,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-44 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
is part of StabiliTrak. TCS limits
wheel slip which is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The
system operates only if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, TCS applies the
brakes to limit wheel spin and also
reduces engine power. The system
may be heard or felt while it is
working. This is normal and does
not mean there is a problem with
the vehicle.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
TCS can operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this
happens, the system may be
heard working or a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed. This is
normal and does not mean there is
a problem with the vehicle.
Examples of these conditions
include hard acceleration in a turn,
an abrupt upshift or downshift of the
transmission or driving on rough
roads.
If cruise control is being used
when TCS begins to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control automatically
disengages. The cruise control
can be re-engaged when road
conditions allow. See
Cruise Control
on page 9‑47.
The message TRACTION FAULT
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when a TCS or
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
problem has been detected and the vehicle needs service. When
this message is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly. See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑26.
The TCS/StabiliTrak light will flash
on the instrument panel cluster
when the TCS system or StabiliTrak
is both on and activated.
The TCS/StabiliTrak button is
located on the instrument panel.

Black plate (45,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-45
To turn off TCS, press and release
the TCS/StabiliTrak button. The
StabiliTrak Off light comes on in the
instrument panel cluster, and TRAC
OFF comes on the DIC. To turn
TCS back on, press and release the
TCS/StabiliTrak button.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect the vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑4.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has an electronic
stability control system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists the driver with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions. StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle's brakes to assist the
driver with keeping the vehicle on
the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 32 km/h (20 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately two miles of driving
before the system initializes.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
The cruise control can be
re-engaged when road conditions
allow. See
Cruise Control on
page 9‑47.
If there is a problem detected with
StabiliTrak, a SERVICE STAB SYS
message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑26 for more information.
When this message is displayed,
the system is not working. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
StabiliTrak and Traction Control
(TCS) come on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started and
the systems are reset with each
ignition cycle. However, when
the transfer case is placed in
Four-Wheel-Low mode, StabiliTrak
is automatically disabled. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 10‑30
for more information. It is
recommended to leave the system
on for normal driving conditions, but

Black plate (46,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-46 Driving and Operating
it may be necessary to turn the TCS
portion of the system off if the
vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice,
or snow, and it is necessary to
“rock”the vehicle to attempt to free
it. If traction control is turned off,
only the brake-traction control
portion of traction control will work.
The engine speed management will
be disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the drive wheels can spin more
freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly. See If the Vehicle Is
Stuck on page 9‑16.
The TCS/StabiliTrak light will flash
on the instrument panel cluster
when the TCS system or StabiliTrak
is both on and activated.
The TCS/StabiliTrak button is
located on the instrument panel.
To turn off TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold the TCS/StabiliTrak
button until the TRAC OFF and
STAB SYS OFF messages come on
the DIC and the StabiliTrak Off light
comes on the instrument panel. To
turn TCS and StabiliTrak back on,
press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button.
When the TCS or StabiliTrak system
is turned off, the StabiliTrak Off light
and the appropriate TRAC OFF or STAB SYS OFF message will be
displayed on the DIC. The vehicle
will still have brake-traction control
when TCS or StabiliTrak is off, but
will not be able to use the engine
speed management system. The
TCS/StabiliTrak light flashes when
either system is actively working.
See
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑44 for more information.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Vehicles with a limited-slip rear axle
can give more traction on snow,
mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works
like a standard axle most of the
time, but when traction is low, this
feature allows the drive wheel with
the most traction to move the
vehicle.