four wheel drive GMC CANYON 2012 Owner's Manual

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9 Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Black plate (3,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑3.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑7.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑4.
E. Passenger Side Airbag. See Airbag System on page 3‑21. F.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑6
(If Equipped).
Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑6.
G. Parking Brake on page 9‑42.
H. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑12.
I. Horn on page 5‑2. J.
StabiliTrak®System on
page 9‑45.
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 10‑30.
K. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
L. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
M. Power Outlets on page 5‑5.
N. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑11.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
Four-Wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive sends engine
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument panel.Use these buttons to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.
2
m(Two-Wheel High):
Use for
driving in most street and highway
situations.
{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):
Use the N (Neutral)
position only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑91.
4
m(Four-Wheel High): Use when
extra traction is needed in most
off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low): Use this
position to deliver extra torque to all
four wheels. Used for extreme off‐
road conditions. See Four-Wheel
Drive on page 9‑37.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Service Vehicle Messages
SERV (Service) VEH (Vehicle)
This message displays if your
vehicle needs service. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer as
soon as possible.
Tire Messages
LOW TIRE
This message displays if a low tire
pressure is detected in any of the
vehicle's tires. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display. The message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tires
are inflated to the correct inflation
pressure. SeeTires on page 10‑48
and Tire Pressure on page 10‑54 for
more information on tires and the
correct inflation pressures.
SERV (Service)
TPM (Tire Pressure Monitor)
This message displays if a part on
the Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑17. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑58 for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.
Transmission Messages
SERV (Service)
4WD (Four-Wheel Drive)
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transfer case
control system. Check the transfer
case on your vehicle and have it
serviced by your dealer. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 9‑37 for
more information about the transfer
case. Press and release the reset
stem to acknowledge the message
and clear it from the display.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-12
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-13
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-16
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-24
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-33
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-35
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-46
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47

Black plate (6,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Off-Road Driving
Off-Road Driving
Four-wheel-drive vehicles can be
used for off-road driving. Vehicles
without four-wheel drive and
vehicles not equipped with All
Terrain (AT) or On-Off Road (OOR)
tires must not be driven off-road
except on a level, solid surface.
To contact the tire manufacturer for
more information about the original
equipment tires, see the Limited
Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information manual.Controlling the vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control the vehicle
is to control the speed.{WARNING
When driving off-road, bouncing
and quick changes in direction
can easily throw you out of
position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. You and
your passengers should always
wear safety belts.
Before Driving Off-Road
.Have all necessary maintenance
and service work completed.
.Fuel the vehicle, fill fluid levels,
and check inflation pressure in
all tires, including the spare,
if equipped.
.Read all the information about
four-wheel-drive vehicles in
this manual.
.Make sure all underbody
shields, if equipped, are properly
attached.
.Know the local laws that apply to
off-road driving.
To gain more ground clearance if
needed, it may be necessary to
remove the front fascia lower
air dam.
Notice: Operating the vehicle
for extended periods without
the front fascia lower air dam
installed can cause improper air
flow to the engine. Re‐attach the
front fascia air dam after off-road
driving.

Black plate (17,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17
Rocking the Vehicle to get
It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. For four-wheel drive
vehicles, shift into 4HI. Turn off any
traction system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as
little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out.
Recovery hooks can be used, if the
vehicle has them. If the vehicle does
need to be towed out, seeTowing
the Vehicle on page 10‑91.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING
Never pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
straight out.
Notice: Never use recovery
hooks to tow the vehicle. Your
vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by
warranty.
For vehicles with recovery hooks at
the front of the vehicle, you can use
them if you are stuck off-road and
need to be pulled to some place
where you can continue driving.

Black plate (29,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-29
{WARNING
If you have four-wheel drive, the
vehicle will be free to roll—even
if the shift lever is in P (Park) —if
the transfer case is in Neutral. So,
be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear, two-wheel high (2H) or
four-wheel high (4H) or
four-wheel low (4L) —not
in Neutral.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pulling the lever toward you
and moving it up as far as it
will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the key, the vehicle is in
P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the shift lever away from P (Park) without first
pulling it toward you. If you can, the
shift lever was not fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
(Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting
Into Park (Automatic Transmission)”
in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of

Black plate (32,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑31.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the 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 the
vehicle will not move, even when
it is on fairly level ground, always
set the parking brake and move
the automatic transmission shift
lever to P (Park), or the manual
transmission shift lever to Neutral.
{WARNING
Four-wheel drive vehicles with the
transfer case in N (Neutral) will
allow the vehicle to roll, even if
the automatic transmission shift
lever is in P (Park). So, be
sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear —not in N (Neutral).
Always set the parking brake.
Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. See
Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑28.
If pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑54.

Black plate (37,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-37
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the 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 this section 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 the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not drive
on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive for extended
periods of time. Notice:
If the vehicle has
four-wheel drive and a different
size spare tire is installed, do not
drive in four-wheel drive until the
flat tire is repaired and/or
replaced. The vehicle could be
damaged and the repairs would
not be covered by the warranty.
Never use four-wheel drive when
a different size spare tire is
installed on the vehicle.
Notice: If the vehicle has
four-wheel drive and the compact
spare tire is installed on the
vehicle, do not drive in four-wheel
drive until you can have the flat
tire repaired and/or replaced. You
could damage the 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
the vehicle.
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument panel.