manual transmission GMC CANYON 2012 Owner's Manual

Black plate (2,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
2012 GMC Canyon Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-24
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-33
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-44
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-64 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9 Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-17
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (2,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel
Manual Transmission shown, Automatic Transmission similar

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 (6,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Door Locks
Vehicles with power door locks, the
switches are located on the front
door armrests.
Press L to lock the doors.
Press U to unlock the doors.
Automatic Door Locks
If the vehicle has power door locks
and the remote keyless entry
system, it has an automatic lock/
unlock feature.
If the vehicle has an automatic
transmission, it is programmed
from the factory to lock all doors
automatically when the shift lever is
moved out of P (Park). All the doors
will unlock when the shift lever is
moved back into P (Park).
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it is programmed from
the factory to lock all the doors
when the vehicle speed is greater
than 24 km/h (15 mph). The doors
will unlock when the key is removed
from the ignition.
To change the automatic door lock
and unlock settings, see“Automatic
Door Locks” underDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑20.
Lockout Protection
If the vehicle has power door locks,
this feature protects you from
locking the key in the vehicle when
the key is in the ignition and a door
is open.
If the power door lock switch is
pressed when a door is open and
the key is in the ignition, all of the
doors will lock and then the driver
door will unlock.
Safety Locks (Crew Cab)
If the vehicle is a crew cab model, it
may have rear door safety locks.
With this feature, the rear doors are
locked so they cannot be opened
from the inside.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-2
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Chime Level Adjustment . . . . . . 5-6
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-9
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-10
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-12
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-17
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-18
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-23
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-25
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-25
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-27
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-27

Black plate (7,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Instrument Cluster
English Automatic Transmission 2.9L Shown, Metric, Manual Transmission, 3.7L and 5.3L Similar

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 (21,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
Personalization Features
Language
This feature allows you to choose
the language in which the DIC
display shows information.
To set your choice for this feature:
1. With the engine off, turn the keyto ON/RUN, but do not start the
engine.
2. Close all doors so the DOORS message does not display in
the DIC.
3. Momentarily press and release the reset stem until the current
language is displayed: English
(default), Spanish, or French.
4. To select a different language, press and hold the reset stem
until the next language appears.
5. Repeat Step 4 until the desired language is displayed. Once the
desired language is shown on
the DIC display, the language
is set. 6. To exit the language selection,
momentarily press and release
the reset stem. All DIC
messages will now display in the
language selected.
Automatic Door Locks
This feature allows you to program
the door locks to a preferred setting.
To set your choice for this feature:
1. With the engine off, turn the key to LOCK/OFF. Do not remove
the key from the ignition.
2. Press and hold the power door lock button until the DIC display
shows the current door
lock mode.
3. To view the next available mode, press and hold the reset stem
until the mode appears. Release
the reset stem and press and
hold again to view the
next mode. 4. Once the desired mode is shown
on the DIC display, briefly press
the reset stem to set your
choice. The DIC display then
clears.
The following are the available
modes:
Lock 1 (default): On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, this
mode locks all of the doors when
the vehicle is shifted out of P (Park)
and unlocks all of the doors when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph) and
unlocks all of the doors when the
key is removed from the ignition.
Lock 2: On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, this mode
locks all of the doors when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) and
unlocks the driver's door when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park).

Black plate (22,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-22 Instruments and Controls
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph) and
unlocks the driver's door when the
key is removed from the ignition.
Lock 3:On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, this mode
locks all of the doors when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
The doors will not automatically
unlock.
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph). The
doors will not automatically unlock. Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
Feedback
This feature allows you to program
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
feedback to a preferred setting.
To set your choice for this feature:
1. With the engine off, turn the key
to LOCK/OFF. Do not remove
the key from the ignition.
2. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on the RKE
transmitter at the same time.
Hold both buttons until the DIC
display shows the current RKE
feedback mode.
3. To view the next available mode, press and hold the reset stem
until the mode appears. Release
the reset stem and press and
hold again to view the
next mode.
4. Once the desired mode is shown on the DIC display, briefly
press the reset stem to set
your choice. The DIC display
then clears. The following are the available
modes:
RFA 1 (default):
This mode flashes
the parking lamps when you press
the lock or unlock buttons on the
RKE transmitter.
RFA 2: This mode flashes the
parking lamps and sounds the horn
when you press the lock button on
the RKE transmitter. This mode also
flashes the parking lamps when you
press the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter.
RFA 3: This mode flashes the
parking lamps and sounds the horn
when you press the lock or unlock
buttons on the RKE transmitter.
RFA 4: This mode disables RKE
feedback. There will be no feedback
when you press the lock or unlock
buttons on the RKE transmitter.

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.