brake GMC CANYON 2021 Workshop Manual

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Driving and Operating 225
eye latched to a pintle hook. Other trailers
may require a weight-distributing hitch that
uses spring bars to distribute the trailer
tongue weight between your vehicle and
trailer axles. See“Maximum Trailer Tongue
Weight” underTrailer Towing 0220 for
weight limits with various hitch types.
Avoid sharp turns when using a step-bumper
hitch to prevent damage. Make wider turns
to prevent contact between your trailer and
your bumper.
Consider using mechanical sway controls
with any trailer. Ask a trailering professional
about sway controls or refer to the trailer
manufacturer's recommendations and
instructions.
Weight-Distributing Hitch and
Adjustment
A weight-distributing hitch may be useful
with some trailers.
1. Front of Vehicle
2. Body to Ground Distance
When using a weight-distributing hitch,
measure the front fender height distance (2)
before connecting the trailer. Adjust the
spring bars until the front fender height
distance (2) is the same height before the
trailer was connected. Do not reduce the
front fender height below the initial
distance (2).
Tires
.Do not tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire on the vehicle.
.Tires must be properly inflated to support
loads while towing a trailer. See Tires
0 266 for instructions on proper tire
inflation.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the vehicle
and the trailer, and attach the chains to the
holes on the trailer hitch platform.
Instructions about safety chains may be
provided by the hitch manufacturer or by
the trailer manufacturer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of
the trailer to help prevent the tongue from
contacting the road if it becomes separated
from the hitch. Always leave just enough
slack so the combination can turn. Never
allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Loaded trailers over 900 kg (2,000 lb) must
be equipped with brake systems and with
brakes for each axle. Trailer braking
equipment conforming to Canadian
Standards Association (CSA) requirement
CAN3-D313, or its equivalent, is
recommended.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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226 Driving and Operating
State or local regulations may require
trailers to have their own braking system if
the loaded weight of the trailer exceeds
certain minimums that can vary from state
to state. Read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes so they are installed,
adjusted, and maintained properly. Never
attempt to tap into your vehicle's hydraulic
brake system. If you do, both the vehicle
anti-lock brakes and the trailer brakes may
not function, which could result in a crash.Trailer Wiring Harness
For vehicles not equipped with heavy-duty
trailering, a harness is secured underneath
the left side of the vehicle, next to the spare
tire. The harness requires the installation of
a trailer connector, which is available
through your dealer. The seven-wire harness
contains the following trailer circuits:
.Yellow: Left stop/turn signal
.Green: Right stop/turn signal
.Brown: Taillamps/parking lamps
.Black: Ground
.Gray: Back-up lamps
.Orange: Battery feed
.Blue: Trailer brake
To help charge a remote (non-vehicle)
battery, press the Tow/Haul Mode button
on the center stack. If the trailer is too light
for Tow/Haul Mode, turn on the headlamps
to help charge the battery.
Trailer Brake Control Wiring Harness
A four-wire harness, without connector, is
secured behind the left side kick panel. The
harness contains the following circuits:
.Red/Green: Battery feed
.Black: Ground
.White/Blue: Brake signal to controller
.Blue: Trailer Brake power to trailer
connector
To remove the left side kick panel, start at
the front of the panel pulling toward the
rear of the vehicle and lift upward to
disengage the integral clips.

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Driving and Operating 227
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer turn
signals will illuminate to indicate the vehicle
is turning, changing lanes, or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on the
instrument cluster will illuminate even if the
trailer is not properly connected or the bulbs
are burned out.
Tow/Haul Mode
For instructions on how to enter Tow/Haul
Mode, seeTow/Haul Mode 0196.
Tow/Haul assists when pulling a heavy
trailer or a large or heavy load.
Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and trailer
combined weight is at least 75% of the
vehicle's Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR). See “Weight of the Trailer” under
Trailer Towing 0220.
Tow/Haul Mode is most useful when towing
a heavy trailer or carrying a large or
heavy load:
.through rolling terrain.
.in stop-and-go traffic.
.in busy parking lots. Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul Mode
when lightly loaded or not towing will not
cause damage; however, it is not
recommended and may result in unpleasant
engine and transmission driving
characteristics and reduced fuel economy.
Integrated Trailer Brake Control System
The vehicle may have an Integrated Trailer
Brake Control (ITBC) system for use with
electric trailer brakes or most electric over
hydraulic trailer brake systems. These
instructions apply to both types of electric
trailer brakes.
This symbol is on the Trailer Brake Control
Panel on vehicles with an ITBC system. The
power output to the trailer brakes is
proportional to the amount of vehicle
braking. This available power output to the
trailer brakes can be adjusted to a wide
range of trailering situations.
The ITBC system is integrated with the
vehicle’s brake, antilock brake, and
StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
systems. In trailering conditions that cause
the vehicle’s antilock brake or StabiliTrak/
ESC systems to activate, power sent to the
trailer's brakes will be automatically
adjusted to minimize trailer wheel lock-up.
This does not imply that the trailer has
StabiliTrak/ESC.
If the vehicle’s brake, anti-lock brake,
or StabiliTrak/ESC systems are not
functioning properly, the ITBC system may
not function fully or at all. Make sure all of
these systems are fully operational to allow
the ITBC system to function properly.
The ITBC system is powered through the
vehicle's electrical system. Turning the
ignition off will also turn off the ITBC
system. The ITBC system is fully functional
only when the ignition is in ON/RUN.
{Warning
Connecting a trailer that has an air brake
system may result in reduced or
complete loss of trailer braking, including
increased stopping distance or trailer
instability which could result in serious
(Continued)

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228 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
injury, death, or property damage. Only
use the ITBC system with electric or
electric over hydraulic trailer brake
systems.
Trailer Brake Control Panel
1. Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever
2. Trailer Gain Adjustment Buttons
The ITBC control panel is on the instrument
panel to the right of the steering column.
The control panel allows adjustment to the
amount of output, referred to as Trailer
Gain, available to the trailer brakes and
allows manual application of the trailerbrakes. Use the ITBC control panel and the
DIC trailer brake display page to adjust and
display power output to the trailer brakes.
Trailer Brake DIC Display Page
The ITBC display page indicates:
.Trailer Gain setting
.Output to the trailer brakes
.Trailer connection
.System operational status
To display:
.Scroll through the DIC menu pages
.Press a Trailer Gain (+) or (−) button
.Activate the Manual Trailer Brake Apply
Lever
TRAILER GAIN: Press a Trailer Gain button to
recall the current Trailer Gain setting. Each
press and release of the gain buttons will
then change the Trailer Gain setting. Press
the Trailer Gain (+) or (−) to adjust. Press
and hold to continuously adjust the Trailer
Gain. To turn the output to the trailer off,
adjust the Trailer Gain setting to 0.0. This
setting can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0
with a trailer connected or disconnected.
TRAILER OUTPUT: This displays anytime a
trailer with electric brakes is connected.
Output to the trailer brakes is based on the amount of vehicle braking present and
relative to the Trailer Gain setting. Output is
displayed from 0 to 100% for each gain
setting.
The Trailer Output will indicate
“- - - - - -”on
the Trailer Brake Display Page whenever the
following occur:
.No trailer is connected.
.A trailer without electric brakes is
connected, no DIC message displays.
.A trailer with electric brakes has become
disconnected, a CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message displays on the DIC.
.There is a fault present in the wiring to
the trailer brakes, a CHECK TRAILER
WIRING message displays on the DIC.
.The ITBC system is not working due to a
fault, a SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM
message displays in the DIC.
Manual Trailer Brake Apply Lever
Slide this lever right to apply the trailer’s
electric brakes independent of the vehicle’s
brakes. Use this lever to adjust Trailer Gain
to achieve proper power output to the
trailer brakes. The trailer's and the vehicle's
brake lamps will come on when either
vehicle brakes or manual trailer brakes are
applied and properly connected.

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Driving and Operating 229
Trailer Gain Adjustment Procedure
Trailer Gain should be set for a specific
trailering condition and it must be
readjusted anytime vehicle loading, trailer
loading, or road surface conditions change.
{Warning
Trailer brakes that are over-gained or
under-gained may not stop the vehicle
and the trailer as intended and can result
in a crash. Always follow the instructions
to set the Trailer Gain for the proper
trailer stopping performance.
To adjust Trailer Gain for each towing
condition: 1. Drive the vehicle with the trailer attached on a level road surface
representative of the towing condition
and free of traffic at about 32–40 km/h
(20–25 mph) and fully apply the Manual
Trailer Brake Apply Lever.
Adjusting Trailer Gain at speeds lower
than 32–40 km/h (20–25 mph) may
result in an incorrect gain setting. 2. Adjust the Trailer Gain, using the Trailer
Gain (+) or (-) adjustment buttons, to
just below the point of trailer wheel
lock-up, indicated by trailer wheel squeal
or tire smoke when a trailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may not occur if
towing a heavily loaded trailer. Adjust
the Trailer Gain to the highest allowable
setting for the towing condition.
3. Readjust Trailer Gain anytime vehicle loading, trailer loading, or road surface
conditions change or if trailer wheel
lock-up is noticed at any time while
towing.
Other ITBC-Related DIC Messages
TRAILER CONNECTED: This message will
briefly display when a trailer with electric
brakes is first connected to the vehicle. This
message will automatically turn off in about
10 seconds. This message can be
acknowledged before it automatically
turns off.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING: This message will
display if:
.The ITBC system first determines
connection to a trailer with electric brakes
and then the trailer harness becomes
disconnected from the vehicle. If the disconnect occurs while the vehicle
is stationary, this message will
automatically turn off in about
30 seconds. This message will also turn
off if it is acknowledged or if the trailer
harness is reconnected.
If the disconnect occurs while the vehicle
is moving, this message will continue
until the ignition is turned off. This
message will also turn off if it is
acknowledged or if the trailer harness is
reconnected.
.There is an electrical fault in the wiring to
the trailer brakes. This message will
continue as long as there is an electrical
fault in the trailer wiring. This message
will also turn off if it is acknowledged.
To determine whether the electrical fault is
on the vehicle side or trailer side of the
trailer wiring harness connection: 1. Disconnect the trailer wiring harness from the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Wait 10 seconds, then turn the ignition back to RUN.
4. If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING message reappears, the electrical fault is on the
vehicle side.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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230 Driving and Operating
If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING message only
reappears when connecting the trailer wiring
harness to the vehicle, the electrical fault is
on the trailer side.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM: This
message will display when there is a
problem with the ITBC system. If this
message continues over multiple ignition
cycles, have the vehicle serviced.
If either the CHECK TRAILER WIRING or
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM message
displays while driving, the ITBC system may
not be fully functional or may not function
at all. When traffic conditions allow,
carefully pull the vehicle over to the side of
the road and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and turn the
ignition back on. If either of these messages
continues, either the vehicle or trailer needs
service.
A GM dealer may be able to diagnose and
repair problems with the trailer. However,
any diagnosis and repair of the trailer is not
covered under the vehicle warranty. Contact
your trailer dealer for assistance with trailer
repairs and trailer warranty information.Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) have a Trailer Sway Control
(TSC) feature. Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while towing.
If the vehicle is towing a trailer and the TSC
detects that sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at each wheel,
to help reduce excessive trailer sway.
If equipped with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the trailer has an
electric brake system, StabiliTrak/ESC may
also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction Control
System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/ESC warning light
will flash on the instrument cluster. Reducevehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak/ESC can reduce engine
torque to help slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned off. See
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control
0
204.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash and in
serious injury or death, even if the
vehicle is equipped with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway, reduce
vehicle speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. Then pull over
to check the trailer and vehicle to help
correct possible causes, including an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly inflated or
incorrect vehicle or trailer tires. See
Towing Equipment 0224 for trailer
ratings and hitch setup recommendations.

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Driving and Operating 231
Aftermarket Electronic Trailer Sway
Control Devices
Some trailers may come equipped with an
electronic device designed to reduce or
control trailer sway. Aftermarket equipment
manufacturers also offer similar devices that
connect to the wiring between the trailer
and the vehicle. These devices may interfere
with the vehicle’s trailer brake or other
systems, including integrated anti-sway
systems, if equipped. Messages related to
trailer connections or trailer brakes could
appear on the DIC. The effects of these
aftermarket devices may have on vehicle
handling or trailer brake performance is not
known.
{Warning
Use of aftermarket electronic trailer sway
control devices could result in reduced
trailer brake performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and result
in a crash. You or others could be
seriously injured or killed. Before using
one of these devices:(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Ask the device or trailer manufacturer
if the device has been thoroughly
tested for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of your vehicle
and any optional equipment installed
on your vehicle.
.Before driving, check the trailer brakes
are working properly, if equipped.
Drive the vehicle with the trailer
attached on a level road surface that
is free of traffic at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply the
manual trailer brake apply lever. Also,
check the trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning correctly.
.If the trailer brakes are not operating
properly at any time, or if a DIC
message indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer brakes,
carefully pull the vehicle over to the
side of the road when traffic
conditions allow.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from vehicle
tires. Trailer tires are designed with stiff
sidewalls to help prevent sway and to support heavy loads. These features can
make it difficult to determine if the trailer
tire pressures are low only based on a visual
inspection.
Always check all trailer tire pressures before
each trip when the tires are cool. Low trailer
tire pressure is a leading cause of trailer tire
blowouts.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time. The trailer
tire sidewall will show the week and year
the tire was manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend replacing tires
more than six years old.
Overloading is another leading cause of
trailer tire blowouts. Never load your trailer
with more weight than the tires are
designed to support. The load rating is
located on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed rating for
the trailer tires before driving. This may be
significantly lower than the vehicle tire
speed rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed rating is
not shown, the default trailer tire speed
rating is 105 km/h (65 mph).

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Vehicle Care 233
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 234
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 234
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 235
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 237
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 253
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 256
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . 257
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 260
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . 264
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 270
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 274
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 278
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 279
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 280
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 281
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 294
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

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234 Vehicle Care
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit your
dealer. You will receive genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service
people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
California Proposition 65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this one,
as well as many of its service parts and
fluids, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine exhaust, many
parts and systems, many fluids, and
some component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these chemicals. For
more information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0251 and
Jump Starting - North America 0294 and
the back cover.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications,
such as airbag initiators, seat belt
pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate Material –special handling may apply. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or making
modifications to the vehicle can affect
vehicle performance and safety, including
such things as airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic
systems like antilock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause malfunction
or damage not covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Damage to suspension components caused
by modifying vehicle height outside of
factory settings will not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting
from modifications or the installation or use
of non-GM certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is not
covered under the terms of the vehicle
warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.

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238 Vehicle Care
1. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap.See Cooling System 0245.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0243.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil0240.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0245.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil0240.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0260.
7. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 250.
8. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid 0249.
9. Battery - North America 0251.