towing GMC TERRAIN 2010 Owner's Manual

2010 GMC Terrain Owner ManualM
Keys, Doors and Windows. . . 1-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 3-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 3-2
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 Instruments and Controls
. . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 4-4
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 4-36
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 6-33
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 7-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 8-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 8-27
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-34
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 8-35
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 8-41
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-44
Object Detection Systems . . . . 8-47
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 8-66

2010 GMC Terrain Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-78
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-81
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-85 Service and Maintenance
. . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 10-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 10-7
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 10-10
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2 Customer Information
. . . . . . . 12-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 12-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 12-13
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-15
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

2-38 Seats and Restraints
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light
on page 4‑15for
important safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{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/retailer 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 12‑12.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition 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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,

4-18 Instruments and Controls
The following can 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, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer/retailer for service as
soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. An emission system malfunction
might be corrected.
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling the Tankon
page 8‑56. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.If the vehicle has been driven
through a deep puddle of water,
the vehicle's electrical system
might be wet. The condition is
usually corrected when the
electrical system dries out.
A few driving trips should turn
the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel
on
page 8‑54.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer/retailer
can check the vehicle. The
dealer/retailer has the proper test
equipment and diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that might have
developed.

4-20 Instruments and Controls
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately.
{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.If the light comes on while driving, a
chime sounds. Pull off the road and
stop. The pedal might be harder to
push or go closer to the floor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 9‑81.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this 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 Lighton page 4‑19.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on
page 4‑25for all brake related DIC
messages.

8-2 Driving and Operating
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-55
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 8-55
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-55
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-56
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-57
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-58
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-62
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 8-65
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-66
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-66
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control, if equipped.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

8-22 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as
shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 9‑66.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, 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. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 9‑81.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.

8-24 Driving and Operating
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement
“The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs”on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs (1400
−750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
See Trailer Towing
on page 8‑62
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules and trailering tips.
Example 1
A.
Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
B.Subtract Occupant Weight @
68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 = 136 kg
(300 lbs).
C.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).

Driving and Operating 8-27
WARNING (Continued)
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or
slow, for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle.
.During the first 1 000 km
(600 miles), avoid using more
than moderate acceleration
in lower gears and avoid
vehicle speeds above
110 km/h (68 mph).
.Between the first 1 000 km
(600 miles) and 5 000 km
(3,000 miles), heavy
acceleration in lower gears can be used. Vehicle speeds
above 110 km/h (68 mph)
should be limited to
five minutes per use.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
.Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See
Driving
Characteristics and Towing
Tips
on page 8‑58for the
trailer towing capabilities of
your vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.

8-32 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. 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 you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeDriving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 8‑58. Use this procedure to shift into
P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake.
See Parking Brakeon
page 8‑40for more information.
2. Hold the button on the shift lever and push the lever toward the
front of the vehicle into P (Park).
3. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key.
Leaving the Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{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, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) and the parking
brake set.
Release the button and check that
the shift lever cannot be moved out
of P (Park).