engine overheat GMC TERRAIN 2016 User Guide

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 193
5. Release the brake pedal.
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedalwhile you:
.Start the engine.
. Shift into a gear.
. Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule 0274.
Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See Engine
Overheating 0214.
Trailer Towing
Before pulling a trailer, there are
three important considerations that
have to do with weight:
.
The weight of the trailer
. The weight of the trailer tongue
. The total weight on the vehicle's
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section. Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
Use the following chart to determine
how much the vehicle can weigh,
based upon the vehicle model and
options.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 197
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 198
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 198
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 207
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 208
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 214
Power Steering Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Power Steering Fluid (3.6L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Battery - North America . . . . . . 218
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 219
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 220
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 220
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 225
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 233
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 248
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
210 Vehicle Care
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Outof View)
2. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{Warning
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan. If the coolant inside the coolant
surge tank is boiling, do not do
anything else until it cools down.
The vehicle should be parked on a
level surface.
The coolant level should be at the
COLD FILL line. If it is not, the
vehicle may have a leak at the
radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
{Warning
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with
the engine on, check to see if the
electric engine cooling fan is
running. If the engine is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, the vehicle
needs service. Turn off the engine.
Caution
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner. Any repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 211
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
seeEngine Overheating 0214.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.
Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0283.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down. If coolant is visible

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
212 Vehicle Care
but the coolant level is not at or
above the COLD FILL line, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system is cool before this is
done. SeeEngine
Overheating 0214.
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the driver
side of the vehicle. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0201.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
Caution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
If you have not found a problem yet,
check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If coolant is
visible but the coolant level is not at
the COLD FILL line, add a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it. See
Engine
Overheating 0214 for more
information.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you turn
the coolant surge tank pressure
cap —even a little —they can
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
coolant surge tank pressure cap
to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
214 Vehicle Care
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating. There is an
engine coolant temperature warning
light on the vehicle's instrument
panel. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gauge 0100.
The decision may be made not to lift
the hood when this warning
appears, but instead get service
help right away. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0295.
If the decision to lift the hood is
made, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fan(s) are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fan(s)
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.
Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
. Tows a trailer.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone or an
overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
318 Index
EmergencyOnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 201
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Cooling System Messages . . . .115
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 167
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 303
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 130
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 132
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 208
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 106
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 109
Requirements, California . . . . . 187
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 126Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Index 321
Monitor System, TirePressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
N
Navigation
OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 160
O
Object Detection System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 207
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 71
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 294
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
OnStar
®Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
OnStar
®Connections . . . . . . . . . . . 307
OnStar®Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
OnStar®Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 OnStar
®Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 300
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 220
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 166
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 65
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . 198
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Power
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 163
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . 58
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 302
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 297
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .198, 218, 258
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 301
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 177
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . . 94
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283