traction control GMC TERRAIN 2016 Owner's Guide

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 199
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 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.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering
Information 0300.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 245
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacture date is the last four
digits of the DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) which is molded into
one side of the tire sidewall. The
first two digits represent the week
(01–52) and the last two digits, the
year. For example, the third week of
the year 2010 would have a
four-digit DOT date of 0310.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be freeof grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. See
Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0233.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the
performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See Tire
Rotation 0243. However, if it is

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 247
traction control, electronic stability
control, or All-Wheel Drive, the
performance of these systems can
also be affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0245 and
Accessories and
Modifications 0199.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
248 Vehicle Care
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistanceto the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the
vehicle is significantly pulling to one
side or the other. Some slight pull to
the left or right, depending on the
crown of the road and/or other road
surface variations such as troughs
or ruts, is normal. If the vehicle is
vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels may need
to be rebalanced. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Vehicle Care 257
8. Make sure the metal tube iscentered at the striker. Push
the tube toward the front of the
vehicle.
9. Close the liftgate and make sure it is latched properly.
The compact spare is for temporary
use only. Replace the compact
spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can.
Compact Spare Tire
{Warning
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire, it was fully inflated when new;
however, it can lose air over time.
Check the inflation pressure
regularly. It should be 420 kPa
(60 psi).
Stop as soon as possible and check
that the spare tire is correctly
inflated after being installed on the
vehicle. The compact spare tire is
designed for temporary use only.
The vehicle will perform differently
with the spare tire installed and it is
recommended that the vehicle
speed be limited to 80 km/h
(50 mph). To conserve the tread of
the spare tire, have the standard tire repaired or replaced as soon as
convenient and return the spare tire
to the storage area.
When using a compact spare tire,
the AWD (if equipped), ABS, and
Traction Control systems may
engage until the spare tire is
recognized by the vehicle,
especially on slippery roads. Adjust
driving to reduce possible
wheel slip.
Caution
When the compact spare is
installed, do not take the vehicle
through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails
which can damage the tire, wheel,
and other parts of the vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires.
They will not fit. Keep the spare tire
and its wheel together.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Index 317
ConnectionsOnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 100
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Cover
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 300
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 298
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 303
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 290
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . 170, 219
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Driving
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 23
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 153
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 155
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
ECO Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Economy Mode Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
320 Index
LATCH, Lower Anchors andTethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 105
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 108
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 130
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 101
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 107
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 109
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 274
Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 103
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Messages (cont'd)
Battery Voltage and
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . .115
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Object Detection System . . . . . .116
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . .117
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 39

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
324 Index
Tires (cont'd)Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 248
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 190
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 190
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 261
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 195
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 195
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Transportation Program,
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 247
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 126Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 287
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 120
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 107 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 184
Warning Light Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . 248
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 77
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40