towing GMC TERRAIN 2016 Owner's Manual

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
In Brief 17
Automatic Climate Control System
1. Fan Control
2. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
3. Air Delivery Mode Controls
4. Front Defrost
5. Recirculation
6. Temperature Control
7. A/C (Air Conditioning)8. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats (If Equipped)
9. Rear Window Defogger
10. Power
See Climate Control Systems 0137
(If Equipped) or Automatic Climate
Control System 0139 (If Equipped).
Transmission
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS or manual mode allows for the
selection of the range of gear
positions. Use this mode when
driving downhill or towing a trailer to
limit the top gear and vehicle speed.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button on the shift lever to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.
See Manual Mode 0169.
Fuel Economy Mode
Vehicles with a 2.4L engine have a
Fuel Economy Mode. When
engaged, Fuel Economy Mode can
improve the vehicle's fuel economy.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Seats and Restraints 69
A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
.The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger
airbag when liquid is soaked into
the seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the
airbag readiness light on the
instrument panel will also be lit.
. Liquid pooled on the seat that
has not soaked in may make it
more likely that the passenger
sensing system will turn on the
passenger airbag while a child
restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag
is turned on, the on indicator will
be lit.
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. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0101 for 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 and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information
0300.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle 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.
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
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, any of the airbag

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
104 Instruments and Controls
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not
meet the original tire
specifications, can cause this light
to come on. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
affect the vehicle’s ability to pass
an Emissions Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and
Modifications0199.
If the light is flashing : A
malfunction has been detected that
could damage the emission control
system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service
may be required.
To help prevent damage, reduce
vehicle speed and avoid hard
accelerations and uphill grades. If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle
off and wait at least 10 seconds
before restarting the engine. If the
light is still flashing, follow the
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady :
A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. A loose or missing fuel cap may
cause the light to come on. See
Filling the Tank 0188. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See
Fuel
0186.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0196. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Instruments and Controls 105
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem.
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 0261.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
144 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 152
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 153
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 160
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 163
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 167
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . 169
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 172
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 177
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 187
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 195
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
156 Driving and Operating
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,
seeTowing the Vehicle 0261.
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 may
show how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.Tire and Loading Information
Label
Example Label
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the center pillar
(B-pillar). The tire and loading
information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 157
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
size of the original equipment
tires (3) and the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures (4).
For more information on tires
and inflation seeTires0231
and Tire Pressure 0238.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification/Tire label. It may
show the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in
this section.
“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, 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 0193 for
important information on towing
a trailer, towing safety rules and
trailering tips.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
164 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
function. An ungrounded
outlet could cause an
electric shock.
. Use a weatherproof,
heavy-duty, 15 amp-rated
extension cord if needed.
Failure to use the
recommended extension
cord in good operating
condition, or using a
damaged heater or
extension cord, could make
it overheat and cause a fire,
property damage, electric
shock, and injury.
. Do not operate the vehicle
with the heater cord
permanently attached to the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
vehicle. Possible heater
cord and thermostat
damage could occur.
. While in use, do not let the
heater cord touch vehicle
parts or sharp edges. Never
close the hood on the
heater cord.
. Before starting the vehicle,
unplug the cord, reattach
the cover to the plug, and
securely fasten the cord.
Keep the cord away from
any moving parts.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine
parts. If you do not it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
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, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0190.
To shift into P (Park): 1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake 0171 for
more information.
2. Hold the button on the shift lever and push the lever toward
the front of the vehicle into
P (Park).

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 165
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.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. 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,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park 0164.
If you are towing a trailer, see
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0190. 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).Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see
“Shifting Into Park”
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, the
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), see your dealer
for service.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9234776) - 2016 - crc - 10/12/15
Driving and Operating 167
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
SeeShifting Into Park 0164 and
Engine Exhaust 0166.
Automatic
Transmission
P : This position locks the front
wheels. Use P (Park) when starting
the engine because the vehicle
cannot move easily.
{Warning
It is 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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. 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,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park 0164 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0190.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
regular brake first and then press
the shift lever button before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition key
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever, then push the shift lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See Shifting out of Park 0165.