engine overheat GMC TERRAIN 2017 User Guide

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
202 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 203
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 203
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 212
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 213
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 219
Power Steering Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Power Steering Fluid (3.6L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Battery - North America . . . . . . 223
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 224
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 225
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 225
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker, Stoplamps, and
Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 230
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Electrical System
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 238
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
Vehicle Care 215
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-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
216 Vehicle Care
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 0219.
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
Lubricants0289.
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-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
Vehicle Care 217
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 0219.
The coolant surge tank is in the
engine compartment on the driver
side of the vehicle. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0206.
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 0219 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-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
Vehicle Care 219
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 0104.
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 0299.
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-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
322 Index
Electrical SystemEngine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 206
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Cooling System Messages . . . .119
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 172 Engine (cont'd)
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 307
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 135
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 137
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 213
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Economy Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . .113
Requirements, California . . . . . 191
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Fuel Economy Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-9919509) - 2017 - crc - 8/16/16
Index 325
Messages (cont'd)Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 41
Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
N
NavigationOnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 165
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Off-Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Off-Road (cont'd)
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 212
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 73
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 298
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
OnStar
®Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
OnStar
®Connections . . . . . . . . . . . 311
OnStar®Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
OnStar®Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
OnStar®Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 304
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
P
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Parking
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 225
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 171
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 67
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . . 203
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 168
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220