traction control GMC TERRAIN 2018 Owner's Manual

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
4 Introduction
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
O:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>: Seat Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak
a:Under Pressure
M: Windshield Washer Fluid

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 14
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 17
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 21
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 21
Surround Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 22
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Universal Remote System . . . . . 23
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel (LYX - 1.5L L4 Turbo Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Fuel (LTG - 2.0L L4 Turbo
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . . 26
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
24 In Brief
Sunshade Switch
Express-open/Express-close :To
express-open the sunshade, fully
press and release
r(2). To
express-close the sunshade, fully
press and release
s(2) . Press
the switch again to stop it.
Open/Close : To open the
sunshade, press and hold
r(2)
until the sunshade reaches the
desired position.
When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
The Traction Control System (TCS)
limits wheel slip. The system is on
when the vehicle is started.
The StabiliTrak system assists with
directional control of the vehicle in
difficult driving conditions. The
system is on when the vehicle is
started.
TCS and StabiliTrak can be turned
off or on using the Driver
Information Center (DIC) controls.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0213.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The low tire pressure warning light
alerts to a significant loss in
pressure of one of the vehicle's
tires. If the warning light comes on,
stop as soon as possible and inflate
the tires to the recommended
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits 0181. The
warning light will remain on until the
tire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
may be an early indicator that the
tire pressures are getting low and
the tires need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. Maintain
the correct tire pressures.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
110 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 111
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 111
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 111
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 111
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 125
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 126
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 127
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 127
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Service Electric Parking Brake Light (Uplevel Only) . . . . . . . . . 130
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 131
Hill Descent Control Light . . . . 131
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 132
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 132
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Wait-to-Start Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 133
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 134
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 135
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 135
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 135
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 136
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 142
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 142
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 142
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 147
Universal Remote SystemProgramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
122 Instruments and Controls
Cluster Menu (Uplevel)
There is an interactive display area
in the center of the instrument
cluster.
Use the right steering wheel control
to open and scroll through the
different items and displays.
Press
oto access the cluster
applications. Use
worxto scroll
through the list of available
applications. Not all applications will
be available on all vehicles. .
Info App. This is where the
selected Driver Information
Center (DIC) displays can be
viewed. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0136.
. Navigation
. Options
Navigation
Press
Vto select the Navigation
app, then press
pto enter the
Navigation menu. If there is no
active route, resume the last route,
start a route from Favorites or
Recent Destinations, or navigate to
Home or Work. If there is an active
route, select an item on the list to
cancel route guidance; mute or
unmute voice guidance; add
destinations from Favorites, Recent
Destinations, Home, or Work.
Options
Press
Vto select the Options app,
then press
pto enter the Options
menu. Use
worxto scroll
through items in the Options menu. Units :
Press
pwhile Units is
displayed to enter the Units menu.
Choose English or Metric units by
pressing
Vwhile the desired item is
highlighted. A checkmark will be
displayed next to the selected item.
Info Pages : Press
pwhile Info
Pages is displayed to enter the Info
Pages menu and select the items to
be displayed in the Info app. See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 136.
Traction and Stability : Press
pto
enter the Traction and Stability
menu. To turn the Traction Control
System (TCS) on or off, choose
Traction. To turn StabiliTrak on or
off, choose Stability. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 213.
Speed Warning : The Speed
Warning display allows the driver to
set a speed that they do not want to
exceed. To set the Speed Warning
press
pwhen Speed Warning is
displayed. Press
worxto adjust
the value. Press
Vto set the speed.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
132 Instruments and Controls
SeeLane Keep Assist (LKA) 0234.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will
display green when a vehicle is
detected ahead.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0228.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
turns off.
The traction off light comes on when
the Traction Control System (TCS)
has been turned off through the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
This light and the StabiliTrak OFF
light come on when StabiliTrak is
turned off.
If the TCS is off, wheel speed will
be limited when necessary to
protect the driveline from damage.
Adjust driving accordingly.
See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0213.
StabiliTrak OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the vehicle. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
This light comes on when the
StabiliTrak system is turned off.
If StabiliTrak is off, the Traction
Control System (TCS) is also off.
If the StabiliTrak and TCS are off,
the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
TCS and the StabiliTrak systems
and the warning light turns off.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0213.
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
Instruments and Controls 133
If the light does not come on, have
the vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light is on and not flashing, the
TCS and potentially the StabiliTrak
system have been disabled.
A Driver Information Center (DIC)
message may display. Check the
DIC messages to determine which
feature(s) is no longer functioning
and whether the vehicle requires
service.
If the light is on and flashing, the
TCS and/or the StabiliTrak system
is actively working.
SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0213.
Wait-to-Start Light
For diesel engines, the wait-to-start
light shows that the engine is
functioning properly and indicates
when the engine can be started.
The fast warm-up glow plug system
makes the wait-to-start light stay on
for a shorter amount of time than
most diesel engines.
For more information, see Starting
the Engine 0188.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine is
started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light Is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated. A Driver Information Center (DIC)
tire pressure message may also
display. Stop as soon as possible,
and inflate the tires to the pressure
value shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Tire
Pressure 0307.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minute
and then stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPMS. If the
problem is not corrected, the light
will come on at every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0310.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
(Continued)

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
138 Instruments and Controls
additional maintenance is
recommended. SeeMaintenance
Schedule 0353.
The Oil Life display must be reset
after each oil change. Do not reset
the Oil Life display accidentally at
any time other than when the oil has
just been changed. It cannot be
reset accurately until the next oil
change. To reset the engine oil life
system, see Engine Oil Life System
0 273.
Oil Pressure : Oil pressure is
displayed in either kilopascal (kPa)
or in pounds per square inch (psi).
Fuel Filter Life : This display shows
an estimate of the fuel filter's
remaining useful life. If 90% Fuel
Filter Life Remaining is displayed, it
means 90% of the current fuel filter
life remains. The fuel filter life
system will alert when to change the
fuel filter on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions. When
the remaining fuel filter life is low,
the CHANGE FUEL FILTER
message will appear on the display.
Change the fuel filter as soon as
possible. Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Level
(Diesel Engine Only) :
The DEF
level will be displayed as either OK,
XX%, or LOW. When LOW appears
on the display, add DEF as soon as
possible. See Diesel Exhaust Fluid
0 198.
Tire Pressure : Displays a vehicle
with the approximate pressures of
all four tires. Tire pressure is
displayed in either kilopascal (kPa)
or in pounds per square inch (psi).
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
0 309 andTire Pressure Monitor
Operation 0310.
Battery Voltage : Displays the
current battery voltage, if equipped.
Battery voltage changes are normal
while driving. See Charging System
Light 0127. If there is a problem
with the battery charging system,
the DIC will display a message.
Coolant Temperature : Displays
the coolant temperature in degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F). TC/Stabilitrak :
If equipped, pressVto turn on or off Traction Control
or StabiliTrak.
ECO Drive Assist Menu (ECO)
Items
Fuel Economy : The center
displays the approximate
instantaneous fuel economy as a
number and bar graph. Displayed
above the bar graph is a running
average of fuel economy for the
most recently traveled selected
distance. Displayed below the bar
graph is the best average fuel
economy that has been achieved for
the selected distance. The selected
distance is displayed at the top of
the page as “last xxx mi/km.” Press
Vto select the distance or reset
best value.
The display provides information on
how current driving behavior affects
the running average and how well
recent driving compares to the best
that has been achieved for the
selected distance.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
168 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 178
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 179
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 180
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 185
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Diesel Particulate Filter
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . 197
Diesel Exhaust Fluid
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 198
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 204
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 210
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 212
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 216
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 216
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 222
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 223
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 232
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 234
Fuel
Fuel (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
California Fuel Requirements (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-10664916) - 2018 - crc - 9/15/17
170 Driving and Operating
Driving Environment
Be prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during other
times where visibility or traction may
be limited, such as on curves,
slippery roads, or hilly terrain.
Unfamiliar surroundings can also
have hidden hazards.
Learn more about driving in different
conditions and off-road driving in
this section.
Vehicle Design
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types
of vehicles. This is because they
have a higher ground clearance and
a narrower track or shorter
wheelbase than passenger cars,
which makes them more capable for
off-road driving. While these design
characteristics provide the driver
with a better view of the road, these
vehicles do have a higher center of
gravity than other types of vehicles.
A utility vehicle does not handle thesame as a vehicle with a lower
center of gravity, like a car, in similar
situations.
Safe driver behavior and
understanding of the environment
can help avoid a rollover crash in
any type of vehicle, including utility
vehicles.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.