service GMC TERRAIN 2020 Owner's Manual

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . 7
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Instruments and Controls . . . . . . . 94
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 152
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . . 161
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 366
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Customer Information . . . . . . . . . 385
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . 395
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
2 Introduction
Introduction
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem, TERRAIN, and
DENALI are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name“General
Motors of Canada Company” for
GMC Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual. This manual describes features that
may or may not be on the vehicle
because of optional equipment that
was not purchased on the vehicle,
model variants, country
specifications, features/applications
that may not be available in your
region, or changes subsequent to
the printing of this owner
’s manual.
Refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm the
features.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
A French language manual can be
obtained from your dealer, at
www.helminc.com, or from:
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
Attention: Customer Service
47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
USA
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 84314746 B Second Printing©2019 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
Introduction 3
About Driving the Vehicle
As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of
control or a crash. Be sure to read
the driving guidelines in this manual
in the section called“Driving and
Operating” and specifically Driver
Behavior 0162, Driving
Environment 0163, and Vehicle
Design 0163.
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
u: Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
The key, inside the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter, is used for
the driver door.
To remove the key, press the button
near the bottom of the transmitter,
and pull the key out. Never pull the
key out without pressing the button.
If it becomes difficult to turn the key,
inspect the key blade for debris.
See your dealer if a new key is
needed.
Contact Roadside Assistance if
locked out of the vehicle. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0389.
With an active OnStar or connected
service plan, an OnStar Advisor
may remotely unlock the vehicle.
See OnStar Overview 0399.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
See Radio Frequency Statement
0 395.
If there is a decrease in the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) operating
range: .
Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
. Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
. Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
. If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Keyless Access system allows
for vehicle entry when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter is
within 1 m (3 ft). See “Keyless
Access Operation” following.
The RKE transmitter functions may
work up to 60 m (197 ft) away from
the vehicle.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
24 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Caution
Manually forcing the liftgate to
open or close during a power
cycle can damage the vehicle.
Allow the power cycle to
complete.
The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
low temperatures, or after repeated
power cycling over a short period of
time. If this occurs, the liftgate can
still be operated manually.
If the vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate will continue
to completion. If the vehicle is
accelerated before the liftgate has
completed moving, the liftgate may
stop or reverse direction. Check for
Driver Information Center (DIC)
messages and make sure the
liftgate is closed and latched before
driving. Falling Liftgate Detection
If the power liftgate automatically
closes after a power opening cycle,
it indicates that the system is
reacting to excess weight on the
liftgate or a possible support strut
failure. A repetitive chime will sound
while the falling liftgate detection
feature is operating. Remove any
excess weight. If the liftgate
continues to automatically close
after opening, see your dealer for
service before using the power
liftgate.
Interfering with the power liftgate
motion or manually closing the
liftgate too quickly after power
opening may resemble a support
strut failure. This could also activate
the falling liftgate detection feature.
Allow the liftgate to complete its
operation and wait a few seconds
before manually closing the liftgate.
Obstacle Detection Features
If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
the liftgate will automatically reverse
direction and move a short distance
away from the obstacle. After
removing the obstruction, the power
liftgate operation can be used again.
If the liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate.
After removing the obstructions,
manually close the liftgate which will
allow normal power operation
functions to resume.
If the vehicle is locked while the
liftgate is closing, and an obstacle is
encountered that prevents the
liftgate from completely closing, the
horn will sound as an alert that the
liftgate did not close.
Pinch sensors are on the side
edges of the liftgate. If an object is
caught between the liftgate and the
vehicle and presses against a
sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 29
The system has one or more RKE
transmitters matched to an
immobilizer control unit in your
vehicle. Only a correctly matched
RKE transmitter will start the
vehicle. If the transmitter is ever
damaged, you may not be able to
start your vehicle.
When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light may come on briefly
when the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.
If the ignition will not change from
off to on or ACC/ACCESSORY, and
the RKE transmitter appears to be
undamaged, try another transmitter.
Or, you may try placing the
transmitter in the cupholder in the
center console.If the ignition mode will not change
with the other transmitter or with the
transmitter in the cupholder, your
vehicle needs service. If the ignition
does change modes, the first
transmitter may be faulty. See your
dealer who can service the
theft-deterrent system and have a
new RKE transmitter programmed to
the vehicle.
It is possible for the immobilizer
system to learn new or replacement
RKE transmitters. Up to eight
transmitters can be programmed to
the vehicle. To program additional
transmitters, see
“Programming
Transmitters to the Vehicle” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation 08.
Do not leave the transmitter or
device that disarms or deactivates
the theft-deterrent system in the
vehicle.Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{Warning
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
64 Seats and Restraints
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
fuel system after the airbags inflate.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
. Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts. .
The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy 0397
and
Event Data Recorders 0397.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the overhead console
when the vehicle is started.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
66 Seats and Restraints
.The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.
. A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
the OFF indicator will light and stay
lit as a reminder that the airbag is
off. See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0114.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the front outboard
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the ON indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbag is active. For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should
wear a seat belt properly
—whether
or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0113 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if
the system determines that an infant
is present in a child restraint. If a
child restraint has been installed
and the ON indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat)
085 or
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
0 87.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
68 Seats and Restraints
and then buckle the belt again
without pulling the belt out all
the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this
position for two to three minutes
after the ON indicator is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag OFF indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Seat belts help keep the passenger
in position on the seat during
vehicle maneuvers and braking,
which helps the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger
airbag status. See
“Seat Belts”and
“Child Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates.
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 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
Publication Ordering Information
0 394.

GMC Terrain/Terrain Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-13556230) - 2020 - CRC - 9/4/19
Seats and Restraints 69
{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,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following:.
Airbag system, including airbag
modules, front or side impact
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, or airbag wiring
. Front seats, including stitching,
seams or zippers
. Seat belts
. Steering wheel, instrument
panel, overhead console, ceiling
trim, or pillar garnish trim
. Inner door seals, including
speakers
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag modules and sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module, and
airbag wiring along with the proper
replacement procedures.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly
turning off the passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing System
0 64.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see Different Size Tires
and Wheels 0331 for additional
important information.
If the vehicle must be modified
because you have a disability and
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle
is modified for any other reason, call
Customer Assistance. See
Customer Assistance Offices 0387.