tires GMC YUKON 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (84,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
9-84 Driving and Operating
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are
inflated to the inflation pressures
found on the Certification label
on the drivers door or seeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑23 for more
information. Make sure not to
exceed the GVWR limit for the
vehicle, or the RGAWR, with the tow
vehicle and trailer fully loaded for
the trip including the weight of the
trailer tongue. If using a weight
distributing hitch, make sure not to
exceed the RGAWR before applying
the weight distribution spring bars.
Weight of the Trailering
Combination
It is important that the combination
of the tow vehicle and trailer
does not exceed any of its weight
ratings —GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR,
Trailer Weight Rating or Tongue
Weight. The only way to be sure it is
not exceeding any of these ratings
is to weigh the tow vehicle and trailer combination, fully loaded for
the trip, getting individual weights
for each of these items.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
The correct hitch equipment helps
maintain combination control. Most
small-to-medium trailers can be
towed with a weight carrying hitch
which simply features a coupler
latched to the hitch ball. Larger
trailers may require a weight
distributing hitch that uses spring
bars to distribute the trailer tongue
weight among the two vehicle and
trailer axles. See
“Weight of the
Trailer Tongue” inTrailer Towing on
page 9‑79 for rating limits with
various hitch types.
Consider using sway controls
with any trailer. Ask a trailering
professional about sway controls or
refer to the trailer manufacturer's
recommendations and instructions.
Weight‐Distributing Hitch
Adjustment
A. Body to Ground Distance
B. Front of Vehicle
When using a weight-distributing
hitch, the spring bars should be
adjusted so the distance (A) is the
same after coupling the trailer to the
tow vehicle and adjusting the hitch.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
CaliforniaProposition 65 Warning . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21 Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-32
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Glass Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-34
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58

Black plate (2,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure MonitorOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-68
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-84
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-87Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-102
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-105
General Information
For service and parts needs,
visit your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:

Black plate (26,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-26 Vehicle Care
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a
sign that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.

Black plate (35,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-35
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical
headlamp aiming system. The aim
of the headlamps has been preset
at the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged
in a crash, the aim of the headlamps
may be affected and adjustment
may be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high
beams at you, this may mean the
vertical aim of the headlamps needs
to be adjusted.
It is recommended that the vehicle
be taken to the dealer for service if
the headlamps need to be adjusted.
It is possible, however, to re-aim the
headlamps as described.The vehicle should:.Be placed so the headlamps
are 7.6 m (25 ft) from a
light‐colored wall.
.Have all four tires on a level
surface which is level all the way
to the wall.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall.
.Not have any snow, ice, or mud
on it.
.Be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp
aiming is being performed.
.Be loaded with a full tank of
fuel and one person or 75 kg
(160 lbs) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have the tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire in its proper
location in the vehicle.Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps.
The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly.
To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑52. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the low‐beam headlamp.
3. Record the distance from the ground to the aim dot on the
low‐beam headlamp.

Black plate (48,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-48 Vehicle Care
Harness
Connector Usage
HEADLINER 3 Headliner
Harness
Connector 3
HEADLINER 2 Headliner
Harness
Connector 2
HEADLINER 1 Headliner
Harness
Connector 1
SEO/
UPFITTER Special
Equipment Option
Upfitter Harness
Connector Circuit
Breaker Usage
CB1 Passenger Side
Power Window Circuit
Breaker
CB2 Passenger Seat
Circuit Breaker
CB3 Driver Seat Circuit
Breaker
CB4 Rear Sliding WindowWheels and Tires
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. If
you ever have questions about
your tire warranty and where to
obtain service, see your vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For
additional information refer to
the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑23.
(Continued)

Black plate (49,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-49
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause
a crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such
as snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
20‐Inch Tires
If your vehicle has the optional
20‐inch P275/55R20 size
tires, they are classified
as touring tires and are
designed for on road use. The low‐profile, wide tread
design is not recommended
for off‐road driving. See
Off-Road Driving on page 9‑7,
for additional information.
Notice:
If the vehicle has
low‐profile tires, they are more
susceptible to damage from
road hazards or curb impact
than standard profile tires.
Tire and/or wheel assembly
damage can occur when
coming into contact with
road hazards like, potholes,
or sharp edged objects,
or when sliding into a curb.
The vehicle warranty does
not cover this type of damage.
Keep tires set to the correct
inflation pressure and, when
possible avoid contact with
curbs, potholes, and other
road hazards.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
10-50 Vehicle Care
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire
is molded into the sidewall.
The following illustrations are
examples of a typical P‐Metric
and a LT‐Metric tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
code is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type, and service description. See the
“Tire Size”
illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance
with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. (D) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT code are the
Tire Identification Number
(TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code,
tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required
to grade tires based on
three performance factors:
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance. For
more information, see Uniform
Tire Quality Grading on
page 10‑66.

Black plate (51,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-51
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load. For
information on recommended
tire pressure see Tire Pressure
on page 10‑56 andVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑23.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(A) Tire Size:The tire size
code is a combination of letters
and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size”
illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) Dual Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be
carried and the maximum
pressure needed to support
that load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on
recommended tire pressure see
Tire Pressure on page 10‑56
and Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑23. (D) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance
with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(E) Tire Identification Number
(TIN)
:The letters and numbers
following DOT code are the Tire
Identification Number (TIN). The
TIN shows the manufacturer and
plant code, tire size, and date
the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both
sides of the tire, although only
one side may have the date of
manufacture.
(F) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.

Black plate (55,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-55
Maximum Loaded Vehicle
Weight
:The sum of curb
weight, accessory weight,
vehicle capacity weight, and
production options weight.
Normal Occupant Weight
:The
number of occupants a vehicle
is designed to seat multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs). See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑23.
Occupant Distribution
:
Designated seating positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall
:The
side of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that faces
outward when mounted on a
vehicle. The side of the tire that
contains a whitewall, bears
white lettering, or bears
manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is
higher or deeper than the same
moldings on the other sidewall
of the tire. Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:A
tire used on passenger cars
and some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure as shown
on the tire placard. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑56 and
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑23.
Radial Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated.
Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead. Speed Rating
:An
alphanumeric code assigned to
a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 in) of tread remains. See
When It Is Time for New Tires
on page 10‑63.