brakes GMC YUKON 2012 Owner's Guide

Black plate (81,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-81
When trailering, make sure of the
following:
.The ITBC system is used only
with trailers that are equipped
with electric brakes.
.All applicable local and federal
laws and regulations are
followed.
.All electrical and mechanical
connections to the trailer are
made correctly.
.The trailer’s brakes are in proper
working condition.
.The trailer and vehicle are
properly loaded for the towing
condition.
The ITBC system is a factory
installed item. Out‐of‐factory
installation of this system should not
be attempted. GM is not responsible
for warranty or performance of the
system resulting from out‐of‐factory
installation. Trailer Brake Control PanelA. Manual Trailer Brake Apply
Lever
B. Trailer Gain Adjustment Buttons
The ITBC system has a control
panel located on the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
column. The control panel allows
adjustment to the amount of output,
referred to as trailer gain, available
to the electric trailer brakes and allows manual application the trailer
brakes. The Trailer Brake Control
Panel is used along with the Trailer
Brake Display Page on the DIC to
adjust and display power output to
the trailer brakes.
Trailer Brake DIC Display Page
The ITBC system displays
messages into the vehicle’s Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑29
for more information.
The display page indicates Trailer
Gain setting, power output to the
electric trailer brakes, trailer
connection and system operational
status.
The Trailer Brake Display Page can
be displayed by performing any of
the following actions:
.Scrolling through the DIC menu
pages using the odometer trip
stem or the DIC Vehicle
Information button (if equipped).

Black plate (82,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
9-82 Driving and Operating
.Pressing a Trailer Gain
button–If the Trailer Brake
Display Page is not currently
displayed, pressing a Trailer
Gain button will first recall the
current Trailer Gain setting. After
the Trailer Brake Display Page is
displayed, each press and
release of the gain buttons will
then cause the Trailer Gain
setting to change.
.Activating the Manual Trailer
Brake Apply lever
.Connecting a trailer equipped
with electric trailer brakes
All DIC warning and service
messages must first be
acknowledged by the driver by
pressing the odometer trip stem or
the DIC Vehicle Information button
(if equipped) before the Trailer
Brake Display Page can be
displayed and Trailer Gain can be
adjusted. TRAILER GAIN
–This setting is
displayed anytime the Trailer Brake
Display Page is active. This setting
can be adjusted from 0.0 to 10.0
with either a trailer connected or
disconnected. To adjust the Trailer
Gain, press one of the Trailer Gain
adjustment buttons located on the
Trailer Brake Control Panel. Press
and hold a gain button to cause the
Trailer Gain to continuously adjust.
To turn the output to the trailer off,
adjust the Trailer Gain setting to
0.0 (zero).
0.0 (zero) gain is the factory default
setting. To properly adjust trailer
gain, see the Trailer Gain
Adjustment Procedure later in this
section.
TRAILER OUTPUT –This is
displayed any time a trailer with
electric brakes is connected. Output
to the electric brakes is based on
the amount of vehicle braking
present and relative to the Trailer
Gain setting. Output is displayed
from 0 to 10 bars for each gain
setting. The Trailer Output will indicate
“- - -
- - -“ on the Trailer Brake Display
Page whenever the following occur:
.No trailer is connected.
.A trailer without electric brakes
is connected (no DIC message
is displayed).
.A trailer with electric brakes has
become disconnected (a
CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message will also be displayed
on the DIC).
.There is a fault present in the
wiring to the electric trailer
brakes (a CHECK TRAILER
WIRING message will also be
displayed on the DIC).
.There is a fault in the ITBC
system (a SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message will
also be displayed in the DIC).

Black plate (83,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-83
Manual Trailer Brake Apply
The Manual Trailer Brake Apply
Lever is located on the Trailer Brake
Control Panel and is used to apply
the trailer’s electric brakes
independent of the vehicle’s brakes.
This lever is used in the Trailer Gain
Adjustment Procedure to properly
adjust the power output to the trailer
brakes. Sliding the lever to the left
will apply only the trailer brakes.
The power output to the trailer is
indicated in the Trailer Brake
Display Page in the DIC. If the
vehicle’s service brakes are applied
while using the Manual Trailer Brake
Apply Lever, the trailer output power
will be the greater of the two.
The trailer and the vehicle's brake
lamps will come on when either
vehicle braking or manual trailer
brakes are applied. Trailer Gain Adjustment Procedure
Trailer Gain should be set for a
specific trailering condition and must
be adjusted any time vehicle
loading, trailer loading or road
surface conditions change.
Setting the Trailer Gain properly is
needed for the best trailer stopping
performance. A trailer that is
over-gained may result in locked
trailer brakes. A trailer that is
under-gained may result in not
enough trailer braking. Both of these
conditions may result in poorer
stopping and stability of the vehicle
and trailer.
Use the following procedure to
correctly adjust Trailer Gain for each
towing condition:
1. Make sure the trailer brakes are
in proper working condition.
2. Connect a properly loaded trailer to the vehicle and make all
necessary mechanical and
electrical connections. See
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑16 for more information.
3. After the electrical connection is made to a trailer equipped with
electric brakes:
.A TRAILER CONNECTED
message will be briefly
displayed on the DIC
display.
.The Trailer Brake Display
Page will appear on the
DIC showing TRAILER
GAIN and TRAILER
OUTPUT.

Black plate (84,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
9-84 Driving and Operating
.In the Trailer Output display
on the DIC,“- - - - - -“will
disappear if there is no
error present. Connecting a
trailer without electric
brakes will not clear the six
dashed lines.
4. Adjust the Trailer Gain by using the gain adjustment (+ / -)
buttons on the Trailer Brake
Control Panel.
5. Drive the vehicle with the trailer attached on a level road surface
representative of the towing
condition and free of traffic at
about 32 to 40 km/h (20 to
25 mph) and fully apply the
Manual Trailer Brake Apply
lever.
Adjusting trailer gain at speeds
lower than 32 to 40 km/h (20 to
25 mph) may result in an
incorrect gain setting. 6. Adjust the Trailer Gain to just
below the point of trailer wheel
lock-up, indicated by trailer
wheel squeal or tire smoke when
a trailer wheel locks.
Trailer wheel lock-up may not
occur if towing a heavily loaded
trailer. In this case, adjust the
Trailer Gain to the highest
allowable setting for the towing
condition.
7. Re-adjust Trailer Gain any time vehicle loading, trailer loading or
road surface conditions change
or if trailer wheel lock-up is
noticed at any time while towing
Other ITBC Related DIC Messages
In addition to displaying TRAILER
GAIN and TRAILER OUTPUT
through the DIC, trailer connection
and ITBC system status is displayed
in the DIC.
TRAILER CONNECTED –This
message will be briefly displayed
when a trailer with electric brakes is
first connected to the vehicle. This message will automatically turn off
in about ten seconds. The driver
can also acknowledge this message
before it automatically turns off.
CHECK TRAILER WIRING
–This
message will be displayed if:
1. The ITBC system first
determines connection to a
trailer with electric brakes and
then the trailer harness becomes
disconnected from the vehicle.
If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is stationary, this
message will automatically turn
off in about thirty seconds. This
message will also turn off if the
driver acknowledges this
message off or if the trailer
harness is re-connected.
If the disconnect occurs while
the vehicle is moving, this
message will continue until the
ignition is turned off. This
message will also turn off if the
driver acknowledges this
message off or if the trailer
harness is re-connected.

Black plate (85,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-85
2. There is an electrical fault in thewiring to the electric trailer
brakes. This message will
continue as long as there is an
electrical fault in the trailer
wiring. This message will also
turn off if the driver
acknowledges this message off.
To determine if the electrical fault is
on the vehicle side or trailer side of
the trailer wiring harness
connection, do the following:
1. Disconnect the trailer wiring harness from the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition OFF.
3. Wait ten seconds, then turn the ignition back to RUN. 4. If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message re-appears, the
electrical fault is on the
vehicle side.
If the CHECK TRAILER WIRING
message only re-appears when
connecting the trailer wiring
harness to the vehicle, the
electrical fault is on the
trailer side.
SERVICE TRAILER BRAKE
SYSTEM –This message will be
displayed when there is a problem
with the ITBC system. If this
message persists over multiple
ignition cycles there is problem with
the ITBC system. Take the vehicle
to an authorized GM dealer to have
the ITBC system diagnosed and
repaired. If either the CHECK TRAILER
WIRING or SERVICE TRAILER
BRAKE SYSTEM message is
displayed while driving the vehicle,
power is no longer available to the
trailer brakes. When traffic
conditions allow, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of the road
and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and
turn the ignition back on. If either of
these messages continues, either
the vehicle or trailer needs service.
An authorized GM dealer may be
able to diagnose and repair
problems with the trailer. However,
any diagnosis and repair of the
trailer is not covered under the
vehicle warranty. Please contact
your trailer dealer for assistance
with trailer repairs and trailer
warranty information.

Black plate (86,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
9-86 Driving and Operating
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Non-hybrid vehicles with StabiliTrak
have a Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
feature. If the vehicle is towing a
trailer and the system detects that
the trailer is swaying, the vehicle
brakes are applied without the driver
pressing the brake pedal. If the
vehicle is equipped with the
Integrated Trailer Brake Control
(ITBC) system, StabiliTrak may also
apply the trailer brakes. The TCS/
StabiliTrak warning light will flash on
the instrument panel cluster to notify
the driver to reduce speed. If the
trailer continues to sway, StabiliTrak
will reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. SeeStabiliTrak
®
System on page 9‑46 for more
information.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3 for more information.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
Notice:Do not add anything
electrical to the vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle and the
damage would not be covered by
the vehicle's warranty. Some
add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from
working as they should.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12‐volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑42 andAdding
Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 3‑42.
Adding a Snow Plow or
Similar Equipment
Before installing a snow plow on the
vehicle, here are some things you
need to know:
Notice: If the vehicle does not
have the snow plow prep
package, adding a plow can
damage the vehicle, and the
repairs would not be covered by
warranty. Unless the vehicle was
built to carry a snow plow, do not
add one to the vehicle. If the
vehicle has the snow plow prep
package, called RPO VYU, then
the payload the vehicle can carry
will be reduced when a snow
plow is installed. The vehicle can
be damaged if either the front or
rear axle ratings or the Gross
Vehicle Weight (GVW) are
exceeded.

Black plate (89,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-89
For example, adding a 318 kg
(700 lb) snow plow actually adds
more than 318 kg (700 lb) to the
front axle. Using the formula, if the
snow plow is 122 cm (4 ft) in front of
the front axle and the wheel base is
305 cm (10 ft), then:W = 318 kg (700 lb)
A = 122 cm (4 ft)
W.B. = 305 cm (10 ft)
(W x (A + W.B.))/W.B. =
(318 x (122 + 305))/305 = 445 kg
(980 lb)
So, if the vehicle's front axle reserve
capacity is more than 980 lbs
(445 kg), the snow plow could be
added without exceeding the
front GAWR. Heavier equipment can be added on
the front of the vehicle if it is
compensated for by carrying fewer
passengers, less cargo, or by
positioning cargo toward the rear.
This has the effect of reducing the
load on the front. However, the front
GAWR, rear GAWR, and the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
must never be exceeded.
{WARNING
On some vehicles that have
certain front mounted equipment,
such as a snow plow, it may be
possible to load the front axle to
the front gross axle weight rating
(GAWR) but not have enough
weight on the rear axle to have
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
proper braking performance. If the
brakes cannot work properly, you
could have a crash. To help the
brakes work properly when a
snow plow is installed, always
follow the snow plow
manufacturer or installer's
recommendation for rear ballast
to ensure a proper front and rear
weight distribution ratio, even
though the actual front weight
may be less than the front
GAWR, and the total vehicle
weight is less than the gross
vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
Maintaining a proper front and
rear weight distribution ratio is
necessary to provide proper
braking performance.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
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 (3,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-3
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑42.

Black plate (26,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012
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.