steering GMC YUKON 2014 Owner's Guide

Black plate (9,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
Driving and Operating 9-9
.Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness of the incline more
severe. If a rock is driven across
with the uphill wheels, or if the
downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, the vehicle can tilt
even more.
.If an incline must be driven
across, and the vehicle starts to
slide, turn downhill. This should
help straighten out the vehicle
and prevent the side slipping.
{Warning
Getting out of the vehicle on the
downhill side when stopped
across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you could
be crushed or killed. Always get
out on the uphill side of the
vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow,
or Ice
Use a low gear when driving in
mud–the deeper the mud, the
lower the gear. Keep the vehicle
moving to avoid getting stuck.
Traction changes when driving on
sand. On loose sand, such as on
beaches or sand dunes, the tires
tend to sink into the sand. This
affects steering, accelerating, and
braking. Drive at a reduced speed
and avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
Traction is reduced on hard packed
snow and ice and it is easy to lose
control. Reduce vehicle speed when
driving on hard packed snow
and ice.
{Warning
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds,
or rivers can be dangerous. Ice
conditions vary greatly and the
vehicle could fall through the ice;
you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle on safe
surfaces only.
Driving in Water
{Warning
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires.
Traction could be lost, and the
vehicle could roll over. Do not
drive through rushing water.

Black plate (10,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
9-10 Driving and Operating
Notice:Do not drive through
standing water if it is deep
enough to cover the wheel hubs,
axles or exhaust pipe. Deep water
can damage the axle and other
vehicle parts.
If the standing water is not too deep,
drive slowly through it. At faster
speeds, water splashes on the
ignition system and the vehicle can
stall. Stalling can also occur if you
get the tailpipe under water. While
the tailpipe is under water, you will
not be able to start the engine.
When going through water, the
brakes get wet, and it might take
longer to stop. See Driving on Wet
Roads.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody,
or chassis, or under the hood.
These accumulations can be a fire
hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
More frequent maintenance service
is required. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule for more
information.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
9-12 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
Steering may also be affected
when ignition is off. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°
F) when freezing rain begins to fall,
resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated with salt
or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. See
Antilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9-39.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (14,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
9-14 Driving and Operating
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If the vehicle has a traction system,
it can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. Refer to the vehicle's
traction system in the Index. If stuck
too severely for the traction system
to free the vehicle, turn the traction
system off and use the rocking
method.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10-60.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four-Wheel High
or, if the vehicle has a two-speed
automatic transfer case, Four-Wheel
Low. For vehicles with StabiliTrak
®,
turn the traction control part of the
system off. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle
has them. If the vehicle does need
to be towed out, see
Towing the
Vehicle on page 10-80.
Recovery Hooks
{Warning
Never pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
from the front.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
Driving and Operating 9-21
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF):When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9-24.
This position locks the ignition.
It also locks the transmission on
automatic transmission vehicles.
The key can be removed in
LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9-40.{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Notice: Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.

Black plate (31,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
Driving and Operating 9-31
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
Normal Mode Grade Braking
Normal Mode Grade Braking is
enabled when the vehicle is started,
but is not enabled in Range
Selection Mode. It assists in
maintaining desired vehicle speeds
when driving on downhill grades by
using the engine and transmission
to slow the vehicle. The first time
the system engages for each
ignition key cycle, a DIC message
will be displayed. SeeTransmission
Messages on page 5-42.
To disable or enable Normal Mode
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
three seconds. A DIC message
displays. See Transmission
Messages on page 5-42.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Tow/Haul Mode on page 9-32
and Cruise Control on page 9-46.
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
(Hydra-Matic®6-Speed
Transmission)
Base Trim Shown (Uplevel Similar)
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control the
vehicle's transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or
towing a trailer by letting you select
a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to M (Manual Mode). 2. Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column
shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for the current
driving conditions.
When M (Manual Mode) is selected
a number displays next to the M,
indicating the current gear.
This number is the highest gear that
can be used. However, the vehicle
can automatically shift to lower
gears as it adjusts to driving
conditions. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. When 5 (Fifth) is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until
the plus/minus button located on the
steering column lever is used to
change to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9-32.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used.

Black plate (33,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
Driving and Operating 9-33
To disable or enable Tow/Haul
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
three seconds. A DIC message will
be displayed. SeeTransmission
Messages on page 5-42.
See Towing Equipment on
page 9-67 for more information.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Automatic Transmission on
page 9-28 andCruise Control on
page 9-46.Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive (Two
Speed Automatic
Transfer Case)
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before
using four-wheel drive.
Notice: Driving on clean, dry
pavement in Four-Wheel Drive
High or Four-Wheel Drive Low for
an extended period of time may
cause premature wear on the
vehicle's powertrain. Do not drive
on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel Drive High or
Four-Wheel Drive Low for
extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement
and during tight turns, you may
experience a vibration in the
steering system. The vehicle has StabiliTrak
®.
Shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low
will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak off. See StabiliTrak
®
System on page 9-42.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and
disengages automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay
for the axle to engage or disengage
is normal.
Automatic Transfer Case

Black plate (38,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
9-38 Driving and Operating
While driving on clean dry pavement
and during tight turns, you may
experience a vibration in the
steering system.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and
disengages automatically when you
shift the transfer case. Some delay
for the axle to engage or disengage
is normal.
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
The vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive
with StabiliTrak
®. For information on
StabiliTrak, see StabiliTrak®System
on page 9-42.
You can choose among three
driving settings:
Indicator lights in the switch show
you which setting you are in. The
indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and
the last chosen setting will stay on.
If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your
dealer for service. An indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will stay on
when the shift is completed. If for
some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting. 2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High):
This
setting is used for driving in most
street and highway situations. The
front axle is not engaged in
two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive): This setting is ideal for use
when road surface traction
conditions are variable. When
driving the vehicle in AUTO, the
front axle is engaged, and the
vehicle's power is sent to the front
and rear wheels automatically
based on driving conditions. Driving
in this mode results in slightly lower
fuel economy than Two-Wheel
Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High): Use
the Four-Wheel Drive High position
when you need extra traction, such
as on snowy or icy roads or in most
off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting
to use when plowing snow.

Black plate (40,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
9-40 Driving and Operating
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehiclesuddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
Set the parking brake by holding the
regular brake pedal down, then
pushing down the parking brake
pedal.
If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5-21.
Notice: Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking

Black plate (45,1)GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
6081505) - 2014 - crc - 4/23/13
Driving and Operating 9-45
Autoride and MagneRide are fully
automatic and use a computer
controller to continuously monitor
vehicle speed, wheel to body
position, lift/dive and steering
position of the vehicle. The
controller then sends signals to
each shock absorber to
independently adjust the damping
level to provide the optimum
vehicle ride.
Autoride and MagneRide also
interact with the tow/haul mode that,
when activated, will provide
additional control of the shock
absorbers. This additional control
results in better ride and handling
characteristics when the vehicle is
loaded or towing a trailer. See“Tow/
Haul Mode” underTrailer Towing on
page 9-63.Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear
suspension is available on light‐duty
vehicles and comes as a part of the
Continuous Damping Control (CDC)
suspension, if equipped.
This type of level control is fully
automatic and will provide a better
leveled riding position as well as
better handling under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
An air compressor connected to the
rear shocks will raise or lower the
rear of the vehicle to maintain
proper vehicle height. The system is
activated when the ignition key is
turned to ON/RUN and will
automatically adjust vehicle height
thereafter. The system may exhaust
(lower vehicle height) for up to
ten minutes after the ignition key
has been turned off. You may hear
the air compressor operating when
the height is being adjusted. If a weight‐distributing hitch is being
used, it is recommended to allow
the shocks to inflate, thereby
leveling the vehicle prior to adjusting
the hitch.