towing GMC YUKON DENALI 2010 Owner's Manual

Section 5 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle. . . . . . . . . .5-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Braking in Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Driving at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24 Before Leaving on a Long Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Recovery Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Loading the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Towing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Level Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Autoride
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Trailer Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
5-1

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area
around the front wheels. Turn off any traction or stability
system. 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, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5‑37.
Recovery Hooks
{WARNING:
These hooks, when used, are under a lot of force.
Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never pull on
the hooks at a sideways angle. The hooks could
break off and you or others could be injured from
the chain or cable snapping back.
Notice:Never use recovery hooks to tow the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged and it
would not be covered by warranty.
Your vehicle has recovery hooks at the front of the
vehicle. You can use them if you are stuck off-road and
need to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
5-30

The Tire and Loading Information label also
shows the size of the original equipment tires (C)
and the recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more information on tires and
inflation seeTires
on page 6‑57andInflation - Tire
Pressure
on page 6‑64.
There is also important loading information on the
vehicle Certification/Tire label. It tells you the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front
and rear axles. See “Certification/Tire Label” later
in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX pounds” on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or
XXX pounds.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
SeeTowing a Trailer
on page 5‑42for
important information on towing a trailer,
towing safety rules and trailering tips.
5-32

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
To avoid damage, the disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the ground. Consult your dealer/
retailer or a professional towing service if the disabled
vehicle must be towed. SeeRoadside Assistance
Program on page 8‑7.
To tow the vehicle behind another vehicle for
recreational purposes, such as behind a motorhome,
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
If the vehicle has a two–mode hybrid engine, see the
Two–mode Hybrid manual for more information.
Recreational vehicle towing means towing the vehicle
behind another vehicle–such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing”(towing the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing the vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).Here are some important things to consider before
recreational vehicle towing:
.What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure to read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.What is the distance that will be travelled? Some
vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long
they can tow.
.Is the proper towing equipment going to be used?
See your dealer/retailer or trailering professional
for additional advice and equipment
recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be towed? Just as preparing
the vehicle for a long trip, make sure the vehicle is
prepared to be towed. See
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip on page 5‑25.
5-37

All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Dinghy and Dolly Towing
Notice:Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle
with any of its wheels on the ground.
All-wheel-drive vehicles are not designed to be towed
with any wheels on the ground. If the vehicle must be
towed, see Towing Your Vehicle previously.
5-38

Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Dinghy Towing
Notice:If a two-wheel-drive vehicle is towed with all
four wheels on the ground, the transmission could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not tow a two-wheel-drive
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with all
four wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
To dolly tow a two‐wheel‐drive vehicle, the vehicle must
be towed with the rear wheels on the dolly. See “Dolly
Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)” following.
5-39

Dolly Towing (Front Wheels Off the Ground)
Notice:If a two-wheel-drive vehicle is towed with
the rear wheels on the ground, the transmission
could be damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Never tow the
vehicle with the rear wheels on the ground.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with the
rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed.
Dolly Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)
Use the following procedure to dinghy tow a
two-wheel-drive vehicle from the rear:
1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the dolly manufacturer's instructions.
2. Drive the rear wheels onto the dolly.
3. Firmly set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3‑36.
4. Put the transmission in P (Park).
5-40

5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly following themanufacturer's instructions.
6. Use an adequate clamping device designed for towing to ensure that the front wheels are locked
into the straight position.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Level Control
Automatic Level Control
The automatic level control rear suspension is available
on light‐duty vehicles and comes as a part of the
Autoride
®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.
Autoride®
With this feature, improved vehicle ride and handling is
provided under a variety of passenger and loading
conditions.
The system is fully automatic and uses 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 also interacts 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”under
Towing a Trailer
on page 5‑42for more information.
5-41

Towing a Trailer
Do not tow a trailer during break‐in. SeeNew Vehicle
Break-Inon page 3‑24for more information.
{WARNING:
The driver can lose control when pulling a trailer if
the correct equipment is not used or the vehicle is
not driven properly. For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the brakes may not work well —or
even at all. The driver and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer only
if all the steps in this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer/retailer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Notice: Pulling a trailer improperly can damage the
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
the vehicle warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section and see your
dealer/retailer for important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle. To identify the trailering capacity of the vehicle, read the
information in
“Weight of the Trailer” that appears later
in this section.
Trailering is different than just driving the vehicle by
itself. Trailering means changes in handling,
acceleration, braking, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
The following information has many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these
are important for your safety and that of your
passengers. So please read this section carefully before
pulling a trailer.
5-42

The ITBC system can only be used with trailers with
electric brakes.
{WARNING:
Connecting a trailer that is not compatible with the
ITBC system may result in reduced or complete
loss of trailer braking. There may be an increase
in stopping distance or trailer instability which
could result in personal injury or damage to the
vehicle, trailer, or other property. An aftermarket
controller may be available for use with trailers
with surge, air or electric‐over‐hydraulic trailer
brake systems. To determine the type of brakes
on the trailer and the availability of controllers,
check with your trailer manufacturer or dealer/
retailer.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.
5-50