battery GMC YUKON DENALI 2010 Owner's Guide

To save fuel, run the engine for only short periods as
needed to warm the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of the way to save heat.
Repeat this until help arrives but only when you feel
really uncomfortable from the cold. Moving about to
keep warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to arrive, now and then
when you run the engine, push the accelerator pedal
slightly so the engine runs 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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the wheels to free the
vehicle when stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 5‑30.
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 damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and avoid going above
55 km/h (35 mph) as shown on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on the vehicle,
see Tire Chains on page 6‑78.
5-29

Trailer Wiring Harness
Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Harness Package
The vehicle is equipped with the seven-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness with a seven-pin universal
trailer connector is attached to a bracket on the hitch
platform.The seven-wire harness contains the following trailer
circuits:
.Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
.Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
.Brown: Taillamps
.White: Ground
.Light Green: Back-up Lamps
.Red: Battery Feed*
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake*
*The fuses for these two circuits are installed in the
underhood electrical center, but the wires are not
connected. They should be connected by your
dealer/retailer or a qualified service center.
If charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery, press the
tow/haul mode button located at the end of the shift
lever. This will boost the vehicle system voltage and
properly charge the battery. If the trailer is too light for
tow/haul mode, turn on the headlamps as a second way
to boost the vehicle system and charge the battery.
5-59

Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
These wiring provisions are included with the vehicle as
part of the trailer wiring package. These provisions are
for an electric brake controller. The instrument panel
contains blunt cut wires near the data link connector for
the trailer brake controller. The harness contains the
following wires:
.Dark Blue: Brake Signal to Trailer Connector
.Red/Black: Battery
.Light Blue/White: Brake Switch
.White: Ground
It should be installed by your dealer/retailer or a
qualified service center.
If the vehicle is equipped with an ITBC, the blunt cuts
exist, but are not connected further in the harness. If an
aftermarket trailer brake controller is installed, the ITBC
must be disconnected. Do not power both ITBC and
aftermarket controllers to control the trailer brakes at the
same time.
Trailer Recommendations
Subtract the hitch loads from the Cargo Weight Rating
(CWR). CWR is the maximum weight of the load the
vehicle can carry. It does not include the weight of the
people inside, but you can figure about 150 lbs. (68 kg)
for each passenger. The total cargo load must not be
more than the vehicles CWR.
Weigh the vehicle with the trailer attached, so the
GVWR or GAWR are not exceeded. If using a
weight-distributing hitch, weigh the vehicle without the
spring bars in place.
The best performance is obtained by correctly
spreading out the weight of the load and choosing the
correct hitch and trailer brakes.
For more information see Towing a Trailer
on
page 5‑42.
5-60

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27 Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Engine Fan Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-41
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-47
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-48
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-50
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-53
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-55
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
6-1

A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑20.
B. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System on page 6‑26.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑42.
D. Battery on page 6‑41.
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑15.
F. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6‑22.
G. Remote Negative (−) Terminal (GND) (Out of View). See Jump Starting on page 6‑42.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See “Checking
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil on page 6‑15.
I. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System on page 6‑26.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View). See Power Steering Fluid on page 6‑36.
K. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake
Fluid” under Brakes on page 6‑38.
L. Underhood Fuse Block on page 6‑111.
M. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on
page 6‑37.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine oil level at each
fuel fill. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to drain back into the oil pan. If this is not done,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
6-15

not work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes can change—for the
worse. The braking performance expected can change
in many other ways if the wrong replacement brake
parts are installed.
Battery
Refer to the replacement number on the original battery
label when a new battery is needed. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for battery
location.
{DANGER:
Battery posts, terminals, and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer
and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
Vehicle Storage
{WARNING:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑42for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the black, negative (−) cable
from the battery to keep the battery from running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery or use a battery trickle charger.
6-41

Jump Starting
If the vehicle's battery (or batteries) has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your vehicle. Be sure to use the following
steps to do it safely.
{WARNING:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
.They contain acid that can burn you.
.They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
.They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to the vehicle that would not be covered by
the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage the vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other vehicle's system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you do not want. You would not
be able to start your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put the automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a manual transmission
in Neutral before setting the parking brake. If you
have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear, not in Neutral.
6-42

Notice:If you leave the radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
the warranty. Always turn off the radio and other
accessories when jump starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory power outlets.
Turn off the radio and all the lamps that are not
needed. This avoids sparks and helps save both
batteries. And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hood on the other vehicle and locate the positive (+) and negative (−) terminal locations on
that vehicle.
Your vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal and a remote negative (−) jump starting
terminal. You should always use these remote
terminals instead of the terminals on the battery.
If the vehicle has a remote positive (+) terminal, it
is located under a red plastic cover at the positive
battery post. To uncover the remote positive (+)
terminal, open the red plastic cover.
The remote negative (-) terminal is a stud located
on the right front of the engine, where the negative
battery cable attaches.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 6‑14for more information on the location of the remote
positive (+) and remote negative (−) terminals.
6-43

{WARNING:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
{WARNING:
Using an open flame near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You do not
need to add water to the battery installed in your
new vehicle. But if a battery has filler caps, be
sure the right amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that first. If you do not,
explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Do not get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
{WARNING:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing insulation. If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (−) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to negative (−) or you
will get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the negative (−) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
6-44

6. Connect the redpositive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of
the vehicle with the
dead battery. Use a
remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle
has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one. 8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote negative (−) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch anything until the
next step. The other end of the negative (−) cable
does not go to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or to the remote
negative (−) terminal on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable to the remote negative (−) terminal, on the vehicle
with the dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
6-45