ABS GMC YUKON DENALI 2016 Owners Manual

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
0:
Adjustable Pedals
9: Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g: Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®(if equipped)
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
110 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 111
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 111
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 111
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 112
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transmission Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 126
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 127
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 128
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 129
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Four-Wheel-Drive Light . . . . . . . 131
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 132
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 132
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 133
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 134
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 135
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 135
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 136
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 136
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . . 140
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Brake System Messages . . . . . 144
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 144
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 144
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 145
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 146
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 147
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 147
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 147
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Ride Control System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Airbag System Messages . . . . 151

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Instruments and Controls 131
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, it means the vehicle has a
brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal can go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle0330.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 130 andBrake System Messages
0 144.Four-Wheel-Drive Light

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
180 Climate Controls
2. Disconnect the glove box doordamper string from the glove
box door assembly. A pen or
pencil may be inserted through
the end of the damper string to
prevent the string from slipping
inside the door assembly.
3. Remove the six screws and
remove the access plate.
4. Release the two tabs holdingthe service door. Open the
service door and remove the
old filter.
5. Install the new air filter.
6. Close the service door and secure the tabs.
7. Reverse the steps to reinstall the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 181
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 190
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 191
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 192
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 198
Adjustable Throttle and BrakePedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Active Fuel Management
®. . . . 205
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 207
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 218
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 220
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 221
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 224
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 231
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 231
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 238
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 240
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 243
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
184 Driving and Operating
Steering
Electric Power Steering
This vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel, and is
held in that position for an extended
period of time, power steering assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages underSteering System
Messages 0151. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
Curve Tips
. Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 191
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident).
. Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0218.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0216.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
216 Driving and Operating
8. Turn the engine off, and theignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park). See
Recreational Vehicle Towing
0330.
10. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of N (Neutral)
To shift: 1. Set the parking brake and apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
4. Turn the transfer case knob to the desired setting.
After the transfer case has
shifted out of N (Neutral), the
N (Neutral) light will go out.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the
desired gear.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
0 131.
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 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 vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
Driving and Operating 217
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You may hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate. 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.
SeeBrake System Warning Light
0 130.
Caution
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 brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down, then
push down momentarily on the
parking brake pedal until you feel
the pedal release. Slowly pull your
foot up off the parking brake pedal.
If the parking brake is not released
when you begin to drive, the brake system warning light will flash and a
chime will sound warning you that
the parking brake is still on.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
0 246.
Brake Assist
The Brake Assist feature is
designed to assist the driver in
stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as

GMC Yukon Denali/Yukon XL Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-9159308) - 2016 - crc - 6/2/15
220 Driving and Operating
Caution
Do not repeatedly brake or
accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle driveline could be
damaged.
To turn off only TCS, press and
release the
gbutton. The traction
off light
idisplays in the instrument
cluster. The appropriate message
will display in the DIC. See Ride
Control System Messages 0150. To
turn TCS on again, press and
release the
gbutton. The traction
off light
idisplayed in the
instrument cluster will turn off.
If TCS is limiting wheel spin when
the
gbutton is pressed, the system
will not turn off until the wheels stop
spinning.
To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold the
gbutton until
the traction off light
iand the
StabiliTrak OFF light
gcome on
and stay on in the instrument cluster, then release. The
appropriate message will display in
the DIC. See
Ride Control System
Messages 0150.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak on
again, press and release the
g
button. The traction off lightiand
the StabiliTrak OFF light
gin the
instrument cluster turn off.
StabiliTrak will automatically turn on
if the vehicle exceeds 56 km/h
(35 mph). Traction control will
remain off.
The vehicle has a Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) feature and a Hill
Start Assist (HSA) feature. See
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) 0258 or
Hill Start Assist (HSA) 0218.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 262.
Magnetic Ride Control
This vehicle may have a semi-active
damping system called Magnetic
Ride Control. With this feature, improved vehicle ride and handling
is provided under a variety of
passenger and loading conditions.
Magnetic Ride Control 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.
Magnetic Ride Control 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 Equipment 0251.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but