tow GMC YUKON XL 2018 Owner's Manual

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
Instruments and Controls 145
Brake System Warning
Light The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
Metric English
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 you 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 Vehicle 0 355 .
{ WarningThe brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
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.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
146 Instruments and Controls 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
0 145 .
Four-Wheel-Drive Light
The four-wheel-drive light comes on
when the transfer case is shifted
into four-wheel drive and the front
axle engages. LO or HI will also be
next to this light when the vehicle is
in four-wheel low or four-wheel high.
Some delay between the shifting
and the light coming on is normal.
See Four-Wheel Drive 0 222 .Tow/Haul Mode Light For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0 222 .
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
Light
This light is green if LKA is available
to assist.
LKA may assist by gently turning
the steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking without using the turn signal in that
direction. The LKA light will turn
amber.
This light is amber and flashes as a
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert, to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed.
See Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0 252 .
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will
display green when a vehicle is
detected ahead and amber when
you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0 246 .

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
154 Instruments and Controls Transmission Fluid Temperature
Gauge : Shows the temperature of
the automatic transmission fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{ WarningIf the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the
operation of the vehicle is projected
onto the windshield. The image is
projected through the HUD lens on
top of the instrument panel. The
information appears as an image
focused out toward the front of the
vehicle. CautionIf you try to use the HUD image
as a parking aid, you may
misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in various languages. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed
in either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units of
measurement is changed through
the instrument cluster. See Vehicle
Personalization 0 158 and “ Cluster
Settings Menu ” under Instrument
Cluster 0 133 . HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD may display some of the
following vehicle information and
vehicle messages or alerts:
.
Speed
.
Tachometer
.
Audio
.
Phone
.
Navigation
.
Collision Alert
.
Cruise Control
.
Lane Departure
.
Low Fuel

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
Instruments and Controls 161Auto Rear Defog
If equipped, this feature will
automatically turn on the rear
window defogger when the vehicle
is first started in cold weather and
turn off when the vehicle is warmed.
Select Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems Select and the following may
display:
.
Alert Type
.
Forward Collision System
.
Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
.
Park Assist
.
Side Blind Zone Alert
.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Alert Type
This feature will set crash alerts to
beeps or seat vibrations. This
setting affects all crash alerts
including Forward Collision Alert,
Lane Departure Warning, and Park
Assist alerts.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat. Forward Collision System
This feature will turn on or off
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB).
The Off setting disables all FCA and
FAB functions. With the Alert and
Brake setting, both FCA and FAB
are available. The Alert setting
disables FAB. See Forward
Automatic Braking (FAB) 0 248 .
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert.
Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This feature will give a reminder that
Adaptive Cruise Control provides
when it has brought the vehicle to a
complete stop behind another
stopping vehicle, and then that
vehicle drives on.
Select Off or On.
Park Assist
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Assistance Systems
for Parking or Backing 0 243 .
Select Off, On, or On with Towbar
Attached. Side Blind Zone Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Side Blind Zone Alert
(SBZA) 0 250 .
Select Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the feature to be turned
on or off. See Assistance Systems
for Parking or Backing 0 243 .
Select Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience Select and the following may
display:
.
Auto Memory Recall
.
Easy Exit Options
.
Chime Volume
.
Hands Free Liftgate Control
.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
.
Auto Mirror Folding
.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
172 Lighting .
The IntelliBeam system can be
disabled by the High/Low-Beam
Changer or the Flash-to-Pass
feature. If this happens, the
High/Low-Beam Changer must
be activated on then off within
two seconds to reactivate the
IntelliBeam system. The
instrument cluster light will come
on to indicate the IntelliBeam is
reactivated.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer 0 172 and
Flash-to-Pass 0 172 .
The high beams may not turn off
automatically if the system cannot
detect another vehicle's lamps
because of any of the following:
.
The other vehicle's lamps are
missing, damaged, obstructed
from view, or otherwise
undetected.
.
The other vehicle's lamps are
covered with dirt, snow, and/or
road spray. .
The other vehicle's lamps cannot
be detected due to dense
exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road
spray, mist, or other airborne
obstructions.
.
The vehicle's windshield is dirty,
cracked, or obstructed by
something that blocks the view
of the light sensor.
.
The vehicle is loaded such that
the front end points upward,
causing the light sensor to aim
high and not detect headlamps
and taillamps.
.
The vehicle is being driven on
winding or hilly roads.
The automatic high-beam
headlamps may need to be disabled
if any of the above conditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder A reminder chime sounds when the
headlamps or parking lamps are
manually turned on, the ignition is
off, and a door is open. To disable
the chime, turn the lamps off. Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer Push the turn signal lever toward
the instrument panel to change the
headlamps from low to high beam.
Pull the turn signal lever toward you
and release it to return to low-beam
headlamps.
When the high-beam headlamps are
on, this indicator light on the
instrument cluster will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass This feature lets you use the
high-beam headlamps to signal a
driver in front of you that you want
to pass. It works even if the
headlamps are in the automatic
position.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
Lighting 173If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will turn
on. Depending on the type of
headlamp, they will either turn off
after a short duration or stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward
you. The high-beam indicator on the
instrument cluster will come on.
Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
.
The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
.
The transmission is not in
P (Park). .
The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only
the DRL are on. The taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
O and then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is
parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically. There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor, otherwise the headlamps
will come on when they are not
needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it
is light outside when the vehicle
leaves the garage, there is a slight
delay before the automatic
headlamp system changes to the
DRL. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/20/17
174 Lighting is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0 176 .
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
O or the ignition
is off.
Lights On with Wipers If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
Oor
; to disable this feature. Hazard Warning Flashers
| : Press this button to make the
front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. Press again to turn
the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work. Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
Move the turn signal lever all the
way up or down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever for less
than one second until the arrow
starts to flash to signal a lane
change. This causes the turn
signals to automatically flash three
times. It will flash six times if Tow/
Haul Mode is active. Holding the
turn signal lever for more than
one second will cause the turn
signals to flash until the lever is
released.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/21/17
188 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating Driving Information Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 197
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 198
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 200
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Starting and Operating New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 204
Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Ignition Positions (Key
Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 214
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Exhaust Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Automatic Transmission Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 216
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Drive Systems Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Brakes Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 229
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 231
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . 232
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Automatic Level Control . . . . . . 232
Cruise Control Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 235
Driver Assistance Systems Driver Assistance Systems . . . 242
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 243
Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 250
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 252
Fuel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 255
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/21/17
Driving and Operating 189E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Trailer Towing General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 273
Conversions and Add-Ons Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 Driving Information Distracted Driving Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.
Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
.
Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.
Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.
Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.
Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{ Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.

GMC Yukon/Yukon XL/Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./
Canada/Mexico-11349262) - 2018 - crc - 6/21/17
200 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle Is Stuck Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 229 .
{ WarningIf 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 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a low
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. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle 0 355 .
Vehicle Load Limits It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it was designed to carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
{ Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.