GMC YUKON 2012, YUKON XL 2012 Owner Manual

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

2012 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual M

In Brief . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . 1-1

Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . .1-4

Vehicle Features. . . . . . . . . . . . .1-19

Performance and

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25

Keys, Doors, and

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2

Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Vehicle Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .2-20

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22

Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Front Seats . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . 3-3

Rear Seats . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-20

Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3-30

Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45

Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 4-1

Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1

Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2

Roof Rack System . . . . . . . .. . . . . 4-3

Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Warning Lights, Gauges, and

Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

Information Displays . . . . . . . .. . 5-29

Vehicle Messages.. . . . . . . . . . . 5-37

Vehicle Personalization.. . . . . . 5-47

Universal Remote System . . . . 5-55

Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Interior Lighting . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . 6-8

Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9

Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Radio . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . ..7-7

Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14

Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 7-34

Phone . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7-47

Trademarks and License

Agreements . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 7-54

Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1

Air Vents.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-13

Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1

Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2

Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-21

Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30

Automatic Transmission . . . . . .9-31

Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 9-37

Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44

Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . .9-46

Cruise Control . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 9-51

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

2012 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual M

Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-53

Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61

Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67

Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-86

Vehicle Care . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . 10-1

General Information . . . . . . . . . .10-2

Vehicle Checks.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4

Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35

Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37

Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39

Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48

Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88

Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93

Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . .10-98

Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1

General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . .11-3

Special Application

Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8

Additional Maintenance

and Care . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 11-8

Recommended Fluids,

Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-11

Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-14

Technical Data . . . . . . ......... 12-1

Vehicle Identification.. . . . . . . . 12-1

Vehicle Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1

Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1

Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-13

Vehicle Data Recording and

Privacy . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14

OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 14-1

OnStar Overview.. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1

OnStar Services . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 14-2

OnStar Additional

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . 14-5

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

Introduction iii

The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem, and YUKON
are trademarks and/or service
marks of General Motors LLC, its
subsidiaries, affiliates, or licensors.

This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.

Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20902918 A First Printing

Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited” for GMC
wherever it appears in this manual.

If the vehicle is a hybrid, see the
hybrid supplement for more
information.

Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.

©

2011 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Canadian Vehicle Owners

Propriétaires Canadiens

A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:

On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:

Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de
langue française
www.helminc.com

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

iv Introduction

Using this Manual

To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.

Danger, Warnings, and Cautions

Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.

Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.

Warning or Caution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury or
death.

WARNING

{

These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.

Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.

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 : This symbol is shown when

you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.

* : This symbol is shown when

you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

Introduction v

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
# : Air Conditioning
! : Antilock Brake System (ABS)
% : Audio Steering Wheel Controls

or OnStar

®

$ : Brake System Warning Light
" : Charging System

I : Cruise Control

B : Engine Coolant Temperature

O : Exterior Lamps

# : Fog Lamps

. : Fuel Gauge

+ : Fuses

3 : Headlamp High/Low-Beam

Changer

( : Heated Steering Wheel
j : LATCH System Child

Restraints

* : Malfunction Indicator Lamp
: : Oil Pressure

g : Outside Power Foldaway

Mirrors

} : Power
/ : Remote Vehicle Start
> : Safety Belt Reminders
7 : Tire Pressure Monitor

_ : Tow/Haul Mode
d : Traction Control/StabiliTrak

M : Windshield Washer Fluid

®

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vi Introduction

2 NOTES

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In Brief 1-1

In Brief

Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 1-2

Initial Drive Information

Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)

System . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . 1-6

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1-6

Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Third Row Seats . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1-10

Heated and Ventilated

Seats . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Head Restraint

Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Safety Belts . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 1-11

Passenger Sensing

System . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Steering Wheel

Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Throttle and Brake Pedal

Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15

Windshield Wiper/Washer .... 1-15

Climate Controls . . . . . .. . . . . . . 1-16

Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17

Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18

Vehicle Features

Radio(s) . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19

Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-21

Bluetooth

Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-21

Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

Navigation System . . . . . . . .. . . 1-22

®

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Side Blind Zone

Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Rear Vision

Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-23

Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Universal Remote System . . . 1-24

Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1-24

Performance and Maintenance

StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-25

Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-25

Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-26

Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-26

Driving for Better Fuel

Economy .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27

Roadside Assistance

Program . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . 1-27

®

OnStar

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

1-2 In Brief

Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel Overview

English Version Shown; Metric Similar

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In Brief 1-3

A. Air Vents on page 8‑13.

B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.

See Turn and Lane-Change

Signals on page 6‑6.

Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.

Rear Window Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑5.

C. Instrument Cluster on

page 5‑12.

D. Hazard Warning Flashers on

page 6‑5 (Out of View).

E. Shift Lever. See Automatic

Transmission on page 9‑31.

F. Manual Mode on page 9‑35

(If Equipped).

Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑36

(If Equipped).

G. Driver Information Center (DIC)

Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑29.

H. Infotainment on page 7‑1.

I. Exterior Lamp Controls on

page 6‑1.

J. Dome Lamps on page 6‑8.

Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑8.

Fog Lamps on page 6‑6

(If Equipped).

K. Hood Release. See Hood on

page 10‑5.

L. Integrated Trailer Brake

Controller (If Equipped).
See Towing Equipment on
page 9‑76.

M. Data Link Connector (DLC)

(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑21.

N. Automatic Transfer Case

Control (If Equipped). See

Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed
Automatic Transfer Case) on
page 9‑37 or Four-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic
Transfer Case) on page 9‑42.

O. Cruise Control on page 9‑51.

P. Steering Wheel Adjustment on

page 5‑2.

Q. Horn on page 5‑4.

R. Steering Wheel Controls on

page 5‑2.

S. Climate Control Systems on

page 8‑1 (If Equipped).

Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4

(If Equipped).

T. Power Outlets on page 5‑9.

®

U. StabiliTrak

System on

page 9‑46 (If Equipped).

Pedal Adjust Button (If
Equipped). See Adjustable

Throttle and Brake Pedal on
page 9‑22.

Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑53 (If Equipped).

Power Assist Steps on
page 2‑13 (If Equipped).

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

1-4 In Brief

Initial Drive Information

This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.

For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System

The RKE transmitter is used to
remotely lock and unlock the doors
from up to 60 m (195 ft) away from
the vehicle.

RKE Transmitter with Remote

Start and Power Liftgate/Liftglass

K : Press to unlock the driver door.

Press

K again within three seconds

to unlock all remaining doors.

Q : Press to lock all doors.

Lock and unlock feedback can
be personalized. See Vehicle

Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑47.

m : Press and hold to unlock the

liftglass.

8 : Press and hold to open or

close the power liftgate.

L : Press and release to locate

the vehicle.

L and hold for more than

Press
two seconds to sound the panic
alarm.

L again to cancel the panic

Press
alarm.

See Keys on page 2‑2 and Remote

Keyless Entry (RKE) System on
page 2‑2.

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In Brief 1-5

Remote Vehicle Start

With this feature the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.

Starting the Vehicle

1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.

2. Press and release

3. Immediately after completing
Step 2, press and hold

the turn signal lamps flash.

When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on as
long as the engine is running. The
doors will be locked and the climate
control system may come on.

Q.

/ until

The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.

Canceling a Remote Start

To cancel a remote start:

.

Aim the RKE transmitter at
the vehicle and press and

hold

/ until the parking lamps

turn off.

.

Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.

.

Turn the ignition on and then
back off.

See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.

Door Locks

There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.

From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.

From inside, use the power door
locks or the manual door locks. To
lock or unlock the door with the
manual locks, push down or pull up
on the manual lock knob.

Power Door Locks

If available, the switches are on the
front doors.

K : Press to unlock the doors.
Q : Press to lock the doors.

See Door Locks on page 2‑7.

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1-6 In Brief

Liftgate

Press K on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter or use the
power door lock switches to unlock
the liftgate.

There are several ways to open and
close the power liftgate:

.

Press and hold 8 on the RKE
transmitter until the liftgate starts
moving.

.

Press 8 on the overhead
console inside the vehicle.

.

Press the touch pad switch on
the underside of the liftgate
handle (B).

.

Press l on the bottom of the
liftgate next to the latch to close.

To disable the power liftgate
function, press OFF on the
overhead console.

Liftglass

There are two ways to unlatch the
liftglass:

.

Press the button on the
underside of the license plate
applique (A).

.

Press m on the RKE
transmitter.

See Liftgate (Manual) on page 2‑9
or Liftgate (Power) on page 2‑10.

Windows

The power window controls are
located on each of the side doors.

The driver door also has switches
that control the front passenger and
rear windows. The power windows
work when the ignition is in ON/
RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY, or in
Retained Accessory Power (RAP).
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑27.

Press the switch to lower the
window. Pull the switch up to
raise it.

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For more information, see:

.

Windows on page 2‑20.

.

Power Windows on page 2‑21.

Seat Adjustment

Manual Seats

3. Try to move the seat back and
forth to be sure the seat is
locked in place.

See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3
for more information.

Power Seats

In Brief 1-7

.

If available, raise or lower the
front or rear part of the seat
cushion by moving the front or
rear of the control up or down.

.

If available, raise or lower the
entire seat by moving the entire
control up or down.

See Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑4 for more information.

To adjust the seat:

1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat.

2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.

To adjust a power seat, if equipped:

.

Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.

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1-8 In Brief

Lumbar Adjustment

Manual Lumbar

If equipped, increase or decrease
manual lumbar support by turning
the knob forward or rearward.

See Lumbar Adjustment on
page 3‑4 for more information.

Power Lumbar

To adjust the power lumbar support,
if equipped:

.

On vehicles with two-way
lumbar, press and hold the top
or bottom of the control to
increase or decrease lumbar
support.

.

On vehicles with four-way
lumbar, press and hold the front
or rear of the control to increase
or decrease lumbar support.

To raise or lower the height of
the support, press and hold the
top or bottom of the control.

See Lumbar Adjustment on
page 3‑4 for more information.

Reclining Seatbacks

Manual Reclining Seatbacks

To recline a manual seatback:

1. Lift the lever.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

In Brief 1-9

2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to the upright
position:

1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑5 for more information.

Power Reclining Seatbacks

To adjust a power seatback,
if equipped:

.

Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.

.

Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.

See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑5 for more information.

Memory Features

On vehicles with the memory
feature, the controls on the driver
door are used to program and recall
memory settings for the driver seat,
outside mirrors, and the adjustable
throttle and brake pedals,
if equipped.

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1-10 In Brief

Storing Memory Positions

To save into memory:

1. Adjust the driver seat and
seatback recliner, both outside
mirrors, and the throttle and
brake pedals, if equipped.

See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17
and Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal on page 9‑22 for
more information.

Not all mirrors and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals will
have the ability to save and
recall their positions.

2. Press and hold “1” until
two beeps sound.

3. Repeat for a second driver
position using “2.”

To recall, press and release “1” or
“2.” The vehicle must be in P (Park).
A single beep will sound. The seat,
outside mirrors, and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals,
if equipped, will move to the position
previously stored for the identified
driver.

See Memory Seats on page 3‑7 and

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47 for more

information.

Easy Exit Driver Seat

This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.

B : Press to recall the easy exit

seat position. The vehicle must be
in P (Park).

See Memory Seats on page 3‑7 and

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47 for more

information.

Second Row Seats

On vehicles with a 60/40 split bench
or buckets seats, the seatbacks can
be folded for additional cargo space,
or the seats can be folded and
tumbled for easy entry/exit to the
third row seats, if equipped. On
vehicles with bucket seats, the
seatbacks also recline.

See Second Row Seats on
page 3‑11 for more information.

Third Row Seats

On vehicles with third row seats, the
seatbacks can be folded, and the
entire seat can be tumbled or
removed from the vehicle.

For detailed instructions, see Third
Row Seats on page 3‑16.

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In Brief 1-11

Heated and Ventilated Seats

Heated and Cooled Seat Buttons

Shown, Heated Seat Buttons

Similar

If available, the buttons are on the
front doors.

H : If available, press to cool

the seat.

I : Press to heat the

seatback only.

J : Press to heat the seat and

seatback.

Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.

See Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats on page 3‑9.

Head Restraint Adjustment

Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.

To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.

For more information see Head

Restraints on page 3‑2 and Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.

Safety Belts

Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.

.

Safety Belts on page 3‑20.

.

How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑21.

.

Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑22.

.

Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑53.

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1-12 In Brief

Passenger Sensing System

The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, turns off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions. No other
airbag is affected by the passenger
sensing system.

If the vehicle has one of the
indicators pictured in the following
illustrations, then the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position.

The passenger airbag status
indicator, if equipped, will be visible
on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.

United States

Canada

See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑38 for important information.

Mirror Adjustment

Exterior Mirrors

Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to
right to see a little of the side of the
vehicle, and have a clear view
behind the vehicle.

See Manual Mirrors on page 2‑17

If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.
Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer. See Trailer-Tow
Mirrors on page 2‑17.

Power Mirrors

Vehicles with outside power mirrors
and foldaway mirrors have controls
located on the driver door.

1. Press (A) or (B) to select the
driver or passenger side mirror.

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In Brief 1-13

2. Press the arrows on the control
pad to move the mirror up,
down, right, or left.

3. Press either (A) or (B) again to
deselect the mirror.

See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17.

Power Foldaway Mirrors

To fold the mirrors:

1. Press (C) to fold the mirrors out
to the driving position.

2. Press (D) to fold the mirrors in to
the folded position.

The mirrors may also include a
memory function that works with the
memory seats. See Memory Seats
on page 3‑7 for more information.

Manual Foldaway Mirrors

Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.

See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑18.

Interior Mirrors

Vehicles with a manual rearview
mirror can be adjusted to see clearly
behind the vehicle. Hold the mirror
in the center to move it up or down
and side to side. Adjust the mirror to
avoid glare from the headlamps
behind you. Push the tab forward for
daytime use and pull it for
nighttime use.

Vehicles with the automatic dimming
feature will automatically reduce
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature comes on and the indicator
light illuminates each time the
vehicle is started.

See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑20 for more
information.

Steering Wheel Adjustment

The tilt lever is located on the lower
left side of the steering column.

To adjust the steering wheel:

1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever.

2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.

3. Release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.

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1-14 In Brief

Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.

Throttle and Brake Pedal Adjustment

On vehicles with this feature, you
can change the position of the
throttle and brake pedals.

The control used to adjust the
pedals is located on the instrument
panel below the climate control
system.

Press the bottom of the control to
move the pedals closer to your
body. Press the top of the control to
move the pedals away.

See Adjustable Throttle and Brake
Pedal on page 9‑22.

Interior Lighting

Dome Lamps

The dome lamps are located in the
overhead console.

They come on when any door is
opened and turn off after all the
doors are closed.

Turn the instrument panel
brightness knob located below
the dome lamp override button,
clockwise to the farthest position to
manually turn on the dome lamps.
The dome lamps remain on until the
knob is turned counterclockwise.

Dome Lamp Override

The dome lamp override button is
located next to the exterior lamps
control.

k : Press the button in and the

dome lamps remain off when a door
is opened. Press the button again to
return it to the extended position so
that the dome lamps come on when
a door is opened.

Reading Lamps

For vehicles with reading lamps in
the overhead console, press the
button located next to the lamp to
turn it on or off.

The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. To turn the
lamps on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp.

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In Brief 1-15

For more information about interior
lamps, see:

.

Dome Lamps on page 6‑8.

.

Reading Lamps on page 6‑9.

.

Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑8.

Exterior Lighting

The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering wheel.

O : Turns off the automatic

headlamps and Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). Turn the headlamp

control to the off position again to
turn the automatic headlamps or
DRL back on.

For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the off position will only work when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).

AUTO: Automatically turns on
the headlamps, parking lamps,
taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.

; : Turns on the parking lamps,

taillamps, instrument panel lights,
and license plate lamps.

5 : Turns on the headlamps,

parking lamps, taillamps, instrument
panel lights, and license plate
lamps.

For more information, see:

.

Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.

.

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑3.

.

Fog Lamps on page 6‑6.

Windshield Wiper/Washer

The front wiper control is located on
the turn and lane‐change lever. Turn
the band with the wiper symbol to
control the windshield wipers.

8 : For a single wipe, turn to 8,

then release. For several wipes,
hold the band on

8 longer.

9 : Turns the windshield

wipers off.

6 : Turn the band up for more

frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.

6 : Slow wipes.
? : Fast wipes.
L : Push this paddle to spray

washer fluid on the windshield.

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1-16 In Brief

Rear Wiper Window Wiper/Washer

To turn the rear wiper on, slide the
lever to a wiper position.

9 : Turns the wiper off.
5 : Turns on the rear wiper delay.
Z : Turns on the rear wiper.
= : Press the button on the end of

the lever to spray washer fluid on
the rear window.

See Windshield Wiper/Washer on

page 5‑5 and Rear Window Wiper/
Washer on page 5‑5.

Climate Controls

The heating, cooling, and ventilation in the vehicle can be controlled with
these systems.

If this vehicle is a hybrid, see the hybrid supplement for more information.

Climate Control System

A. Fan Control

B. REAR (Rear Climate Control)

C. Recirculation

D. Air Delivery Mode Control

E. Air Conditioning

F. Driver and Passenger

Temperature Controls

G. Rear Window Defogger

See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.

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Dual Automatic Climate Control System

A. Fan Control

B. AUTO (Automatic Operation)

C. Defrost

D. Recirculation

E. REAR (Rear Climate Control)

F. Air Delivery Mode Control

G. Driver Temperature Control

H. Display

I. Power Button

J. Rear Window Defogger

K. Air Conditioning

L. PASS

M. Passenger Temperature Control

See Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4 (If Equipped) .
For vehicles with rear heating and
air conditioning controls, see Rear

Climate Control System (Rear
Climate Control Only) on page 8‑10
or Rear Climate Control System
(Rear Climate with Rear Seat Audio)
on page 8‑11.

In Brief 1-17

Transmission

Range Selection Mode

Base Trim Shown (Uplevel Similar)

The Range Selection Mode switch
is located on the shift lever.

1. To enable the Range Selection
feature, move the column shift
lever to the M (Manual) position.
The current range will appear
next to the M. This is the highest
attainable range with all lower
gears accessible. As an
example, when 5 (Fifth) gear is
selected, 1 (First) through
5 (Fifth) gears are available.

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1-18 In Brief

2. Press the plus/minus buttons,
located on the steering column
shift lever, to select the desired
range of gears for current driving
conditions. See Manual Mode on
page 9‑35.

While using Range Selection Mode,
cruise control and the Tow/Haul
mode can be used.

Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑36.

Four-Wheel Drive

If the vehicle has Four-Wheel Drive,
you can send the engine's driving
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.

Automatic Transfer Case

Two Speed Transfer Case

Single Speed Transfer Case

The transfer case knob is located to
the left of the instrument panel
cluster. Use this knob to shift into
and out of the different Four-Wheel
Drive modes.

m : This setting is used for driving

2

in most street and highway
situations.

AUTO: This setting is ideal for
use when road surface traction
conditions are variable.

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In Brief 1-19

4 m : Use the Four-Wheel-Drive

High position when extra traction is
needed, such as on snowy or icy
roads or in most off-road situations.

n : Vehicles with a two speed

4

transfer case have a
Four-Wheel-Drive Low position. This
setting sends maximum power to all
four wheels. You might choose
Four-Wheel-Drive Low if you are
driving off-road in deep sand, deep
mud, deep snow, and while climbing
or descending steep hills.

N (Neutral): Vehicles with a two
speed transfer case have a
N (Neutral) position. Shift the
transfer case to N (Neutral) only
when towing the vehicle. See

Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑93 or Towing the Vehicle
on page 10‑93.

See Four-Wheel Drive (Two Speed
Automatic Transfer Case) on
page 9‑37 or Four-Wheel Drive
(Single Speed Automatic Transfer
Case) on page 9‑42.

Vehicle Features

Radio(s)

Radio with USB, CD, and DVD (MP3)

O : Press to turn the system on

and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.

BAND: Press to choose between
FM, AM, or XM™, if equipped.

f : Select radio stations.

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1-20 In Brief

© SEEK or ¨ SEEK: Seek or scan

stations.

4 : Press to switch the display

between the radio station frequency
and the time. While the ignition is
off, press this button to display the
time. Press to display additional text
information related to the current
FM-RDS or XM station; or CD, MP3,
or WMA song. If information is
available during XM, CD, MP3,
or WMA playback, the song title
information displays on the top line
of the display and artist information
displays on the bottom line. When
information is not available, “NO
INFO” displays.

For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Operation on page 7‑3.

For vehicles with a Rear Seat
Entertainment System (RSE) and
Rear Seat Audio System (RSA), see

Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE)
System on page 7‑34 and Rear
Seat Audio (RSA) System on
page 7‑45 for more information.

Storing Radio Stations

A maximum of 36 stations can be
stored as favorites using the six
softkeys located below the radio
station frequency tabs and by using
the radio FAV button. Press FAV to
go through up to six pages of
favorites, each having six favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM
stations.

For more information, see “Storing
Radio Stations” in AM-FM Radio on
page 7‑7.

Setting the Clock

To set the time and date:

1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, then

press

O, to turn the radio on.

2. Press

H to display HR, MIN,

MM, DD, and YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year).

3. Press the softkey located under
any one of the labels to be
changed.

4. To increase or decrease the time
or date, turn

counter‐clockwise.

For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for the vehicle's specific
audio system, see Clock on
page 5‑8.

f clockwise or

Satellite Radio

XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM satellite radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.

A fee is required to receive the
XM service.

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In Brief 1-21

For more information, refer to:

.

www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)

.

www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)

See Satellite Radio on page 7‑9.

Portable Audio Devices

This vehicle has an auxiliary input,
located on the audio faceplate,
and a USB port located on the
instrument panel or in the center
console. External devices such
as iPod
MP3 players, CD changers, USB
storage device, etc. can be
connected to the auxiliary port using
a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) input jack or the
USB port depending on the audio
system.

See Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑30
for further information.

®

, laptop computers,

Bluetooth

®

For vehicles with a Bluetooth
system, it allows users with a
Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone to
make and receive hands-free calls
using the vehicle’s audio system
and controls.

The Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone
must be paired with the Bluetooth
system before it can be used in the
vehicle. Not all phones will support
all functions. For more information,
visit www.gm.com/bluetooth.

For more information, see Bluetooth
on page 7‑47.

Steering Wheel Controls

If available, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.

w : Press to go to the next favorite

radio station, track on a CD,
or folder on an iPod
device.

®

or USB

c / x : Press to go to the

previous favorite radio station, track
on a CD, or folder on an iPod
USB device. Press to reject an
incoming call, or to end a call.

®

or

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1-22 In Brief

b / g : Press to silence the vehicle

speakers only. Press again to turn
the sound on. Press and hold longer
than two seconds to interact with

®

OnStar
if equipped.

+

−

SRCE: Press to switch between
the radio and CD, and for equipped
vehicles, the DVD, front auxiliary,
and rear auxiliary.

or Bluetooth systems,

e : Press to increase volume.

e : Press to decrease volume.

¨ : Press to seek the next radio

station, the next track or chapter
while sourced to the CD or DVD
slot, or to select tracks and folders
on an iPod or USB device.

For more information, see Steering
Wheel Controls on page 5‑2.

Cruise Control

T : Press to turn the system on

or off. The indicator light is on when
cruise control is on and turns off
when cruise control is off.

+ RES : Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume to a previously set
speed, or press and hold to
accelerate.

SET − : Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or make the
vehicle decelerate.

[ : Press to disengage cruise

control without erasing the set
speed from memory.

See Cruise Control on page 9‑51.

Navigation System

If the vehicle has a navigation
system, there is a separate
navigation system manual that
includes information on the radio,
audio players, and navigation
system.

The navigation system provides
detailed maps of most major
freeways and roads. After a
destination has been set, the
system provides turn-by-turn
instructions for reaching the
destination. In addition, the system
can help locate a variety of points of
interest (POIs), such as banks,
airports, restaurants, and more.

See the navigation system manual
for more information.

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In Brief 1-23

Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)

If available, this feature will alert you
to vehicles located in the vehicle's
side blind zone. When the system
detects a vehicle in the side blind
zone, the SBZA display will light up
in the corresponding outside side
mirror.

The system is enabled at every
vehicle startup. It can be disabled
through the Driver Information
Center (DIC).

If the message SIDE BLIND ZONE
SYSTEM UNAVAILABLE appears
on the DIC, the system has been
disabled because the sensor is
blocked and cannot detect vehicles
in the blind zone. The sensor may
be blocked by mud, dirt, snow, ice,
slush, or even heavy rainstorms.
This message may also activate
during heavy rain or due to road
spray. The vehicle does not need
service.

See Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
on page 9‑54 for more information.

Rear Vision Camera (RVC)

If available, the RVC displays a view
of the area behind the vehicle when
the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse). The display will appear
on either the inside rearview mirror
or navigation screen, if equipped.

To clean the camera lens, located
above the license plate, rinse it with
water and wipe it with a soft cloth.

See Rear Vision Camera (RVC) on
page 9‑57.

Ultrasonic Parking Assist

If available, Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system uses sensors
on the rear bumper to assist with
parking and avoiding objects while
in R (Reverse). It operates at
speeds less than 8 km/h (5 mph).

URPA uses audible beeps to
provide distance and system
information.

Keep the sensors on the vehicle's
rear bumper clean to ensure proper
operation.

See Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑53 for more information.

Power Outlets

The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.

There are two under the climate
controls, one inside the center floor
console, one on the rear of the
center floor console and one
accessory power outlet in the rear
cargo area on the passenger side.

The accessory power outlets are
powered, even with the ignition off.
Continuing to use accessory power
outlets while the ignition is in LOCK/
OFF may cause the vehicle's
battery to run down.

See Power Outlets on page 5‑9.

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1-24 In Brief

Universal Remote System

Vehicles with the Universal Remote
System will have these buttons
located in the headliner.

This system provides a way to
replace up to three remote control
transmitters used to activate
devices such as garage door
openers, security systems, and
home automation devices.

Read the instructions completely
before attempting to program the
transmitter. Because of the steps
involved, it may be helpful to have
another person assist with
programming the transmitter.

See Universal Remote System on
page 5‑55.

Sunroof

A. Open or Close

B. Vent

On vehicles with a sunroof, there
are two sunroof switches on the
overhead console above the
rearview mirror.

The sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN or the Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) is active.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑27 for more
information.

To open or close the sunroof, press
the open or close switch (A) to the
first detent position.

To express open or close the
sunroof, press the open or close
switch (A) to the second detent
position and release. To stop the
movement, press the switch again.

The sunroof has a comfort stop
feature which stops the sunroof from
opening to the full-open position.
From the comfort stop position,
press the open or close switch (A) a
second time to open the sunroof to
the full-open position.

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To automatically vent or close the
sunroof, press the vent open or
close switch (B).

When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.

The sunroof also has a sunshade
which can be pulled forward to block
sun rays. The sunshade must be
opened and closed manually.

If an object is in the path of the
sunroof while it is closing, the
anti-pinch feature will detect the
object and stop the sunroof.

See Sunroof on page 2‑22.

Performance and Maintenance

StabiliTrak®System

If equipped, the vehicle has a
traction control system that limits
wheel spin and the StabiliTrak
system that assists with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions. Both systems
turn on automatically every time the
vehicle is started.

.

To turn off traction control, press
and release

panel. The appropriate DIC
message displays. See Ride

Control System Messages on
page 5‑43.

.

To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and hold

g until g illuminates and the

appropriate DIC message
displays. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑43.

g on the instrument

In Brief 1-25

.

Press and release g again to
turn on both systems.

For more information, see

StabiliTrak

®

System on page 9‑46.

Tire Pressure Monitor

This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).

The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑16. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.

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1-26 In Brief

During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.

The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.

See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑58.

Engine Oil Life System

The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and, on most vehicles, displays a
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.

Resetting the Oil Life System

To reset the Engine Oil Life System
on most vehicles:

1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING
on the DIC. If the vehicle does
not have DIC buttons, the
vehicle must be in P (Park) to
access this display.

2. Press and hold the SET/RESET
button on the DIC, or the trip
odometer reset stem if the
vehicle does not have DIC
buttons, for more than
five seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.

On all vehicles, the Engine Oil Life
System can be reset as follows:

1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with
the engine off.

2. Fully press the accelerator pedal
slowly three times within
five seconds.

3. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING
on the DIC. If the display shows
100%, the system is reset.

See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑10.

Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)

Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑64. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑62.

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Driving for Better Fuel Economy

Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.

.

Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.

.

Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.

.

Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.

.

When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.

.

Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.

.

Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.

.

Combine several trips into a
single trip.

.

Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.

.

Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Roadside Assistance Program

U.S.: 1-888-881-3302

TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438

Canada: 1-800-268-6800

As the owner of a new GMC, you
are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program.

See Roadside Assistance Program
on page 13‑5 for more information.

Roadside Assistance and OnStar

If you have an active OnStar
subscription, press the

and the current GPS location will be

Q button

In Brief 1-27

sent to an OnStar advisor who will
assess your problem, contact
Roadside Assistance, and relay
your exact location to get the help
you need.

Online Owner Center

The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.

Sign up today at:
www.gmcownercenter.com (U.S.)
or www.gm.ca (Canada).

OnStar

If equipped, this vehicle has a
comprehensive, in-vehicle system
that can connect to a live Advisor
for Emergency, Security, Navigation,
Connection, and Diagnostic
Services. See OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1 for more information.

®

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1-28 In Brief

2 NOTES

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-1

Keys, Doors, and Windows

Keys and Locks

Keys . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 2-2

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)

System . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)

System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

Doors

Liftgate (Manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

Liftgate (Power) . . . . . . . . .... . . 2-10

Power Assist Steps . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Vehicle Security

Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . ...... 2-14

Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . 2-14

Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-15

Exterior Mirrors

Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2-17

Trailer-Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 2-17

Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . ... . . . . 2-19

Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . 2-19

Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . ... . 2-19

Interior Mirrors

Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-20

Automatic Dimming Rearview

Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Windows

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 2-20

Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . 2-22

Roof

Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2-22

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2-2 Keys, Doors, and Windows

Keys and Locks

Keys

WARNING

{

Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.

The key is used for the ignition and
all door locks.

The key has a bar-coded key tag
that the dealer or qualified locksmith
can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not
in the vehicle.

See your dealer if a replacement
key or additional key is needed.

Notice: If the keys get locked in
the vehicle, it may have to be
damaged to get them out. Always
carry a spare key.

If you are locked out of the vehicle,
call the Roadside Assistance
Center. See Roadside Assistance
Program on page 13‑5.

With an active OnStar subscription,
an OnStar Advisor may remotely
unlock the vehicle. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System

See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑16 for information

regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.

If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:

.

Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.

.

Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

.

Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.

.

If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation

The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.

There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.

Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-3

With Remote Start and Liftglass

With Remote Start and Power

Liftgate and Liftglass

The following functions may be
available if your vehicle has the
RKE system:

/ (Remote Vehicle Start): For

vehicles with this feature, press to
start the engine from outside the
vehicle using the RKE transmitter.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for additional information.

Q (Lock): Press to lock all the

doors.

If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the turn
signal lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred. If enabled
through the DIC, the horn chirps
when the lock button is pressed
again within three seconds. See

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47 for additional

information.

Pressing
theft‐deterrent system. See

Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑14.

Q arms the content

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2-4 Keys, Doors, and Windows

K (Unlock): Press once to unlock

only the driver door. If
again within three seconds, all
remaining doors unlock. The interior
lamps may come on and stay on for
20 seconds or until the ignition is
turned on.

If enabled through the DIC, the turn
signal lamps flash twice to indicate
unlocking has occurred. See Vehicle

Personalization (With DIC Buttons)
on page 5‑47. If enabled through

the DIC, the exterior lights turn on
briefly if it is dark enough outside.
See “Approach Lighting” under

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47.

Pressing
disarms the content theft‐deterrent
system. See Anti-theft Alarm
System on page 2‑14.

K on the RKE transmitter

K is pressed

m (Liftglass): Press and hold to

unlock the liftglass.

8 (Power Liftgate): Press and

hold to open and close the liftgate.
The taillamps flash and a chime
sounds to indicate when the liftgate
is opening and closing.

L (Vehicle Locator/Panic

Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times.

Press and hold
two seconds to activate the panic
alarm. The turn signal lamps flash
and the horn sounds repeatedly for
30 seconds. The alarm turns off
when the ignition is moved to

ON/RUN or
The ignition must be in LOCK/OFF
for the panic alarm to work.

Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle

Only RKE transmitters programmed
to this vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.

L for more than

L is pressed again.

When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to this vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
reprogrammed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters will no longer work
once the new transmitter is
programmed. The vehicle can have
a maximum of eight transmitters
programmed to it. See your dealer
to program transmitters to the
vehicle.

Battery Replacement

Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
“REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE
KEY” under Key and Lock
Messages on page 5‑41 for
additional information.

Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-5

To replace the battery:

1. Separate the transmitter with a
flat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.

.

Carefully insert the tool
into the notch located
along the parting line of the
transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.

.

Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.

2. Remove the old battery. Do not
use a metal object.

3. Insert the new battery, positive
side facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.

4. Snap the transmitter back
together.

Remote Vehicle Start

If available, this feature allows you
to start the engine from outside of
the vehicle. It may also start up the
vehicle's heating or air conditioning
systems and rear window defogger.
Normal operation of the system will
return after the key is turned to the
ON/RUN position.

If the vehicle has an automatic
climate control system, the climate
control system will default to a
heating or cooling mode depending
on the outside temperatures. If the
vehicle does not have an automatic
climate control system, the system
will turn on at the setting the vehicle
was set to when the vehicle was
last turned off.

During a remote start, if the vehicle
has an automatic climate control
system and heated seats, the
heated seats will turn on during
colder outside temperatures and will
shut off when the key is turned to
ON/RUN. If the vehicle does not
have an automatic climate control
system, during remote start,
manually turn the heated seats on
and off. See Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats on page 3‑9 for
additional information.

Laws in some communities may
restrict the use of remote starters.
For example, some laws may
require a person using the remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements
on remote starting of vehicles.

Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel.

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2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows

If the vehicle has the remote start
feature, the RKE transmitter
functions will have an increased
range of operation. However, the
range may be less while the vehicle
is running.

There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2 for
additional information.

/ (Remote Start): This button will

be on the RKE transmitter if the
vehicle has remote start.

To start the vehicle using the remote
start feature:

1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.

2. Press and release

3. Immediately press and hold
until the turn signal lamps flash.
If you cannot see the vehicle's

lamps, press and hold
two to four seconds.

Q.

/

/ for

When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the vehicle is
running. The doors will be
locked and the climate control
system may come on.

The engine will continue to run
for 10 minutes. Repeat the steps
for a 10-minute time extension.
Remote start can be extended
only once.

After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.

To cancel a remote start:

.

Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold

until the parking lamps turn off.

.

Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.

.

Turn the ignition on and then
back off.

/

The vehicle can be remote started
two separate times between driving
sequences. The engine will run for
10 minutes after each remote start.

Or, you can extend the engine run
time by another 10 minutes within
the first 10 minute remote start time
frame, and before the engine stops.

For example, if
pressed again after the vehicle has
been running for 5 minutes,
10 minutes are added, allowing the
engine to run for 15 minutes.

The additional 10 minutes are
considered a second remote vehicle
start.

Once two remote starts, or a single
remote start with one time extension
has been done, the vehicle must be
started with the key. After the key is
removed from the ignition, the
vehicle can be remote started again.

Q and then / are

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-7

The vehicle cannot be remote
started if the key is in the ignition,
the hood is not closed, or if there is
an emission control system
malfunction and the check engine
light is on.

Also, the engine will turn off during a
remote vehicle start if the coolant
temperature gets too high or if the
oil pressure gets low.

Remote Start Ready

If the vehicle does not have the
remote vehicle start feature, it may
have the remote start ready feature.
This feature allows your dealer to
add the manufacturer's remote
vehicle start feature.

See your dealer to add the
manufacturer's remote vehicle start
feature to the vehicle.

Door Locks

WARNING

{

Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.

.

Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

.

Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.

.

Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.

There are several ways to lock and
unlock the vehicle.

From outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key in the driver door.

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2-8 Keys, Doors, and Windows

From inside, use the power door
locks or manual door locks. To lock
or unlock the door with the manual
locks, push down or pull up on the
manual lock knob.

Power Door Locks

With power door locks, the switches
on the front doors can be used to
lock and unlock the vehicle.

If available, the switches are on the
front doors.

K (Unlock): Press to unlock the

doors.

Q (Lock): Press to lock the doors.

Delayed Locking

When locking the doors with the
power lock switch and a door or the
liftgate is open, the doors will lock
five seconds after the last door is
closed. You will hear three chimes
to signal that the delayed locking
feature is in use.

Pressing the power lock switch
twice will override the delayed
locking feature and immediately lock
all the doors.

This feature will not operate if the
key is in the ignition.

You can program this feature using
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See “Delay Door Lock” under

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47.

Automatic Door Locks

The vehicle may have an automatic
lock/unlock feature. This feature can
be programmed using the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See

Vehicle Personalization (With DIC
Buttons) on page 5‑47 for more

information on DIC programming.

Lockout Protection

If the driver side power door lock
switch is pressed when the driver
door is open and the key is in the
ignition, all of the doors will lock and
then the driver door will unlock.

If the passenger side power door
lock switch is pressed when the
front passenger door is open and
the key is in the ignition, all of the
doors will lock and then the front
passenger door will unlock.

Safety Locks

The vehicle has rear door security
locks to prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the
inside.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9

Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.

To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.

Doors

Liftgate (Manual)

WARNING

{

It can be dangerous to drive with
the liftglass or liftgate open
because carbon monoxide (CO)
gas can come into your vehicle.
You cannot see or smell CO.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death.

If you must drive with the liftglass
or liftgate open, or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections
must pass through the seal
between the body and the
liftglass or liftgate:

.

Make sure all other windows
are shut.

.

Turn the fan on your heating
or cooling system to its
highest speed with the

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

recirculation mode off. That
will force outside air into your
vehicle. See Climate Control

Systems on page 8‑1 or Dual
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4.

.

If you have air outlets on or
under the instrument panel,
open them all the way.

.

If your vehicle has a power
liftgate, disable the power
liftgate function.

See Engine Exhaust on
page 9‑30.

K on the Remote Keyless

Press
Entry (RKE) transmitter or use the
power door lock switches to unlock
the liftgate. See Remote Keyless

Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3.

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2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows

On vehicles with a liftglass, press
the button on the underside of the
license pocket applique (A) to open
it. The liftglass can also be opened

by pressing
transmitter.

To open the entire liftgate, press the
touchpad on the underside of the
liftgate handle (B). The vehicle must
be in P (Park) to open the liftgate.
To close the liftgate, use the pull
cup or pull strap.

The liftgate or liftglass cannot be
opened if the rear wipers are in
motion. Attempting to open the

m on the RKE

liftgate or liftglass while the rear
wipers are in motion will cause the
release of the liftglass or liftgate to
delay until the wipers are moved off
the liftglass.

Both the liftglass and liftgate have
an electric latch. If the battery is
disconnected or has low voltage,
the liftglass and liftgate will not
open. The liftglass and liftgate will
resume operation when the battery
is reconnected and charged.

Liftgate (Power)

Power Liftgate Operation

WARNING

{

Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

Monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.

If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:

.

Close all of the windows.

.

Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.

.

Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.

.

If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.

For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑30.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

On vehicles with a power liftgate,
the button is on the overhead
console.

The vehicle must be in P (Park) to
use the power liftgate feature.

8 : Press the top of the button to

open or close the power liftgate.

OFF: Press the bottom of the
button for manual operation of the
power liftgate.

The taillamps will flash and a chime
will sound when the power liftgate is
moving.

WARNING

{

You or others could be injured if
caught in the path of the power
liftgate. Make sure there is no one
in the way of the liftgate as it is
opening and closing.

Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11

Notice: If you open the liftgate
without checking for overhead
obstructions such as a garage
door, you could damage the
liftgate or the liftgate glass.
Always check to make sure the
area above and behind the liftgate
is clear before opening it.

The power liftgate can be power
opened and closed in the
following ways:

.

Press and hold 8 on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter until the liftgate starts
moving. See Remote Keyless

Entry (RKE) System Operation
on page 2‑3.

.

Press 8 on the overhead
console.

.

Press the touch pad on the
outside liftgate handle.

Pressing the buttons, or touch pad
switch a second time while the
liftgate is moving reverses the
direction.

l : The liftgate can also be

closed by pressing this button next
to the liftgate latch.

Press the button a second time
during liftgate operation to reverse
that operation.

The power liftgate may be
temporarily disabled under extreme
temperatures, or under low battery
conditions. If this occurs, the liftgate
can still be operated manually.

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2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows

If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) while the power function is
in progress, the liftgate power
function will continue to completion.
If the transmission is shifted out of
P (Park) and the vehicle accelerates
before the power liftgate latches
closed, the liftgate may reverse to
the open position. Cargo could fall
out of the vehicle. Always make
sure the power liftgate is closed and
latched before you drive away.

If you power open the liftgate and
the liftgate support struts have lost
pressure, the lamps will flash and a
chime will sound. The liftgate will
stay open temporarily, then slowly
close. See your dealer for service
before using the liftgate.

Obstacle Detection Features

If the liftgate encounters an obstacle
during a power open or close cycle,
a warning chime will sound and the
liftgate will automatically reverse
direction to the full closed or open
position. After removing the
obstruction, the power liftgate
operation can be used again.
If the liftgate encounters multiple
obstacles on the same power cycle,
the power function will deactivate,
and you must manually open or
close the liftgate. The REAR
ACCESS OPEN warning message
in the Driver Information Center
(DIC) will indicate that the liftgate
is open. After removing the
obstructions, manually open the
liftgate to the full open position or
close the liftgate to the fully closed
and latched position. The liftgate will
now resume normal power
operation.

Pinch sensors are located on the
sides of the liftgate. If an object is
caught between the liftgate and the
body and presses against this
sensor, the liftgate will reverse
direction and open fully. The liftgate
will remain open until it is activated
again or closed manually. Do not
force the liftgate open or closed
during a power cycle.

Manual Operation of Power
Liftgate

To change the liftgate to manual
operation, press the switch on the
overhead console to the OFF
position.

With the power liftgate disabled and
all of the doors unlocked, the liftgate
can be manually opened and
closed.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13

To open the liftgate, press the touch
pad on the handle on the outside of
the liftgate, and lift the gate open. To
close the liftgate, use the pull cup to
lower the liftgate and close. The
liftgate latch will power close.
Always close the liftgate before
driving.

If the RKE button or the power close
button on the liftgate is pressed
while power operation is disabled,
the lamps will flash three times, but
the liftgate will not move.

It is not recommended that you
drive with the liftgate open,
however, if you must drive with the
liftgate open, the liftgate should be
set to manual operation by pressing
the OFF switch on the center
console.

The liftgate has an electric latch.
If the battery is disconnected or has
low voltage, the liftgate will not
open. The liftgate will resume
operation when the battery is
reconnected and charged.

If the battery is properly connected
with adequate voltage, the switch is
not disabled, and the liftgate still will
not function, your vehicle should be
taken to a dealer for service.

Power Assist Steps

The vehicle may have power assist
steps.

The switch used to disable the
power assist steps is located on the
center console below the climate
control system.

The power assist steps
automatically extend from beneath
the vehicle on the side in which the
door has been opened. Once the
door is closed, the assist steps
automatically move back under the
vehicle after a brief delay. The
vehicle must not be moving for the
assist steps to extend or retract.

The assist steps cannot be disabled
in the extended position.

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2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows

Vehicle Security

This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.

Anti-theft Alarm System

Your vehicle has a content
theft-deterrent alarm system.

This is the security light.

To arm the theft-deterrent system:

1. Open the door.

2. Lock the door with the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
or the power door lock switch.

The security light will come on to
inform the driver the system is
arming. If a door is open when
the doors are locked, the
security light will flash.

If the delayed locking feature is
turned on, the theft‐deterrent
system will not start the arming
process until the last door is
closed and the delay timer has
expired. See Delayed Locking
on page 2‑8.

3. Close all doors. The security
light should go off after about
30 seconds. The alarm is not
armed until the security light
goes off.

If a locked driver door is opened
without using the RKE transmitter, a
10-second pre-alarm will occur. The
horn will chirp and the lights will
flash. If the key is not placed in the
ignition and turned to START or the
door is not unlocked by pressing
the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter during the 10-second
pre-alarm, the alarm will go off.

Your vehicle's headlamps will flash
and the horn will sound for about
30 seconds, then will turn off to save
the battery power.

The theft-deterrent system will not
activate if the doors are locked with
the vehicle's key or the manual door
lock. It activates only if you use the
power door lock switch with the door
open or the RKE transmitter. You
should also remember that you can
start your vehicle with the correct
ignition key if the alarm has been
set off.

To avoid setting off the alarm by
accident:

.

If you do not want to activate the
theft-deterrent system, the
vehicle should be locked with
the door key after the doors are
closed.

.

Always unlock the doors with the
RKE transmitter. Unlocking a
door any other way will set off
the alarm if it is armed.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-15

If you set off the alarm by accident,
press unlock on the RKE transmitter
or place the key in the ignition and
turn it to START to turn off the
alarm. The alarm will not stop if you
try to unlock a door any other way.

Testing the Alarm

To test the alarm:

1. From inside the vehicle, lower
the driver window and open the
driver door.

2. Activate the system by locking
the doors with the power door
lock switch while the door is
open, or with the RKE
transmitter.

3. Get out of the vehicle, close the
door and wait for the security
light to go out.

4. Then reach in through the
window, unlock the door with the
manual door lock and open the
door. This should set off the
alarm.

While the alarm is set, the power
door unlock switch will not work.

If the alarm does not sound when it
should but the headlamps flash,
check to see if the horn works. The
horn fuse may be blown. To replace
the fuse, see Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 10‑40.

If the alarm does not sound or the
headlamps do not flash, the vehicle
should be serviced by your dealer.

Immobilizer

See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑16 for information

regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.

Immobilizer Operation

This vehicle has PASS-Key®III+
(Personalized Automotive Security
System) theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key III+ is a passive
theft-deterrent system.

The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition.

The system is automatically
disarmed when the key is turned to
ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY,
or START from the LOCK/OFF
position.

You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system.

The security light will come on if
there is a problem with arming or
disarming the theft-deterrent
system.

When the PASS-Key III+ system
senses that someone is using the
wrong key, it prevents the vehicle
from starting. Anyone using a
trial-and-error method to start the

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2-16 Keys, Doors, and Windows

vehicle will be discouraged because
of the high number of electrical key
codes.

If the engine does not start and the
security light on the instrument
panel cluster comes on when trying
to start the vehicle, there may be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. Turn the ignition off and try
again.

If the engine still does not start, and
the key appears to be undamaged,
try another ignition key. At this time,
you may also want to check the
fuse. See Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 10‑40. If the
engine still does not start with the
other key, the vehicle needs service.
If the vehicle does start, the first key
may be faulty. See your dealer who
can service the PASS-Key III+ to
have a new key made.

It is possible for the PASS-Key III+
decoder to learn the transponder
value of a new or replacement key.
Up to 10 keys may be programmed
for the vehicle. The following

procedure is for programming
additional keys only. If all the
currently programmed keys are lost
or do not operate, you must see
your dealer or a locksmith who can
service PASS-Key III+ to have keys
made and programmed to the
system.

See your dealer or a locksmith who
can service PASS-Key III+ to get a
new key blank cut exactly as the
ignition key that operates the
system.

To program the new additional key:

1. Verify that the new key has a
stamped on it.

2. Insert the original, already
programmed key in the ignition
and start the engine. If the
engine will not start, see your
dealer for service.

3. After the engine has started, turn
the key to LOCK/OFF, and
remove the key.

1

4. Insert the new key to be
programmed and turn it to the
ON/RUN position within
five seconds of turning the
ignition to the LOCK/OFF
position in Step 3.

The security light will turn off
once the key has been
programmed.

5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 if
additional keys are to be
programmed.

If you lose or damage your
PASS-Key III+ key, see your dealer
or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key III+ to have a new
key made.

Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the
theft-deterrent system in the vehicle.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-17

Exterior Mirrors

Convex Mirrors

WARNING

{

A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.

The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.

Manual Mirrors

Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to

right to see a little of the side of the
vehicle, and have a clear view
behind the vehicle.

Using hood-mounted air deflectors
and add-on convex mirror
attachments could decrease mirror
performance.

Trailer-Tow Mirrors

If the vehicle has towing mirrors,
they can be adjusted for a clearer
view of the objects behind you.
Manually pull out the mirror head to
extend it for better visibility when
towing a trailer.

The lower portion of the mirror is
convex. A convex mirror's surface is
curved to see more from the driver
seat. The convex mirror can be
adjusted manually to the driver
preferred position for better vision.

The mirror may have a turn signal
arrow that flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.

Power Mirrors

Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have the controls on the driver door
armrest.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

2-18 Keys, Doors, and Windows

To adjust each mirror:

1. Press (A) or (B) to select the
driver or passenger side mirror.

2. Press the arrows on the control
pad to move the mirror up,
down, right, or left.

3. Adjust each outside mirror so
that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.

4. Press either (A) or (B) again to
deselect the mirror.

The mirrors may also include a
memory function that works with the
memory seats. See Memory Seats
on page 3‑7 for more information.

Folding Mirrors

Vehicles with outside power
foldaway mirrors have the controls
located on the driver door armrest.

Power Foldaway

1. Press (A) to fold the mirrors out
to the driving position.

2. Press (B) to fold the mirrors in to
the folded position.

Resetting the Power Foldaway
Mirrors

Reset the power foldaway mirrors if:

.

The mirrors are accidentally
obstructed while folding.

.

They are accidentally manually
folded/unfolded.

.

The mirrors will not stay in the
unfolded position.

.

The mirrors shake and flutter at
normal driving speeds.

Fold and unfold them one time
using the mirror controls to reset
them to their normal position.

Manual Foldaway

Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirrors toward the
vehicle. Push the mirrors outward,
to return to its original position.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19

Turn Signal Indicator

The vehicle may have a turn signal
indicator on the mirror. An arrow on
the mirror flashes in the direction of
the turn or lane change.

Ground Illumination Lamps

The mirrors may also include
ground illumination lamps in the
base of the mirror. These lamps
help to see the area near the base
of the front doors when it is
dark out.

Heated Mirrors

For vehicles with heated mirrors:

1 (Rear Window Defogger):

Press to heat the mirrors.

See “Rear Window Defogger” under

Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑4 or Climate
Control Systems on page 8‑1 for

more information.

Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)

If your vehicle has the Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system, see Side

Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) on
page 9‑54.

Automatic Dimming Mirror

Vehicles with the dimming feature
have a driver outside mirror that
adjusts for the glare of headlamps
behind you. See Manual Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑20 for more
information.

Park Tilt Mirrors

Vehicles with the memory package
have a passenger and/or driver
mirror that tilts to a preselected
position when the vehicle is in
R (Reverse). This feature lets the
driver view the curb when parallel
parking. The mirror(s) return to the
original position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), or the
ignition is turned off.

Turn this feature on or off through
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑47 for more
information.

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2-20 Keys, Doors, and Windows

Interior Mirrors

Manual Rearview Mirror

Hold the mirror in the center to
move it for a clearer view of behind
your vehicle. Adjust the mirror to
avoid glare from the headlamps
behind you. Push the tab at the
bottom of the mirror forward for
daytime use and pull it for
nighttime use.

Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror

The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.

Automatic dimming reduces the
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you. The dimming
feature comes on and the indicator
light illuminates each time the
ignition is turned to start.

O (On/Off): Press to turn the

dimming feature on or off.

The vehicle may also have a Rear
Vision Camera (RVC). See Rear

Vision Camera (RVC) on page 9‑57

for more information.

If the vehicle has a RVC, the
button for turning the dimming
feature on or off will not be
available.

Vehicles with OnStar have three
additional control buttons for the
OnStar system. See your dealer for
more information about OnStar and
how to subscribe to it. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.

O

Cleaning the Mirror

Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.

Windows

WARNING

{

Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in a
pulsing sound when either rear
window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the
sound, open either a front window
or the sunroof (if equipped).

Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-21

Power Windows

WARNING

{

Leaving children in a vehicle with
the keys is dangerous for many
reasons. Children or others could
be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power
windows or other controls or even
make the vehicle move. The
windows will function and they
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave keys in a
vehicle with children.

When there are children in the
rear seat use the window lockout
button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.

The power window switches are
located on each of the side doors.

The driver door also has switches
that control the front passenger and
rear windows. The power windows
work when the ignition is in ON/
RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY, or in
Retained Accessory Power (RAP).
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑27.

Press the switch to lower the
window. Pull up the front of the
switch to raise the window.

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2-22 Keys, Doors, and Windows

Express Down Windows

Windows that have the express‐
down feature allow the windows to
be lowered without holding the
switch. Press the window switch
fully and release it to activate the
express‐down feature. The express
mode can be canceled at any time
by briefly pressing, or pulling the
switch.

Window Lockout

o (Window Lockout): The

window lockout switch is on the
driver door. This feature prevents
the rear passenger windows from
operating, except from the driver
position. Press the switch to turn the
lockout feature on or off. An
indicator light shows the feature
is on.

Sun Visors

Pull the sun visor down to block
glare. Detach the sun visor from the
center mount to pivot to the side
window, or to extend along the rod,
if available.

Roof

Sunroof

A. Open or Close Sunroof

B. Vent

On vehicles with a sunroof, there
are two sunroof switches on the
overhead console above the
rearview mirror.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-23

The sunroof only operates when the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY, or in Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). See

Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 9‑27 for more information.

To open or close the sunroof, press
the open or close switch (A) to the
first detent position.

To express open or close the
sunroof, press the open or close
switch (A) to the second detent
position and release. To stop the
movement, press the switch again.

The sunroof has a comfort stop
feature which stops the sunroof from
opening to the full-open position.
From the comfort stop position,
press the open or close switch (A) a
second time to open the sunroof to
the full-open position.

To automatically vent or close the
sunroof, press the vent open or
close switch (B).

When the sunroof is opened, an air
deflector will automatically raise.
The air deflector will retract when
the sunroof is closed.

The sunroof also has a sunshade
which can be pulled forward to block
sun rays. The sunshade must be
opened and closed manually.

If an object is in the path of the
sunroof while it is closing, the
anti-pinch feature will detect the
object and stop the sunroof.

Dirt and debris may collect on the
sunroof seal or in the track. This
could cause an issue with sunroof
operation or noise. It could also plug
the water drainage system.
Periodically open the sunroof and
remove any obstacles or loose
debris. Wipe the sunroof seal and
roof sealing area using a clean
cloth, mild soap, and water. Do not
remove grease from the sunroof.

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2-24 Keys, Doors, and Windows

2 NOTES

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

Seats and Restraints 3-1

Seats and Restraints

Head Restraints

Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . .... . . 3-2

Front Seats

Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Center Seat . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-4

Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Heated and Ventilated Front

Seats . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3-9

Rear Seats

Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Third Row Seats . . . . . .. . . . . . . 3-16

Safety Belts

Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 3-20

How to Wear Safety Belts

Properly .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3-21

Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22

Safety Belt Use During

Pregnancy .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27

Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 3-28

Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-28

Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-29

Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29

Replacing Safety Belt System

Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-29

Airbag System

Airbag System . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. 3-30

Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-32

When Should an Airbag

Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 3-34

What Makes an Airbag

Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 3-35

How Does an Airbag

Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . 3-36

What Will You See after an

Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36

Passenger Sensing

System . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38

Servicing the Airbag-Equipped

Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42

Adding Equipment to the

Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-42

Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-44

Replacing Airbag System

Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-44

Child Restraints

Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45

Infants and Young

Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 3-47

Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-50

Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-51
Lower Anchors and Tethers

for Children (LATCH

System) . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . 3-53

Replacing LATCH System

Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-60

Securing Child Restraints

(Rear Seat Position) . . . . . .. . 3-60

Securing Child Restraints

(Center Front Seat

Position) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63

Securing Child Restraints

(Right Front Seat

Position) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

3-2 Seats and Restraints

Head Restraints

WARNING

{

With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly,
there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/
spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for
all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.

Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of the restraint is at the same
height as the top of the occupant's
head. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Front Seats

The front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard
seating positions.

The height of the head restraint can
be adjusted. Pull the head restraint
up to raise it. Try to move the head
restraint to make sure that it is
locked in place.

To lower the head restraint, press
the button, located on the top of the
seatback, and push the head
restraint down. Try to move the
head restraint after the button is
released to make sure that it is
locked in place.

The front seat outboard head
restraints are not designed to be
removed.

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Seats and Restraints 3-3

Rear Seats

The vehicle's second-row seats
have head restraints in the outboard
seating positions that cannot be
adjusted.

The vehicle's third-row seats,
if equipped, have adjustable
headrests in the outboard seating
positions.

The height of the headrest can be
adjusted. Pull the headrest up to
raise it. To lower the headrest, push
down on the headrest.

Rear seat head restraints and
headrests are not designed to be
removed.

Front Seats

Seat Adjustment

WARNING

{

You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.

To adjust the seat:

1. Lift the bar under the front edge
of the seat cushion to unlock
the seat.

2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.

3. Try to move the seat back and
forth to be sure the seat is
locked in place.

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3-4 Seats and Restraints

Center Seat

If equipped, the center front
seatback doubles as an armrest and
cupholder/storage area for the driver
and passenger when the center
front seat is not used. Do not use it
as a seating position when the
seatback is folded down.

Power Seat Adjustment

To adjust a power seat, if equipped:

.

Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.

.

If available, raise or lower the
front or rear part of the seat
cushion by moving the front or
rear of the control up or down.

.

If available, raise or lower the
entire seat by moving the entire
control up or down.

To adjust the seatback, see “Power
Reclining Seatbacks” under
Reclining Seatbacks on page 3‑5.

Lumbar Adjustment

Manual Lumbar

If equipped, increase or decrease
manual lumbar support by turning
the knob forward or rearward.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

Seats and Restraints 3-5

Power Lumbar

To adjust the power lumbar support,
if equipped:

.

On vehicles with two-way
lumbar, press and hold the top
or bottom of the control to
increase or decrease lumbar
support.

.

On vehicles with four-way
lumbar, press and hold the front
or rear of the control to increase
or decrease lumbar support.

To raise or lower the height of
the support, press and hold the
top or bottom of the control.

Reclining Seatbacks

WARNING

{

Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.

The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.

The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.

Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.

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3-6 Seats and Restraints

Manual Reclining Seatbacks

WARNING

{

You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

To adjust a manual seatback:

1. Lift the lever.

The seatback will automatically
fold forward.

2. To recline, move the seatback
rearward to the desired position,
then release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to the upright
position:

1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

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Seats and Restraints 3-7

Power Reclining Seatbacks

To recline a power seatback,
if equipped:

.

Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline.

.

Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise.

Memory Seats

On vehicles with the memory
feature, the controls on the driver
door are used to program and recall
memory settings for the driver seat,
outside mirrors, and the adjustable
throttle and brake pedals,
if equipped.

Storing Memory Positions

To save into memory:

1. Adjust the driver seat, seatback
recliner, both outside mirrors,
and the throttle and brake
pedals, if equipped.

See Power Mirrors on page 2‑17
and Adjustable Throttle and
Brake Pedal on page 9‑22 for
more information.

Not all mirrors and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals will
have the ability to save and
recall their positions.

2. Press and hold “1” until
two beeps sound.

3. Repeat for a second driver
position using “2.”

To recall, press and release “1” or
“2.” The vehicle must be in P (Park).
A single beep will sound. The seat,
outside mirrors, and adjustable
throttle and brake pedals will move
to the position previously stored for
the identified driver.

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3-8 Seats and Restraints

Memory Remote Recall

The memory feature can recall the
driver seat, outside mirrors, and
pedals, if equipped, to stored
positions when entering the vehicle.

To activate, unlock the driver
door with the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. The driver
seat, outside mirrors, and adjustable
pedals, if equipped, will move to the
memory position associated with the
transmitter used to unlock the
vehicle.

This feature can be turned on or off
using the vehicle personalization
menu. See Vehicle Personalization
(With DIC Buttons) on page 5‑47 for
more information.

To stop recall movement, press one
of the power seat controls, memory
buttons, or power mirror buttons,
or the adjustable pedal switch.

If something has blocked the driver
seat and/or the adjustable pedals
while recalling a memory position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
appropriate manual control for the
memory item that is not recalling
for two seconds. Try recalling the
memory position again by pressing
the appropriate memory button.
If the memory position is still not
recalling, see your dealer for
service.

Easy Exit Driver Seat

This feature can move the seat
rearward to allow extra room to exit
the vehicle.

B (Easy Exit Driver Seat): Press

to recall the easy exit seat position.
The vehicle must be in P (Park).

If the easy exit seat feature is
programmed on in the vehicle
personalization menu, automatic
seat movement occurs when the
ignition key is removed.

A single beep sounds. The driver
seat moves back approximately
8 cm (3 in). To move the seat back

farther, press
seat is all the way back.

If something has blocked the driver
seat while recalling the exit position,
the recall may stop. Remove the
obstruction; then press and hold the
power seat control rearward for
two seconds. Try recalling the exit
position again. If the exit position is
still not recalling, see your dealer for
service.

See Vehicle Personalization (With
DIC Buttons) on page 5‑47 for more
information.

B again until the

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Seats and Restraints 3-9

Heated and Ventilated Front Seats

WARNING

{

If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This
may cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.

Heated and Cooled Seat Buttons

Shown, Heated Seat Buttons

Similar

If available, the buttons are on the
front doors.

H (Cooled Seat): If available,

press to cool the seat.

I (Heated Seatback): Press to

heat the seatback only.

J (Heated Seat and Seatback):

Press to heat the seat and
seatback.

Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.

The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.

On vehicles with heated seats,
the heated seats are canceled
10 seconds after the ignition is
turned off.

On vehicles with heated and cooled
seats, the heated and cooled seats
are canceled when the ignition is
turned off.

To use this feature after restarting
the vehicle, press the desired button
again.

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3-10 Seats and Restraints

Remote Start Heated Seats

When it is cold outside, the heated
seats may turn on automatically
during a remote vehicle start. The
heated seats will be canceled when
the ignition is turned on. Press the
desired button to use the heated
seats after the vehicle is started.

The lights on the heated seat
buttons do not turn on during a
remote start.

The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced.
This is normal.

See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for more information.

Rear Seats

Heated Rear Seats

WARNING

{

If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. See
the Warning under Heated and

Ventilated Front Seats on
page 3‑9.

If available, the buttons are on the
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) panel on the
rear of the center console.

Press

M or L to heat the left

outboard or right outboard seat
cushion. An indicator on the RSA
display appears when this feature
is on.

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Seats and Restraints 3-11

Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the heated seat changes
to the next lower setting, and then
the off setting. Indicator bars next to
the symbol show the setting: three
for high, two for medium, and one
for low.

The heated seats are canceled
when the ignition is turned off.

Second Row Seats

The second row seats can be folded
for additional cargo space or folded
and tumbled for easy entry and exit
to the third row seat, if equipped.
The seat has either the manual fold
and tumble feature or the automatic
seat release fold and tumble
feature.

Reclining Seatbacks
(Bucket Seats Only)

On vehicles with second row bucket
seats, the seatbacks can be
reclined.

To recline the seatback:

1. Lift the lever on the outboard
side of the seat.

2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to the upright
position:

1. Lift the lever fully without
applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

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3-12 Seats and Restraints

Manual Fold and Tumble
Feature

Folding and Tumbling the Seat

To fold and tumble the seat:

1. Make sure that there is nothing
under, in front of, or on the seat.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.

2. Lift the lever, on the outboard
side of the seat, to release the
seatback.

The seatback will fold forward to
create a flat load floor.

If the seatback cannot fold flat,
try moving the front seat forward
and/or put the front seatback in
the upright position.

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Seats and Restraints 3-13

3. Lift the lever again to release the
rear of the seat from the floor.
The seat will tumble forward.

Folding and Tumbling the Seat
from the Third Row Seat

WARNING

{

Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden
stop or crash. Be sure to return
the seat to the passenger seating
position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into
place.

To fold and tumble the seat from the
third row seat, if equipped:

1. Make sure that there is nothing
under, in front of, or on the seat.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

3-14 Seats and Restraints

60/40 Split-Bench Seat Shown,

Bucket Seat Similar

2. Lift the lever, on the bottom rear
of the second row seat on the
inboard side, to release the
seatback. The seatback will fold
forward.

3. Lift the same lever again to
release the rear of the seat from
the floor. The seat will tumble
forward.

Automatic Fold and Tumble
Feature

The transmission must be in
P (Park) for this feature to work.

WARNING

{

Automatically folding and
tumbling the seat when someone
is sitting in the seat, could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always make sure there is no one
sitting in the seat before pressing
the automatic seat release button.

Folding and Tumbling the Second
Row Seat from the Third Row Seat
or Outside the Vehicle

WARNING

{

Using the third row seating
position while the second row is
folded, or folded and tumbled,
could cause injury in a sudden
stop or crash. Be sure to return
the seat to the passenger seating
position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into
place.

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Seats and Restraints 3-15

To fold and tumble the seat from the
third row seat, if equipped:

1. Make sure that there is nothing
under, in front of, or on the seat.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.

Driver Side Rear Panel Button

Shown

2. Press the automatic seat release
button on the panel behind the
rear doors.

The seatback automatically folds
flat and the seat tumbles
forward. There will be a slight
delay between the folding of the
seatback and the tumbling of
the seat.

Returning the Seat to the
Sitting Position

To return the seat to the sitting
position from the tumbled position:

1. Pull the seat down until it latches
to the floor. The seatback cannot
be raised if the seat is not
latched to the floor.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

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3-16 Seats and Restraints

2. Lift the seatback and push it
rearward. Push and pull on the
seatback to make sure it is
locked.

WARNING

{

A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.

3. For the 60/40 split-bench seat,
make sure the safety belt in the
center seating position is not
caught between the two seats
and is not twisted.

Third Row Seats

If the vehicle has a third row seat,
the seatback can be folded, and the
entire seat can be tumbled or
removed from the vehicle.

Folding the Seatback

To fold the seatback:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.

2. Remove all items on the seat
cushion.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.

3. Lift the release lever “1,” on the
bottom rear of the seatback on
the outboard side of the seat,
and the seatback folds forward.

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Seats and Restraints 3-17

Returning the Seatback to the
Upright Position

To return the seatback to the upright
position:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.

2. Raise the seatback to the
upright position.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

Tumbling the Third Row Seat

To tumble the seat:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.

2. Make sure the headrests are
completely lowered and there is
nothing under, in front of, or on
the seat.

3. Fold the seatbacks forward
using lever “1” and the
instructions listed previously
under “Folding the Seatback.”
The seat cannot be unlatched
from the floor unless the
seatback is folded.

4. Unlatch the seat from the floor
by lifting lever “2” next to the
carrying handle on the rear of
the seat, near the bottom.

5. Lift the rear of the seat up from
the floor.

6. Tilt the seat fully forward to lock
it into place.

7. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked.

Put the seat in this position only
when necessary for additional cargo
space.

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3-18 Seats and Restraints

Returning the Third Row Seat
from a Tumbled Position

To return the seat to the normal
seating position:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.

2. Make sure there is nothing that
could become trapped under
the seat.

3. Release the seat from the
tumbled position by lifting lever
“2” next to the carrying handle at
the bottom rear of the seat.

4. Pull the seat down until it latches
to the floor. The seatback cannot
be raised to the upright position
unless the seat is latched to the
floor.

5. Raise the seatback to the
upright position.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

6. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

Removing the Third Row Seat

To remove the seat:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
controls for the seat.

2. Fold the seatbacks forward
using lever “1” and the
instructions listed previously
under “Folding the Seatback.”
The seat cannot be unlatched
from the floor unless the
seatback is folded.

3. Unlatch the seat from the floor
by pulling the handle at the rear
of the seat “3 Removal Only”
toward the rear of the vehicle.

4. Roll the seat out of the vehicle.
There is a track in the floor to
guide the seat wheels out of the
vehicle.

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Seats and Restraints 3-19

Installing the Third Row Seat

To install the seat:

1. Open the liftgate to access the
rear of the vehicle.

2. Slide the front outboard seat
wheels into the track on the floor
and roll the seat forward. The
front latches should lock into
place. If the latches do not lock,
try tilting the rear of the seat
upward slightly.

3. Lower the rear of the seat and
push down on the seat to
engage the rear floor latches.

WARNING

{

A seat that is not locked into
place properly can move around
in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be
injured. Be sure to lock the seat
into place properly when
installing it.

4. Push and pull on the seat to
make sure it is locked into place.
The seatback cannot be raised
to the upright position unless the
seat is latched to the floor.

5. Raise the seatback to the
upright position.

WARNING

{

If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

6. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked.

WARNING

{

A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.

7. Make sure the safety belts are
returned to the original position
over the seatbacks.

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3-20 Seats and Restraints

Safety Belts

This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.

WARNING

{

Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle. In
addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.

Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.

This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑17 for additional information.

Why Safety Belts Work

When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!

When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the

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Seats and Restraints 3-21

safety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts

Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle

after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?

A: You could be — whether you are

wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you

can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.

Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why

should I have to wear safety
belts?

A: Airbags are supplemental

systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection.

Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

This section is only for people of
adult size.

There are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller
children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, see Older

Children on page 3‑45 or Infants
and Young Children on page 3‑47.

Follow those rules for everyone's
protection.

It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.

There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.

.

Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front
of you.

.

Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position.

.

Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.

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3-22 Seats and Restraints

.

Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.

WARNING

{

You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your safety belt properly.

.

Never allow the lap or
shoulder belt to become
loose or twisted.

.

Never wear the shoulder belt
under both arms or behind
your back.

.

Never route the lap or
shoulder belt over an
armrest.

Lap-Shoulder Belt

All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt except for
the center front passenger position,
if equipped, which has a lap belt.
See Lap Belt on page 3‑28 for more
information.

The lap‐shoulder belts for the first
and second row seating positions
are equipped with free‐falling latch
plates. If the vehicle has a third row,
the lap‐shoulder belts have either
free‐falling or cinching latch plates.

Use the following pictures to
determine the latch plate style:

Free-Falling Latch Plate

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GMC Yukon/Yukon XL Owner Manual - 2012

Cinching Latch Plate

The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.

1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.

2. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let it
get twisted.

The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the
belt go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.

If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt with a free‐falling
latch plate is pulled out all the
way, the child restraint locking
feature may be engaged. If this
happens, let the belt go back all
the way and start again.

Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the right front
seating position may affect the
passenger sensing system,
if equipped. See Passenger

Sensing System on page 3‑38

for more information.

Seats and Restraints 3-23

If the belt stops before it reaches
the buckle, for lap‐shoulder belts
with cinching latch plates, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling the
safety belt until it can be
buckled.

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3-24 Seats and Restraints

3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks. If you find
that the latch plate will not go
fully into the buckle, see if you
are using the correct buckle.

Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, see Safety
Belt Extender on page 3‑28.

Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.

4. If equipped with a shoulder belt
height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster”
in this section for instructions on
use and important safety
information.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.

To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.

Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
belt and the vehicle.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
right front passenger positions.

Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. See How

to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3‑21.

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Seats and Restraints 3-25

Squeeze the buttons (A) on the
sides of the height adjuster and
move the height adjuster to the
desired position.

The adjuster can be moved up just
by pushing up on the shoulder belt
guide.

After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it down
without squeezing the buttons to
make sure it has locked into
position.

Safety Belt Pretensioners

This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the
vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.

Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's safety
belt system will need to be replaced.
See Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash on page 3‑29.

Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides

This vehicle may have rear shoulder
belt comfort guides. If not, they are
available through your dealer. The
guides may provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who
have outgrown booster seats and
for some adults. When installed and
properly adjusted, the comfort guide
positions the belt away from the
neck and head.

There is one guide, if equipped, for
each outside passenger position in
the second row seat.

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3-26 Seats and Restraints

Here is how to install a comfort
guide to the safety belt:

1. Remove the guide from its
storage clip on the interior body.

2. Place the guide over the belt,
and insert the two edges of the
belt into the slots of the guide.

3. Be sure that the belt is not
twisted and it lies flat. The
elastic cord must be under the
belt and the guide on top.

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Seats and Restraints 3-27

WARNING

{

A safety belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.

4. Buckle, position, and release
the safety belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure the shoulder portion of the
belt is on the shoulder and not
falling off of it. The belt should
be close to, but not contacting,
the neck.

To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the safety belt can
be removed from the guide. Slide
the guide onto its storage clip on the
interior body.

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.

A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.

The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.

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3-28 Seats and Restraints

Lap Belt

This part is only for the lap belt. To
learn how to wear a lap-shoulder
belt, see Lap-Shoulder Belt on
page 3‑22.

The vehicle may have a center
seating position. When you sit in the
center front seating position, you
have a lap safety belt, which has no
retractor.

To make the belt longer, tilt the latch
plate and pull it along the belt.

Buckle, position and release it the
same way as the lap part of a
lap-shoulder belt.

To make the belt shorter, pull its free
end as shown until the belt is snug.

If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt Extender on page 3‑28.

Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would
be able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if necessary.

If you find that the latch plate will
not go fully into the buckle, see if
you are using the correct buckle. Be
sure that the latch plate clicks when
inserted into the buckle.

Safety Belt Extender

If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.

But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.

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Seats and Restraints 3-29

Safety System Check

Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors,
and anchorages are all working
properly. Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.

Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See Safety Belt
Reminders on page 5‑17 for more
information.

Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care on page 3‑29.

Safety Belt Care

Keep belts clean and dry.

WARNING

{

Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.

Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash

WARNING

{

A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.

After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.

New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.

Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑18.

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3-30 Seats and Restraints

Airbag System

The vehicle has the following
airbags:

.

A frontal airbag for the driver.

.

A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.

.

A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and passenger directly behind
the driver.

.

A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the person
seated directly behind that
passenger.

The vehicle may have the following
airbags:

.

A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.

.

A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.

.

If the vehicle has a third row
seat, it will have a third row
roof-rail airbag.

All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.

For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the right front passenger.

With seat‐mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG will
appear on the side of the seatback
closest to the door.

With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.

Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.

Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:

WARNING

{

You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑34.

Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

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Seats and Restraints 3-31

WARNING

{

Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Safety belts help keep
you in position before and during
a crash. Always wear a safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.

Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.

WARNING

{

Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in the
vehicle. To read how, see Older

Children on page 3‑45 or Infants
and Young Children on
page 3‑47.

There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.

The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑18 for
more information.

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3-32 Seats and Restraints

Where Are the Airbags?

The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.

The right front passenger frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger's side.

Driver Side Shown, Passenger

Side Similar

If the vehicle has seat‐mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
right front passenger, they are in the
side of the seatbacks closest to
the door.

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Driver Side Shown, Passenger

Side Similar

The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.

Driver Side Shown, Passenger

Side Similar

If the vehicle has a third row
passenger seat, the roof-rail airbags
are located in the ceiling above the
rear windows for the outboard
passenger positions in the third row.

Seats and Restraints 3-33

WARNING

{

If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.

Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.

Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.

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3-34 Seats and Restraints

When Should an Airbag Inflate?

Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver's or right
front passenger's head and chest.
However, they are only designed to
inflate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inflate and help restrain
the occupants.

Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on
how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.

Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds. For
example:

.

If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could inflate
at a different crash speed than if
the vehicle hits a moving object.

.

If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits an object
does not deform.

.

If the vehicle hits a narrow object
(like a pole), the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide
object (like a wall).

.

If the vehicle goes into an object
at an angle, the airbags could
inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight
into the object.

Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.

Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.

In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.

The vehicle has a seat position
sensor. Vehicles with dual stage
airbags also have seat position
sensors which enable the sensing
system to monitor the position of the
driver seat and may or may not
monitor the position of the front
passenger seat.

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Seats and Restraints 3-35

The seat position sensor provides
information that is used to determine
if the airbags should deploy at a
reduced level or at full deployment.

The vehicle may or may not have
seat‐mounted side impact airbags.
The vehicle has roof-rail airbags.
See Airbag System on page 3‑30.
Seat‐mounted side impact airbags
and roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes. In addition, these roof-rail
airbags are intended to inflate
during a rollover or in a severe
frontal impact. Seat‐mounted side
impact airbags and roof-rail airbags
will inflate if the crash severity is
above the system's designed
threshold level. The threshold level
can vary with specific vehicle
design.

Roof-rail airbags are not intended
to inflate in rear impacts. A
seat‐mounted side impact airbag is
intended to deploy on the side of the

vehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail
airbags will deploy when either side
of the vehicle is struck or if the
sensing system predicts that the
vehicle is about to roll over, or in a
severe frontal impact.

In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of
what the repair costs were. For
frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For
seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.

What Makes an Airbag Inflate?

In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.

Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.

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3-36 Seats and Restraints

How Does an Airbag Restrain?

In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.

Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.

Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first, second, and third rows,

if equipped with a third row seat.
The rollover capable roof-rail
airbags are designed to help reduce
the risk of full or partial ejection in
rollover events, although no system
can prevent all such ejections.

But airbags would not help in
many types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See When

Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑34 for more information.

Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.

What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?

After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.

Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑35.

The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.

WARNING

{

When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.

(Continued)

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Seats and Restraints 3-37

WARNING (Continued)

To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.

The vehicle may have a feature that
may automatically unlock the doors,
turn on the interior lamps and
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags
inflate. You can lock the doors, turn
off the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.

WARNING

{

A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.

Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.

In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front
passenger airbag.

.

Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new

parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.

.

The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See Vehicle Data

Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑14 and Event Data
Recorders on page 13‑14.

.

Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.

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3-38 Seats and Restraints

Passenger Sensing System

If the vehicle has the passenger
airbag status indicator pictured in
the following illustration, then the
vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger
position. The passenger airbag
status indicator, if equipped, is
visible on the overhead console
when the vehicle is started.

In addition, if the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position, the
label on the vehicle's sun visors
refers to “ADVANCED AIRBAGS”.

United States

Canada

The words ON and OFF, or the
symbols for on and off, will be
visible during the system check.
If you are using remote start,
if equipped, to start the vehicle from
a distance, you may not see the
system check. When the system
check is complete, either the word
ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or
off, will be visible. See Passenger

Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑19.

The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag,
seat‐mounted side impact airbags
(if equipped) and the roof-rail
airbags are not affected by the
passenger sensing system.

The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part
of the right front passenger seat
and safety belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of
a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the right front
passenger frontal airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or not.

According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.

We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including:
an infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.

A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.

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WARNING

{

A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.

Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag is turned off.

(Continued)

WARNING (Continued)

Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.

The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag if:

.

The right front passenger seat is
unoccupied.

.

The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.

.

A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for
a period of time.

Seats and Restraints 3-39

.

There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.

When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit as a
reminder that the airbag is off. See

Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑19.

The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inflate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front
passenger seat.

When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbag is active.

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3-40 Seats and Restraints

For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

WARNING

{

If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑18 for more
information, including important
safety information.

If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint

If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:

1. Turn the vehicle off.

2. Remove the child restraint from
the vehicle.

3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.

4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to

Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat Position) on page 3‑60 or
Securing Child Restraints
(Center Front Seat Position) on
page 3‑63 or Securing Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position) on page 3‑63.

5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit,
turn the vehicle off. Then slightly
recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion,
if adjustable, to make sure that
the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into
the seat cushion.

Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the
vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
on page 3‑2.

6. Restart the vehicle.

The passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
airbag for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the
child’s seating posture and body
build. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.

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Seats and Restraints 3-41

If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant

If a person of adult size is sitting in
the right front passenger seat, but
the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens,

use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the right front passenger
frontal airbag:

1. Turn the vehicle off.

2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.

3. Place the seatback in the fully
upright position.

4. Have the person sit upright in
the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.

5. Restart the vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the on
indicator is lit.

Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation

Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and “Child
Restraints” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.

If the shoulder portion of the belt is
pulled out all the way, the child
restraint locking feature will be
engaged. This may unintentionally
cause the passenger sensing
system to turn the airbag off for
some adult‐size occupants. If this
happens, let the belt go back all the
way and start again.

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3-42 Seats and Restraints

A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers, can affect how well
the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to

the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑42 for more information

about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.

The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop,
or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired, remove the object from
the seat.

WARNING

{

Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.

Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle

Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see

Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑12.

WARNING

{

For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.

Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle

Q: Is there anything I might add

to or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?

A: Yes. If you add things that

change your vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may