GMC 2012 GMC Canyon User manual

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
2012 GMC Canyon Owner Manual M
In Brief ........................ 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Keys, Doors, and
Windows .................... 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors..........................2-7
Vehicle Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Phone........................7-22
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
2012 GMC Canyon Owner Manual M
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-24
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-33
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-44
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-64
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-96
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-17
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-18
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
Index ..................... i-1

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GMC Canyon 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 CANYON
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.
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.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
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
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20901232 B Second Printing ©2011 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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GMC Canyon 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 Canyon 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.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
J:OnStar
®
Hands-Free Phone
J: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
j:LATCH System Child
Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak
®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
vi Introduction
2NOTES

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Tailgate ....................... 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
StabiliTrak
®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Roadside Assistance
Program .................... 1-19
OnStar
®
..................... 1-20

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel
Manual Transmission shown, Automatic Transmission similar

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A. Air Vents on page 8‑3.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑7.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑4.
E. Passenger Side Airbag. See
Airbag System on page 3‑21.
F. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑6
(If Equipped).
Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑6.
G. Parking Brake on page 9‑42.
H. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑12.
I. Horn on page 5‑2.
J. StabiliTrak
®
System on
page 9‑45.
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 10‑30.
K. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
L. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
M. Power Outlets on page 5‑5.
N. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑11.

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GMC Canyon 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 lock
and unlock the doors from up to 9 m
(30 ft) away from the vehicle.
Press UNLOCK to unlock the doors
and press LOCK to lock them.
Press Lto sound the horn and to
flash the exterior lamps for
30 seconds.
Lock and unlock feedback can
be personalized. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑20.
See Keys on page 2‑2and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
Door Locks
Manual Door Locks
Lock or unlock the doors from the
outside with the key in the driver or
front passenger door or press the
LOCK or UNLOCK button on the
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-5
From inside the vehicle, move the
lever on the door forward or
rearward to lock or unlock the door.
Seeing the red line on the lever
indicates the door is unlock.
Power Door Locks
Vehicles with power door locks, the
switches are located on the front
door armrests.
Press L to lock the doors.
Press U to unlock the doors.
For more information see:
.Door Locks on page 2‑5.
.Power Door Locks on page 2‑6.
Safety Locks (Crew Cab)
If the vehicle is a crew cab model, it
may have rear door safety locks on
the rear doors. With this feature, the
rear doors are locked so they
cannot be opened from the inside.
The rear door safety locks are
located on the inside edge of each
rear door below the safety lock
label.
For more information, see Safety
Locks (Crew Cab) on page 2‑6.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-6 In Brief
Tailgate
Open the tailgate by pulling up on
the outside handle while pulling the
tailgate down.
On vehicles with a locking tailgate,
use the ignition key to unlock it.
For more information see Tailgate
on page 2‑8.
Windows
Manual Windows
Use the window crank to open and
close each window.
Power Windows
Regular Cab Shown, Crew Cab
Similar
Push the switch down to open the
window. Pull the front of the switch
up to close it.
See Manual Windows on page 2‑16
or Power Windows on page 2‑17.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-7
Express-Down Window
Windows with an express-down
feature allow the window to be
lowered fully without pressing and
holding the switch. Press the front of
the switch to the first position, and
the window opens a small amount.
Press the switch down fully and the
window goes all the way down.
To stop the window while it is
lowering, pull up the front of the
switch.
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Lift the bar under the front 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 make sure it is locked
in place.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3
for more information.
Power Seats
To adjust a power seat, if available:
.Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.
.Raise or lower the front or rear
part of the seat cushion by
moving the front or rear of the
control up or down.
.Raise or lower the entire seat by
moving the entire control up
or down.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-8 In Brief
Use the vertical control to adjust the
seatback.
See Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑4and Reclining Seatbacks
on page 3‑5for more information.
Power Lumbar
If available, press and hold the front
or rear of the control to increase or
decrease lumbar support. Release
the control when the level of support
is reached.
See Lumbar Adjustment on
page 3‑4for more information.
Heated Seats
If available, the switches are on the
outboard sides of the front seats.
To operate, the ignition must be on.
.Press the top of the switch for
the high setting.
.Press the bottom of the switch
for the low setting.
.Put the switch in the center
position to turn this feature off.
See Heated Front Seats on
page 3‑8for more information.
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 3‑2and Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-9
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑12.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑13.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑14.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑44.
Passenger Sensing
System
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver
airbags are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has one of the
passenger airbag status indicators
pictured in the following illustrations,
then the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle
is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑28 for important information.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-10 In Brief
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls on the driver door
armrest.
To adjust the power mirrors:
1. Move the selector switch to the
L (left) or R (right) to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows
located on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.
3. Return the selector switch to the
center position once the mirrors
are adjusted.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑14.
Vehicles with manual outside
mirrors can be adjusted by pressing
the mirror up and down and left and
right so that you can see a clear
view behind you.
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 Manual Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Interior Mirror
On vehicles with a manual inside
rearview mirror, the mirror can be
adjusted by holding it in the center
to move it for a clear view behind
you. To avoid glare from the
headlamps behind you, push the tab
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
See Manual Rearview Mirror on
page 2‑14.
The automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror will automatically
reduce the glare of lights from
behind the vehicle.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑15.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-11
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The steering wheel adjustment lever
is located on the left side of the
steering wheel.
To adjust:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened.
To manually turn on the dome
lamps, turn the thumbwheel, located
next to the exterior lamps control, all
the way up. The cargo lamps may
come on, if the vehicle is equipped
with Bluetooth. In this position, the
lamps remain on whether a door is
opened or closed.
Reading Lamps
Press the lens on the lamps to turn
each reading lamp on or off.
These lamps will not come on with
the dome lamps.
For more information see:
.“Dome Lamp Override”under
Dome Lamps on page 6‑7.
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑7.
.Exit Lighting on page 6‑8.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-12 In Brief
Exterior Lighting
O:Turns off all exterior lamps
including the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
AUTO: Automatic operation of the
headlamps and other exterior lamps
at normal brightness.
;:Manual operation of the
parking lamps and other exterior
lamps.
5:Manual operation of the
headlamps and other exterior
lamps.
For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑3.
.Automatic Headlamp System on
page 6‑4.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑6.
.Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑6.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
8:For a single wipe, move the
band to 8and then release it. For
several wipes, hold the band on 8
longer.
N:For adjustable interval wipes,
turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-13
6:For slow wipes, turn the
band to the first solid position past
the delay settings.
1:For fast wipes, turn the band to
the second solid position past the
delay settings.
9:Use to turn the wipers off.
Windshield Washer: Push the
paddle on top of the turn signal/lane
change lever to spray washer fluid
on the windshield.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.
Climate Controls
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Air Conditioning
E. Air Recirculation
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.

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GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
Four-Wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive sends engine
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument panel.
Use these buttons to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.
2m(Two-Wheel High): Use for
driving in most street and highway
situations.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑42.
N (Neutral): Use the N (Neutral)
position only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑91.
4m(Four-Wheel High): Use when
extra traction is needed in most
off-road situations.
4n(Four-Wheel Low): Use this
position to deliver extra torque to all
four wheels. Used for extreme off‐
road conditions. See Four-Wheel
Drive on page 9‑37.