Fix for When the GMC Terrain Touch Screen is Not Working

There was a time when touch screen technology was a real novelty but today they are everywhere from our phones to the DMV, fast food restaurants and even our car dashboards. In those early days they were very prone to glitches and breaking but over time they have become more reliable.

Even though they have improved in quality over the years they can still suffer from problems. In this post we will be looking at GMC Terrain touch screens although many of these issues may also translate to the touch screens in any make and model of vehicle.

Why Are Touch Screens Important?

Touch screens have been in cars since as early as 1986 when one was first built into the Buick Riviera. This was a rudimentary system that could not do much but today touch screens have become extremely hi-tech.

What once required knobs and switches to operate can now be done with the press of a fingertip. You can control audio settings, environmental controls, driving set ups and more using a single screen. The ultimate bonus being you spend less time turning a dial and more time with your eyes on the road.

Convenience of use is obviously a big factor with touch screens but also so is safety of use. We get daily practice at using touch screens on our phones so navigating the screen in our car quickly becomes second nature.

Dealing with dials for the AC, radio and specific driving settings can be very distracting. They are usually spread throughout the driver's side dashboard. With a touch screen everything is right in front of you and there is no searching the dashboard for a dial to turn or button to press.

Reasons a GMC Terrain Touch Screen Is Not Working

There are a number of reasons that your touch screen may not be working in your GMC Terrain but in the table below we look at some of the most common issues and give you some idea of how to fix these problems.

Touch Screen Freezes Up

This is a problem found in 2018 and 2019 GMC Terrain models whereby the touch screen freezes and will not take input. This can be caused by a number of issues so you will need to do a little detective work before moving on to the next steps.

Try a Reset

The first thing to do is to try turning it off and on again the secret magic that IT professionals almost always open with. This is because it often works so let's try a quick reset first.

• Start your GMC Terrain
• Locate and press the volume knob holding it until the touch screen turns off
• Turn the screen back on and if it starts up fine and is now working the problem is solved for now

If this has not worked it is time to go to the next step in the mystery solving process.

Check the Fuse

The issue could be connected to the fuse box so locate your passenger compartment fuse box and determine from your owner manual which fuse controls the radio. Determine whether or not this fuse is damaged; it may be visibly burned out.

You may need to replace this fuse or it may simply have come loose and need to be pushed back in place. If the fuse is fine however then move on to the next step

Check the Wires

The fuse might be fine but the problem could be as simple as a loose wire. Check the back of the fuse box to see if there are any damaged or loose wires. You may simply need to re-secure a wire to get the touch screen back up and running.

If none of the above things are found to be at fault the reason may be a damaged head unit. In this case you will likely need to replace this unit and may need to enlist professional assistance to fix this problem.

Touch Screen Loading Slowly

This is a problem that can occur suddenly whereby the screen starts to load up more slowly than it usually does. It can quickly escalate to the screen not loading at all and this is a problem that has plagued 2015 model year GMC Terrain.

As with the previous section you can try troubleshooting with resets and fuse checks but the likely problem is wiring related. You can absolutely check the wiring yourself but if you discover a problem you will need to go to an expert for help. Unless of course you are already an expert

Bad Fuse

A common issue found in 2014 and 2018 model Terrains is a bad fuse. You may simply need to replace the fuse or it could be a simple glitch that can be fixed with a reset.

If the fuse passes a visual inspection then try this trick to fully reset the radio.

• After leaving your vehicle off for at least 15 minutes open up the hood and locate your battery
• Disconnect both terminals of your battery and wait 30 seconds before reconnecting them.

Hopefully this may solve the issue but if not you may need to reset the GMC Intellilink.

• From your touch screens home screen choose settings
• Under the factory settings choose the options to “Restore Vehicle Settings”
• You will be asked if you wish to continue so click to confirm

If these resets do not fix the problem you may need further assistance from an expert.

A Glitch in the System

There have been common issues with 2013 GMC Terrains whereby they are not functioning well due to glitches. The general issue at play here is that the software being run is out of date. When systems update changes occur and if you do not keep up with the software this can lead to problems with the operation of the touch screen.

The fix may be as simple as determining whether you have a pending update that you forgot to authorize. If you go ahead and allow the software update everything may resolve with no further issues.

A Flickering Screen

This is common in 2012 GMC Terrains as well as other model years and can be caused by issues such as loose wires or failing fuses. You may need some assistance to remedy this if the problem is more than a shorting fuse.

Can You Fix Your GMC Terrain Touch Screen?

Dealing with problems yourself is always going to be cheaper and if you are capable, probably far less hassle but there are limits to this. Electrics in cars can be complicated and should only be dealt with by experts.

Performing a reset is easy and a fuse generally is not a huge problem to fix either. When we get into wiring however it’s best left to those with experience.

Conclusion

Touch screens can be temperamental and there can be a number of reasons for issues. Once you try some resets and have looked to see if the fuse may be faulty you may need to enlist help from someone else.

This is an important part of how you control your entertainment in the vehicle so it should be taken care of correctly.

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