1996 GMC SAVANA check engine

To open the driver side rear door, pull the latch release
lever at the inside edge
of the door.
Both rear doors can be opened past
90 degrees by
opening the doors past the first detent (90 degrees open),
then opening fully.
To close the rear doors, close the driver side rear door
first. Then, close
the passenger side rear door. Check to
make sure both doors are completely closed.
A CAUTION: m$i&
It can be dangerous to drive with the rear doors
open because carbon monoxide
(CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the rear doors open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
rear doors:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on
VENT, HEAT, BLEND or DEE
Additionally, on vehicles with heating/air
conditioning systems,
NORM A/C or
BI-LEV A/C can be used. That will force
outside air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
2-11
ProCarManuals.com

1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed
will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five more
seconds, or
until it starts.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let
go of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories,
you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If
you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-15
ProCarManuals.com

NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle. Always check to be sure
your parking brake
is fully released before
you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see biTowing a Trailer“ in the Index. That section shows
what to do first
to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Irto PPY (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly.
You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move,
even when you’re on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2-21
ProCarManuals.com

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may
be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention
to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come
on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next
few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just
to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section,
you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be
or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check
the section that tells you
what to
do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice. Waiting
to
ao repam can be costly -- and even aangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights and gages.
They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come
on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither the tone nor
the
light will come on.
3 AL
ProCarManuals.com

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells
you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensor, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition
to RUN
or START. Then the light
should
go out. This means
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays
on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Charging System Light
Irl
~ This light should come on
1 briefly when you turn on the
ignition, before starting the
1 engine, as a check to show
you it is working.
After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays
on or comes
on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the alternator drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance
with this light on, it
helps to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
2-47
ProCarManuals.com

Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light) (Gasoline Engine)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
-
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called
OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions
often will be indicated by the
system before any problem
is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in
one
of two ways:
0
0
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-50
ProCarManuals.com

If the Light Is Flashing Are you low on fuel‘?
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as
it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady“ following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so.
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service.
If’ the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be c0rrecte.d when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off. As
your engine starts to run
out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since
s~nall amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel‘?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“FLE~”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to
run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be
detected by the system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to
turn the light off.
If none
of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that
may have developed.
2-51
ProCarManuals.com

Oil Pressure Gage
The oil pressure gage shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds
per square inch) when the engine is running. Canadian
vehicles indicate pressure
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and oil viscosity,
but readings above
the
lowpressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problem causing low
oil pressure. Check'your oil as
soon as possible.
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your.
vehicle serviced.
I
I
NOTICE: '1 ~
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
ProCarManuals.com