
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you’re
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press in the set button at the end of the lever and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
The CRUISE light on the instrument panel will illuminate
when the cruise control is engaged.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired
speed and then you apply the brake. This, of course,
disengages the cruise control. But you don’t need
to reset it.Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from on to
resume/accelerate briefly.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate briefly, the
vehicle will keep going faster until you release the switch
or apply the brake. So unless you want to go faster,
don’t hold the switch at resume/accelerate.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
•Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the set button at the end of the lever,
then release the button and the accelerator
pedal. You’ll now cruise at the higher speed.
•Move the cruise switch from on to
resume/accelerate. Hold it there until you get
up to the speed you want, and then release the
switch. To increase your speed in very small
amounts, move the switch to resume/accelerate
briefly. Each time you do this, your vehicle
will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
3-10
2003 - Savana OM

Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
•
Press and hold the set button at the end of the
lever until you reach the lower speed you want,
then release it.
•To slow down in very small amounts, press the
set button briefly. Each time you do this, you’ll
go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may want to
step on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift
to a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control.
Many driversfind this to be too much trouble and
don’t use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal,
•or move the cruise control switch to off.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-11
2003 - Savana OM

Exterior Lamps
The control on the driver’s
side of your instrument
panel operates the exterior
lamps. Turn the control
clockwise to operate
the lamps.
The exterior lamp control has four positions:
Ø (Defeat):Turn and release the control to this position
to turn off the DRLs. To turn them back on, turn and
release the control to this position. Shutting the vehicle
off and restarting it will also reactivate the DRLs.
This feature is not available on vehiclesfirst sold in
Canada.
i(Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)):Turning the
control to this position selects the DRLs. When the
vehicle is shifted out of PARK (P), the instrument panel
lamps will illuminate and the DRLs will turn on, unless
defeated. When the DRLs are active, the DRL indicator
will illuminate.
;(Parking Lamps):Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps, together with the
following:
•Instrument Panel Lights
•Daytime Running Lamps
•Sidemarker Lamps
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamps
•Ashtray Lamp
If the DRLs are active when the control is turned to this
position, the DRLs will turn off.
For vehiclesfirst sold in Canada, the DRLs will remain
active along with the lamps mentioned above.
3-12
2003 - Savana OM

To turn the lamps off press the button. The dome lamps
will remain off when a door is open. To return the lamps
to automatic operation, press the button again. The dome
lamps will come on when you open a door. This will
override the illuminated entry feature unless you use
your keyless entry transmitter to unlock the vehicle.
Exit Lighting
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on for a
period of forty seconds when you remove the key
from the ignition. The lights will not come on if the
dome override button is pressed in.
Entry Lighting
Your vehicle is equipped with an illuminated entry
feature.
When a door is opened, the dome lamps will come on
if the dome override button is in the out position. If
the dome override button is pressed in, the lamps will
not come on. When the door is closed, the interior lamps
will remain on for a period offifteen seconds or until
the vehicle is started.
Reading Lamps
To turn on the reading lamps, press the button located
next to each lamp. To turn them off, press the button
again.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open a door.
You can use the dome override button, located below the
exterior lamps control, to set the dome lamps to come on
automatically when the doors are opened, or remain off.
To turn the lamps off, press the button into the in position.
With the button in this position, the dome lamps will
remain off when the doors are open. To return the lamps
to automatic operation, press the button again and return
it to the out position. With the button in this position, the
dome lamps will come on when you open a door.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the exterior and interior lamps if
they are left on after the ignition is turned off. All exterior
lamps will shut off after ten minutes. Interior cargo
lamps will shut down after twenty minutes and all other
interior lamps after ten minutes.
3-15
2003 - Savana OM

Accessory Power Outlets
Your vehicle may have accessory power outlets.
You can plug accessory electrical equipment into an
accessory power outlet. Just pull on the outlet cover to
remove it and follow the proper installation instructions
that are included with any electrical equipment that
you install.
The accessory power outlets are located on the driver’s
and passenger’s side of the front storage compartment.
These circuits are protected by a fuse and have
maximum current levels.
Certain power accessory plugs may not be compatible
to the power accessory outlet and could result in
blown vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a
problem, see your dealer for additional information on
the power accessory plugs.
Notice:When using an accessory power outlet,
maximum electrical load must not exceed 20 amps.
Always turn off any electrical equipment when
not in use. Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain your battery.
Notice:Power outlets are designed for accessory
plugs only. Do not hang any type of accessory
or accessory bracket from the plug. Improper use of
the power outlet can cause damage not covered
by your warranty.
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Your vehicle may have this feature.The front ashtray
can be placed in the instrument panel extension at the
center of the instrument panel. Lift up on the ashtray
door to open it.
Notice:Don’t put papers or other flammable items
into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other smoking
materials could ignite them, causing a damaging fire.
To use the cigarette lighter, push it in all the way and
let go. When it’s ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice:Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your
hand while it is heating. If you do, it won’t be able
to back away from the heating element when
it’s ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
3-16
2003 - Savana OM

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 do repairs can be
costly–and even dangerous. So please get to know
your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
3-23
2003 - Savana OM

Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell
you how far your vehicle
has been driven since
you last set the trip
odometer to zero.
To reset the trip odometer, fully press the reset button
located near the trip odometer readout.
The trip odometer can show either total miles or trip
miles using this button located on the instrument cluster.
Electronic Road-Speed Governor
Your vehicle may have this feature. This system
automatically controls top vehicle speed. The system
controller receives a signal from the vehicle speed sensor
and reduces power when the vehicle speed reaches the
maximum 65 mph (105 km/h) governed speed.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for several 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 several seconds,
then it willflash for
several more.
If the driver’s belt is already buckled, neither the tone
nor the light will come on.
3-26
2003 - Savana OM

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. 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, seeAir Bag System on page 1-63.
This light will come on
when you start your
vehicle, and it willflash
for a few seconds.
Then the light should go
out. This means the
system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air
bag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the air bag
readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle.
The air bag readiness light shouldflash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have itfixed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
3-27
2003 - Savana OM