
Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-5
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
.......................................1-33
Air Bag System
.......................................1-63
Restraint System Check
............................1-75
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-20
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-35
Storage Areas
.........................................2-36
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-17
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-23
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-41
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-29Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
................. 5-9
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-46
Rear Axle
...............................................5-47
Front Axle
...............................................5-48
Noise Control System
...............................5-49
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-55
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
.....................................5-82
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-90
Electrical System
......................................5-91
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-97
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-100
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index.................................................................1
2003 GMC Savana Owner ManualM
2003 - Savana Owner Manual 

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you willfind these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need helpfiguring out a specificnameofa
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv
2003 - Savana OM 

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Power Seat...................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-3
Rear Seats.......................................................1-5
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-5
Safety Belts.....................................................1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-14
Driver Position..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-22
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-23
Center Passenger Position (2nd Row)..............1-23
Center Passenger Position (3rd, 4th and
5th Row) ..................................................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-26
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults..........................1-29
Safety Belt Pretensioners...............................1-32
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-32
Child Restraints.............................................1-33
Older Children..............................................1-33
Infants and Young Children............................1-36
Child Restraint Systems
.................................1-42
Where to Put the Restraint
.............................1-45
Top Strap
....................................................1-49Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-50
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System....................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position (2nd Row)....................................1-56
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row)...................1-57
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position....................................1-58
Air Bag System..............................................1-63
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-66
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?....................1-67
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?.....................1-69
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-69
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?.......1-70
Air Bag Off Switch........................................1-71
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-74
Adding Equipment to Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle...........................1-75
Restraint System Check..................................1-75
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-75
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-76
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
2003 - Savana OM 

Front Seats
Manual Seats
The bucket seats can be adjusted forward or rearward
with the lever located at the front of the seat.To adjust the seat, pull the lever up to release the seat
bottom. Slide the seat to where you want it and then
release the lever. Try to move the seat with your body,
to make sure the seat is locked into place.
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
1-2
2003 - Savana OM 

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Removing the Rear Seat
1. Disconnect the quick
release latch plates
for the lap shoulder
belts on the bench seat
to be removed. To do
this, press the tip of a
key into the release
hole of the safety belt
buckle while pulling up
on the safety belt.
There are two pins located on the inboard sides of
the rear seats. If the vehicle has floor mats, the
pins will be located under a flap that has been cut
into the mat. The driver’s side pin will have a black
cap with an “L” marked on it and will look like this:
1-5
2003 - Savana OM 

•The passenger’s side pin will have a white cap
with an“R”marked on it and will look like this:
2. Pull the pin handle up which will loosen the pin
from the retaining clip.
3. Once the black or white pin is disengaged, pull the
pin completely out.4. Repeat this procedure for the pin on the other
seat base.
5. Pull the seat rearward about two inches (5 cm) and
then lift the seat from thefloor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
7. For thefirst rear seat,
stow the safety belt latch
by attaching the clip
on the safety belt latch to
the trim just inside the
side door. For the
remaining rear seats,
stow the safety belt latch
plate on the clip at the
window trim.
1-6
2003 - Savana OM 

Replacing the Rear Seats
{CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t 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.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t 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.1. Position the seat into the open slots in both rails.
Push the seat forward in the rail, hooking both
seat bases onto the pins inside of the rails.
2. To install the locking pins at the rear of the seat
base, locate the hole in the rail for the pin. It is
found on the inboard side of the seat. If the vehicle
hasfloor mats, pull theflap that has been cut
into the mat.
3. Insert the black or white locking pin into the seat
base. Possible slight seat pushing may be needed
to line up the pin with the base. Remember,
each pin has its own side. The pin with the white
handle marked“R”must be installed on the
passenger’s side and the pin with the black handle
marked“L”on the driver’s side.
4. Push the pin with the white handle marked“R”
down until it is in the retaining clip.
1-7
2003 - Savana OM 

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allowpeople to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
SeeSafety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-26.
1-9
2003 - Savana OM