2006 GMC SAVANA brake

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-5
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-7
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-8
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-8
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-9
Windshield Washer.........................................3-9
Cruise Control..............................................3-10
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-13
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-14
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-14
Dome Lamps...............................................3-15
Dome Lamp Override....................................3-15
Entry Lighting...............................................3-15
Exit Lighting.................................................3-15
Reading Lamps............................................3-15
Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-16
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-16
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-17Climate Controls............................................3-17
Climate Control System.................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Rear Heating System....................................3-21
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System.......3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-23
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-24
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-25
Trip Odometer..............................................3-25
Engine Speed Limiter....................................3-25
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-26
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder Light.............3-26
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-27
Airbag Off Light............................................3-28
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-29
Charging System Light..................................3-32
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-32
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-33
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-34
StabiliTrak
®Not Ready Light..........................3-34
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light..............................3-35
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-35
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-36
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-38
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes, the cruise control will
disengage.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
9(Off):This position turns the system off.
R(On):This position activates the system.
S(Resume/Accelerate):Push the lever to this symbol
to make the vehicle accelerate or resume to a
previously set speed.
T(Set):Press this button to set the speed.
3-10

Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not 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.
3-11

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
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal.
•Move the cruise control switch to off.
•If your vehicle has the StabiliTrak®feature, cruise
control will deactivate if road conditions cause
StabiliTrak
®to activate.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-12

Readings in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
With the ignition on, the brake system warning light will
come on when you set your parking brake. The light
will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully. If
it stays on after your parking brake is fully released,
it means you have a brake problem.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-35.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
United States
Canada
3-33

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds. That’s
normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock
brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-33
for more information.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If
the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
StabiliTrak®Not Ready Light
If your vehicle has the
StabiliTrak®system,
this light will come
on according to the
description table for the
StabiliTrak
®system.
For more information, seeStabiliTrak
®System
on page 4-9.
You will hear three chimes if the light turns on and
one chime if the light turns off.
3-34

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Locking Rear Axle..........................................4-8
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-9
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-11
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Driving at Night............................................4-17
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-18City Driving..................................................4-20
Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-22
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-23
Winter Driving..............................................4-25
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-29
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-30
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-30
Towing..........................................................4-35
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-35
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-35
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-37
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in
one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to
react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering, and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-5