2006 GMC SAVANA steering

Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
•GTurn and Lane Change Signals.Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-7.
•53Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8.
•Flash-to-Pass Feature. SeeFlash-to-Pass on
page 3-8.
•NWindshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers on
page 3-9.
•LWindshield Washer. SeeWindshield Washer
on page 3-9.
•ICruise Control.Cruise Control on page 3-10.
For information on the exterior lamps, seeExterior
Lamps on page 3-13later in this section.
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
3-7

•The gage moves a little when you turn a corner
or speed up.
•The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you
turn off the ignition.
None of these indicate a problem with the fuel gage.
Audio System(s)
If your vehicle came without a radio, the wiring
provisions for a radio and an antenna were installed at
the assembly plant, so that if you want, a radio can
be installed at the dealer.
Determine which radio your vehicle has and then read
the pages following to familiarize yourself with its
features.
Driving without distraction is a necessity for a safer
driving experience. SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
By taking a few moments to read this manual and
get familiar with your vehicle’s audio system, you can
use it with less effort, as well as take advantage of
its features. While your vehicle is parked, set up your
audio system by presetting your favorite radio stations,
setting the tone and adjusting the speakers. Then,
when driving conditions permit, you can tune to your
favorite stations using the presets and steering
wheel controls (if equipped).
{CAUTION:
This system provides you with a far greater
access to audio stations and song listings.
Giving extended attention to entertainment
tasks while driving can cause a crash and you
or others can be injured or killed. Always keep
your eyes on the road and your mind on the
drive — avoid engaging in extended searching
while driving.
Keeping your mind on the drive is important for safe
driving. For more information, seeDefensive Driving on
page 4-2. Get familiar with your vehicle’s audio
system so you can use it with less effort and take full
advantage of its features.
Here are some ways in which you can help avoid
distraction while driving.
3-43

While your vehicle is parked:
•Familiarize yourself with all of its controls.
•Familiarize yourself with its operation.
•Set up your audio system by presetting your
favorite radio stations, setting the tone, and
adjusting the speakers. Then, when driving
conditions permit, you can tune to your favorite
radio stations using the presets and steering wheel
controls (if equipped).
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, such as an audio system, CD player,
CB radio, mobile telephone, or two-way radio, make
sure that it can be added by checking with your
dealer. Also, check federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone units. If sound equipment can
be added, it is very important to do it properly.
Added sound equipment may interfere with
the operation of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation
of sound equipment that has been added.
Your vehicle may have a feature called Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system
can be played even after the ignition is turned off.
SeeRetained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-18for
more information.
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS)
Press and hold the HR or MIN arrow for two seconds.
Then press HR until the correct hour appears on
the display. Press and hold MIN until the correct minute
appears on the display. The time may be set with the
ignition on or off.
Setting the Time for Radios with
Radio Data Systems (RDS)
The radio may have a button marked with an H or HR to
represent hours and an M or MN to represent minutes.
Press and hold the hour button until the correct hour
appears on the display. Press and hold the minute
button until the correct minute appears on the display.
The time can be set with the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and hold
the hour and minute buttons at the same time until RDS
TIME appears on the display. To accept this time, press
and hold the hour and minute buttons, at the same time,
for another two seconds. If the time is not available from
the station, NO UPDAT will appear on the display.
RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to an
RDS broadcast station, it may take a few minutes for
the time to update.
3-44

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

The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at the
same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
4-8

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems — steering and acceleration — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of those places.
You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
4-12

Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time
for evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you
can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-13