2008 GMC SAVANA headlamp

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-8
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-9
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-9
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-9
Windshield Washer.......................................3-10
Cruise Control..............................................3-10
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-13
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-15
Automatic Headlamp System..........................3-15
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-16
Dome Lamps...............................................3-16
Dome Lamp Override....................................3-16
Entry/Exit Lighting.........................................3-17
Reading Lamps............................................3-17
Electric Power Management...........................3-17
Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-17
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-18
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-18Climate Controls............................................3-19
Climate Control System.................................3-19
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-21
Rear Heating System....................................3-22
Rear Air Conditioning and Heating System.......3-23
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-24
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-25
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-26
Trip Odometer..............................................3-26
Safety Belt Reminders...................................3-26
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-27
Airbag Off Light............................................3-28
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-30
Charging System Light..................................3-32
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-32
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-33
Antilock Brake System Warning Light...............3-34
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light..............................3-34
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-35
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-35
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-36
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-38
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-39
Security Light...............................................3-40
Cruise Control Light......................................3-40
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Tilt Wheel
For vehicles with a tilt steering wheel, it allows you to
lower or raise the steering wheel to give your legs more
room when entering or exiting the vehicle. Do not adjust
the steering wheel while driving.
The lever is located on the lower left side of the steering
column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever. Move the steering wheel to a comfortable
level, then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
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 3-8.
•53Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-9.
•Flash-to-Pass Feature. SeeFlash-to-Pass on
page 3-9.
•NWindshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers on
page 3-9.
•LWindshield Washer. SeeWindshield Washer
on page 3-10.
3-7

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
23(Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer):
To change the headlamps from low to high beam,
pull the multifunction lever all the way toward you.
Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature allows you to use your high-beam
headlamps to signal a driver in front of you that you
want to pass. It works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you, but not so
far that you hear it click.
If your headlamps are off or on low-beam, your
high-beam headlamps will turn on and stay on as long
as you hold the lever toward you and the high-beam
indicator on the instrument panel will come on. Release
the lever to turn the high-beam headlamps off.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wipers are controlled by turning the
band with the wiper symbol.
8(Mist):For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to
mist. Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one wipe. If more wipes
are needed, hold the band on mist longer.
6Delay:The wiper speed can be set for a long or short
delay between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain
or snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to the top of the lever, the shorter the delay.
d(Low Speed):For steady wiping at low speed,
turn the band away from you to the first solid band past
the delay settings position.
a(High Speed):For high-speed wiping, turn
the band further, to the second solid band past the
delay settings.
9(Off):To stop the wipers, move the band to off.
When driving during the day and the wipers are
activated, the head lamps will automatically turn on
after completing eight wipe cycles.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
worn or damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
3-9

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 have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain the vehicle’s speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift
to a lower gear to keep the vehicle’s speed down.
Of course, applying the brake takes you out of cruise
control. Many drivers find this to be too much trouble
and do not use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal.
•Press the cancel button on the steering wheel.
•Press the On/Off button on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
the cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamps control
is located on the instrument
panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
•Headlamps
•Taillamps
•Parking Lamps
•License Plate Lamps
•Instrument Panel Lights
The exterior lamps control has four positions:
O(Off):Briefly turn the control to this position to
turn off the automatic headlamps and daytime running
lamps (DRL). Briefly turn to this position again to turn
the automatic headlamps or DRL back on.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the off position only
works for vehicles that are shifted into the PARK (P)
position.
3-13

AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this position
to automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
•Parking Lamps
•Instrument Panel Lights
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamps
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the parking lamps together with the
following:
•Instrument Panel Lights
•Taillamps
•License Plate Lamps
2(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position to
turn on the headlamps together with the following lamps
listed below.
•Parking Lamps
•Instrument Panel Lights
•Taillamps
•License Plate LampsWhen the headlamps are turned on while the vehicle is
on, the headlamps will turn off automatically 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off. When the headlamps are
turned on while the vehicle is off, the headlamps will
continue to stay on. To prevent the battery from being
drained, turn the control to the off position.
A warning chime sounds if the driver’s door is opened
while the ignition switch is off and the headlamps are on.
To change the headlamps from low beam to high
beam, push the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
the instrument panel.
Headlamps on Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime sounds when the
headlamps or parking lamps are manually turned on
and the key is out of the ignition. To turn off the chime,
turn the headlamp switch to off or auto and then
back on, or close and re-open the door. In the auto
mode, the headlamps turn off once the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF or may remain on until the headlamp
delay ends, if enabled in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See “Exit Lighting” underDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-58.
3-14

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions,
but they can be especially helpful in the short periods
after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all vehicles first sold
in Canada.
The DRL system will come on in daylight when the
following conditions are met:
•The ignition is on.
•The exterior lamps control is in the AUTO position.
•The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
•The light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL are on, only the DRL lamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker, and other lamps will not
be on. The instrument panel will not be lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic headlamp
system will switch from DRL to the headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior lamp control to the
off position and then release it. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, the transmission must be in the PARK
(P) position, before the DRL can be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside and the headlamp switch
is in AUTO, the automatic headlamp system will turn on
the headlamps at the normal brightness along with other
lamps such as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps,
roof marker lamps, and the instrument panel lights.
The radio lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp system, turn the
exterior lamps switch to the off position and then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, the transmission must
be in the PARK (P) position, before the automatic
headlamp system can be turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor located on the top of
the instrument panel. Be sure it is not covered, or
the system will be on whenever the ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the headlamps when
driving through a parking garage, heavy overcast
weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime and
nighttime operation of the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
and the automatic headlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead street lights does not
affect the system. The DRL and automatic headlamp
system will only be affected when the light sensor sees
a change in lighting lasting longer than the delay.
3-15

If the vehicle is started in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
the vehicle leaves the garage, it takes approximately
30 seconds for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside. During that delay, the
instrument panel cluster may not be as bright as usual.
Make sure the instrument panel brightness control is in
the full bright position. SeeInstrument Panel Brightness
on page 3-16.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The knob for this feature is located next to the exterior
lamps control.
D(Instrument Panel Lights):Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to brighten or dim the
instrument panel lights and the radio display. This only
works if the headlamps or parking lamps are on.
To turn on the dome lamps, with the vehicle doors
closed, turn the knob all the way clockwise.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any door is opened.
They turn off after all the doors are closed.
The dome lamps can also be turned on by turning the
instrument panel brightness knob, located next to
the exterior lamps control, clockwise to the farthest
position. In this position, the dome lamps remain
on whether a door is opened or closed.
Dome Lamp Override
The dome lamp override button is located next to the
exterior lamps control.
The dome lamp override is used to set the dome lamps
to remain off or come on automatically when a door
is opened.
E(Dome Lamp Override):Press the button in and
the dome lamps remain off when a door is opened.
Press the button again to return it to the extended
position so that the dome lamps come on when a
door is opened.
3-16

Entry/Exit Lighting
Your vehicle has an illuminated entry/exit feature.
When a door is opened or the key is removed from
the ignition, the dome lamps will come on if the dome
override button is in the out position.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with reading lamps, press the button
located next to each lamp to turn it on or off.
Your vehicle may also have reading lamps in other
locations. To turn each one on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp. The lamps cannot be adjusted.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When
the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly
to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmetergage or voltage display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there is a problem, an alert
will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator (alternator) may not
be spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, rear
window defogger, climate control fan at high speed,
engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads plugged
into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the battery.
It does this by balancing the generator’s output and the
vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power, whenever needed.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the dome lamps if they are left on
for more than 10 minutes when the ignition is in LOCK.
This will help prevent the battery from running down.
3-17