2009 GMC SAVANA duramax diesel

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC,
the GMC Truck Emblem, and the name SAVANA are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. GM reserves the right to make changes after
that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada
Limited” for GMC wherever it appears in this manual.
This manual describes features that may or may not be
on your specific vehicle.
If the vehicle has the DURAMAX
®Diesel engine, refer
to the DURAMAX®Diesel supplement for additional
and specific information on this engine.
Read this manual from beginning to end to learn about
the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures, symbols,
and words work together to explain vehicle operation.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
helminc.com
Index
To quickly locate information about the vehicle use the
Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical
list of what is in the manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25776481 A First Printing
©2008 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

B (ACC/ACCESSORY):This is the position in which
you can operate things like the radio and the windshield
wipers when the engine is off.
C (ON/RUN):This position can be used to operate the
electrical accessories and to display some instrument
panel cluster warning and indicator lights. The switch
stays in this position when the engine is running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/
RUN position with the engine off, the battery could be
drained. You may not be able to start the vehicle if the
battery is allowed to drain for an extended period of time.
D (START):This is the position that starts the engine.
When the engine starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for driving.
A warning tone will sound when the driver door is
opened, the ignition is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF and the key is in the ignition.Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used for up to
10 minutes after the engine is turned off:
•Audio System
•Power Windows (if equipped)
These features will work when the ignition key is in
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY. Once the key is turned
from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF, power to the radio will
continue to work 10 minutes or until the driver door is
opened. The power windows will continue to work for up
to 10 minutes or until any door is opened.
Starting the Engine
If the vehicle has the DURAMAX®Diesel engine, see
the DURAMAX®Diesel manual for more information.
To place the transmission in the proper gear:
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). The
engine will not start in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
2-20

Engine Coolant Heater
If the vehicle has the DURAMAX Diesel engine, see the
DURAMAX Diesel manual for more information.
The engine coolant heater can provide easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up in cold
weather conditions at or below 0°F (−18°C). Vehicles
with an engine coolant heater should be plugged
in at least four hours before starting. An internal
thermostat in the plug-end of the cord may exist which
will prevent engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above 0°F (−18°C).
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord for the engine coolant heater is located
on the driver side of the engine compartment and is
attached to the hose for the power steering
reservoir.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet could
cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong kind of
extension cord could overheat and cause a fire.
You could be seriously injured. Plug the cord into
a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt AC
outlet. If the cord will not reach, use a heavy-duty
three-prong extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts and prevent damage.
The length of time the heater should remain plugged in
depends on several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer in
the area where you will be parking the vehicle for the
best advice on this.
2-22

The main components of the instrument panel are the following:
A.Outlet Adjustment on page 3-21.
B.Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-43.
C.Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D.Hazard Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
E.Instrument Panel Cluster on page 3-25.
F. Shift Lever. SeeStarting the Engine on page 2-20.
G.Climate Control System on page 3-19.
H.Audio System(s) on page 3-65.
I.Exterior Lamps on page 3-13.
J.Instrument Panel Brightness on page 3-16.
K.Cruise Control on page 3-10. Fast Idle System
(If Equipped). See Duramax Diesel Manual for more
information.L.Tilt Wheel on page 3-6.
M.Horn on page 3-6.
N.Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-85.
O. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-26.
P.Accessory Power Outlet(s) on page 3-18and
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter on page 3-19.
Q.StabiliTrak
®System on page 4-6(If Equipped).
R.Airbag Off Switch on page 1-68.
S.Storage Areas on page 2-34.
T.Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30.
U.Rear Heating System on page 3-22(If Equipped).
3-5

Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to display how the vehicle is running. It shows how fast the vehicle is
going, how much fuel is being used, and many other things needed to drive safely and economically. If the vehicle
has the DURAMAX Diesel engine, see the DURAMAX Diesel manual for more information.
United States version shown, Canada similar
3-25

Fuel Gage
The fuel gage, when the ignition is on, indicates how
much fuel is left in the vehicle’s fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
The gage first indicates empty before the vehicle is out
of fuel, and the fuel tank should be refueled soon.Listed are four situations customers might experience
with the fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with
the fuel gage:
•At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
•It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may
have indicated the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the tank’s
capacity to fill the tank.
•The gage moves a little while turning a corner or
speeding up.
•The gage does not go back to empty when the
ignition is turned off.
If the vehicle has the DURAMAX Diesel engine, see the
DURAMAX Diesel manual for more information. United StatesCanada
3-42

To calibrate the compass, use the following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass, make sure the
compass zone is set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is located. See “Compass
Variance (Zone) Procedure” earlier in this section.
Do not operate any switches such as window,
sunroof, climate controls, seats, etc. during
the calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information button until PRESS
V
TO CALIBRATE COMPASS displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start the compass
calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in tight circles at less
than 5 mph (8 km/h) to complete the calibration.
The DIC will display CALIBRATION COMPLETE
for a few seconds when the calibration is complete.
The DIC display will then return to PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS.
DIC Warnings and Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC to notify the driver
that the status of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by the driver to correct the
condition. Multiple messages may appear one after
another.
Some messages may not require immediate action, but
you can press any of the DIC buttons on the instrument
panel to acknowledge that you received the messages
and to clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared from the DIC
display because they are more urgent. These messages
require action before they can be cleared. You should
take any messages that appear on the display seriously
and remember that clearing the messages will only
make the messages disappear, not correct the problem.
The following are the possible messages that can be
displayed and some information about them.
If your vehicle has the DURAMAX
®Diesel engine, see
the DURAMAX®Diesel manual for more information.
3-50

All-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
The vehicle was not designed to be towed with two
wheels on the ground. To properly tow these vehicles,
they should be placed on a platform trailer with all
four wheels off the ground.
Notice:Towing an all-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, or even with only two of
its wheels on the ground, will damage drivetrain
components. Do not tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle
with any of its wheels on the ground.
Towing a Trailer
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see the DURAMAX®
Diesel manual for more information.
{CAUTION:
The driver can lose control when pulling a trailer if
the correct equipment is not used or the vehicle is
not driven properly. For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the brakes may not work well — or
even at all. The driver and passengers could be
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
seriously injured. The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer only
if all the steps in this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer/retailer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the vehicle.
Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage the
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by the vehicle warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section and see your
dealer/retailer for important information about
towing a trailer with the vehicle.
To identify the trailering capacity of the vehicle, read the
information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section.
Trailering is different than just driving the vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, acceleration,
braking, durability and fuel economy. Successful, safe
trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be used
properly.
4-26