
Black plate (68,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-68 Vehicle Care
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver, or temporaryuse spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1½) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.

Black plate (85,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-85
3. Turn off the ignition on bothvehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlet. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks
and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal locations of the other
vehicle.
On your van, use the unpainted
radio antenna bracket as a
remote negative (−) terminal.
{WARNING
Using an open flame near a
battery can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running. 5. Check that the jumper cables do
not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables,
here are some basic things you
should know. Positive (+) will go
to positive (+) or to a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle
has one. Negative (−) will go to
an unpainted metal part or to a
remote negative (−) terminal if
the vehicle has one. On your
van, use the unpainted radio
antenna bracket as a remote
negative (−) terminal.
Do not connect positive (+) to
negative (−) or you will get a
short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts
too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal on the dead
battery because this can cause
sparks.

Black plate (91,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-91
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
If dirt and/or contaminants build up
in the glass seals, use a cloth and
water to clean the glass seals.
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will
make them last longer, seal better,
and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth.
During very cold, damp weather
frequent application may be
required. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑7.
Washing the Vehicle
The best way to preserve the finish
is to keep it clean by washing it
often.
Notice: Certain cleaners contain
chemicals that can damage the
emblems or nameplates on the
vehicle. Check the cleaning
product label. If it states that it
should not be used on plastic
parts, do not use it on the vehicle
or damage may occur and it
would not be covered by the
warranty.
Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight. Use a car washing soap.
Do not use cleaning agents that are
petroleum based or that contain
acid or abrasives, as they can
damage the paint, metal or plastic
on the vehicle. Approved cleaning
products can be obtained from your
dealer. Follow all manufacturers'
directions regarding correct product
usage, necessary safety precautions and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water
spotting.
High pressure car washes may
cause water to enter the vehicle.
Avoid using high pressure washes
closer than 30 cm (12 in) to the
surface of the vehicle. Use of power
washers exceeding 8 274 kPa
(1,200 psi) can result in damage or
removal of paint and decals.

Black plate (95,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-95
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric
conditions can create a chemical
fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall
upon and attack painted surfaces on
the vehicle. This damage can take
two forms: blotchy, ring-shaped
discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint
surface.
Although no defect in the paint job
causes this, we will repair, at no
charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this
fallout condition within 12 months or
20 000 km (12,000 mi) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
Interior Care
The interior will continue to look its
best if it is cleaned often. Although
not always visible, dust and dirt can
accumulate on the upholstery. Dirt
can damage carpet, fabric, leather,
and plastic surfaces. Regular
vacuuming is recommended to
remove particles from the
upholstery. It is important to keep
the upholstery from becoming and
remaining heavily soiled. Soils
should be removed as quickly as
possible. The interior may
experience extremes of heat that
could cause stains to set rapidly.
Lighter colored interiors may require
more frequent cleaning. Use care
because newspapers and garments
that transfer color to home
furnishings may also transfer color
to the interior.
When cleaning the interior, only use
cleaners specifically designed for
the surfaces being cleaned.
Permanent damage may result from
using cleaners on surfaces forwhich they were not intended. Use
glass cleaner only on glass.
Remove any accidental over-spray
from other surfaces immediately. To
prevent over-spray, apply cleaner
directly to the cleaning cloth.
Notice:
Using abrasive cleaners
when cleaning glass surfaces on
the vehicle, could scratch the
glass and/or cause damage to the
rear window defogger. When
cleaning the glass on the vehicle,
use only a soft cloth and glass
cleaner.
Many cleaners contain solvents that
may become concentrated in the
breathing space. Before using
cleaners, read and adhere to all
safety instructions on the label.
While cleaning the interior, maintain
adequate ventilation by opening the
doors and windows.
Dust may be removed from small
buttons and knobs using a small
brush with soft bristles.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-18
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Airbag
Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Light On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Airbag System (cont.)
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-27
Airbags On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-19
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . 10-31, 9-35
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-38
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95 Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Audio System Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27, 9-31
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12, 10-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Axle, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33

Black plate (2,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-37
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-42
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40 Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-42
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Ignition
Transmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-36
Child Restraints Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Securing . . . . . . . . . . 3-59, 3-62, 3-65
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Climate Control System Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-3
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-10
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Engine TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-4 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3 Customer Assistance (cont.)
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-12
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-10
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-15
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-31, 9-35
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-20
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-8

Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont.)If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Electrical System Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Floor Console Fuse Block . . 10-48
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-33
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-27
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34 Enhanced Technology
Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-15
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Fan Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Fluid AutomaticTransmission . . . . . . . 10-12, 10-14