Page 344 of 414

Black plate (72,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-72 Vehicle Care
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{WARNING
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has
been driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑4.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
5. Place wheel blocks on both sides of the tire at the
opposite corner of the tire
being changed.
Page 348 of 414
Black plate (76,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-76 Vehicle Care
Front Position
Front Position
Rear Position
Rear Alternative Position (DieselVehicles) 4. Position the jack under the
vehicle as shown.
The front position jacking point is
on the frame. The rear position
jacking point is on the rear axle.
If the exhaust system interferes
in the jack location in the rear
axle, such as in Diesel vehicles,
place the jack (A) on the
rear axle between the axle
housing and the shock absorber
bracket in order to avoid any
interference with the exhaust
pipe (B).
{WARNING
Getting under a vehicle when it is
jacked up is dangerous. If the
vehicle slips off the jack you could
be badly injured or killed. Never
get under a vehicle when it is
supported only by a jack.
Page 349 of 414

Black plate (77,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-77
{WARNING
Raising the vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help
avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to fit the jack lift
head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench clockwise. Raise
the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room
for the spare tire to fit.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts.
7. Take flat tire off of the mountingsurface.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, a cloth or a paper
towel can be used; however, use
a scraper or wire brush later to
remove all rust or dirt.
8. Remove any rust or dirt from thewheel bolts, mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
Page 350 of 414

Black plate (78,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-78 Vehicle Care
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle's wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.
9. Put the wheel nuts back on withthe rounded end of the nuts
toward the wheel. Tighten each
wheel nut by hand until the
wheel is held against the hub. 10. Lower the vehicle by turning
the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the
jack completely.
{WARNING
Wheel nuts that are not tight can
work loose. If all the nuts on a
wheel come off, the wheel can
come off the vehicle, causing a
crash. All wheel nuts must be
properly tightened. Follow the
rules in this section to be sure
they are.
{WARNING
If wheel studs are damaged, they
can break. If all the studs on a
wheel broke, the wheel could
come off and cause a crash.
If any stud is damaged because
of a loose-running wheel, it could
be that all of the studs are
damaged. To be sure, replace all
studs on the wheel. If the stud
holes in a wheel have become
larger, the wheel could collapse in
operation. Replace any wheel if
its stud holes have become larger
or distorted in any way. Inspect
hubs and hub‐piloted wheels for
damage. Because of loose
running wheels, piloting pad
damage may occur and require
replacement of the entire hub, for
proper centering of the wheels.
When replacing studs, hubs,
wheel nuts or wheels, be sure to
use GM original equipment parts.
Page 351 of 414

Black plate (79,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-79
{WARNING
Wheel nuts that are improperly or
incorrectly tightened can cause
the wheels to become loose or
come off. The wheel nuts should
be tightened with a torque wrench
to the proper torque specification
after replacing. Follow the torque
specification supplied by the
aftermarket manufacturer when
using accessory locking wheel
nuts. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2 for
original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications.
Notice: Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage. To
avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2 for the wheel nut
torque specification.
11. Use the wheel wrench to tighten the nuts firmly. Turn the
wheel wrench clockwise and in
a crisscross sequence as
shown. 12. Put the wheel cover or the
center cap and plastic wheel
nut caps back on. Remove any
wheel blocks.
Have a technician check the
wheel nut tightness of all
wheels with a torque wrench
after the first 160 km
(100 miles) and then 1600 km
(1,000 miles) after that. Repeat
this service whenever you have
a tire removed or serviced. See
Capacities and Specifications
on page 12‑2 for more
information.
Page 352 of 414

Black plate (80,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-80 Vehicle Care
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
1. Put the tire on the ground at the rear of the vehicle with the valve
stem pointed down.
2. Pull the retaining bar through thecenter of the wheel, making sure
it is properly attached.
3. Pull the wheel toward the rear of the vehicle, keeping the cable
tight.
4. Put the chisel end of the hoist extension on an angle through
the hole in the rear door frame,
above the bumper.
5. Raise the tire fully against the underside of the vehicle.
Continue turning the wheel
wrench until the tire is secure and the cable is tight. The spare
tire hoist cannot be
overtightened.
6. Make sure the tire is stored
securely. Push, pull (A), and then
try to turn (B) the tire. If the tire
moves, use the wheel wrench to
tighten the cable.
You will hear two clicks when the
tire is up all the way.
7. Return the jacking equipment to the proper location. Secure the
items and replace the jack cover.
Page 353 of 414

Black plate (81,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-81
Secondary Latch System
This vehicle has an
underbody-mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with a
secondary latch system. It is
designed to stop the spare tire from
suddenly falling off the vehicle if the
cable holding the spare tire is
damaged. For the secondary latch
to work, the tire must be stowed
with the valve stem pointing down.
See“Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools” underTire Changing on
page 10‑73 for instructions on
storing the spare tire correctly.{WARNING
Before beginning this procedure
read all the instructions. Failure to
read and follow the instructions
could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get
hurt. Read and follow the
instructions listed next.
To release the spare tire from the
secondary latch:
{WARNING
Someone standing too close
during the procedure could be
injured by the jack. If the spare
tire does not slide off the jack
completely, make sure no one is
behind you or on either side of
you as you pull the jack out from
under the spare.
1. Check under the vehicle to see if the cable end is visible.
If the cable is not visible, start
this procedure at Step 6.
2. Turn the hoist extension counterclockwise until
approximately 15 cm (6 in) of
cable is exposed.
Page 356 of 414

Black plate (84,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-84 Vehicle Care
Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery on
page 10‑31.
If the vehicle battery has run down,
you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your vehicle. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must
have a 12-volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they
are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You
would not be able to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical
systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
N (Neutral) before setting the
parking brake.
Notice: If the radio or other
accessories are left on during the
jump starting procedure, they
could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always turn off the
radio and other accessories when
jump starting the vehicle.