Page 40 of 414

Black plate (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2-10 Keys, Doors and Windows
To open the rear portion of a
60/40 door from the outside, pull the
handle on the side of the rear door
and pull the door toward you.
To close the 60/40 side doors, close
the rear door first. Then close the
front door. Check to make sure that
both doors are completely closed.
The swing-out doors have a check
strap assembly in the door frame to
keep the door from opening beyond
90 degrees.To open the door beyond
90 degrees, close the door partially,
pull the check strap toward you and
then open the door. When the door
is closed, the check strap will
automatically re-engage.
Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door from
the outside, pull the handle toward
the rear of the vehicle and slide the
door open.To close the sliding side door from
the outside, use the handle to slide
the door toward the front of the
vehicle.
When the door is closed, it will be
flush with the side of the body.
To open the sliding side door from
the inside, pull the handle toward
the rear of the vehicle. Then, slide
the door toward the rear of the
vehicle.
Page 41 of 414

Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-11
To close the sliding side door from
the inside, grasp the handle and
slide the door toward the front of the
vehicle.
Make sure the door is completely
closed before driving away.
Rear Doors
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.
To open the rear doors from the
outside, pull the handle toward you
to open the passenger side rear
door first.
To open the driver side rear door,
pull the latch release at the inside
edge of the door.
To close the rear doors, close the
driver side rear door first. Then
close the passenger side rear door.
Check to make sure both doors are
completely closed.
Page 44 of 414

Black plate (14,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2-14 Keys, Doors and Windows
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
Manual Mirrors
Adjust the mirrors by pressing the
mirror up and down and left and
right.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.
On the lower portion of each mirror
is an auxiliary convex mirror.
A convex mirror's surface is curved
so you can see more from the driver
seat. The auxiliary convex mirrors
can be adjusted manually by
pressing the mirror.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
Vehicles with towing mirrors can be
adjusted manually for a clear view
of the objects behind you.
On the lower portion of each mirror
there is an auxiliary convex mirror
that can be adjusted manually to
provide an extended field of view.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.
Page 47 of 414

Black plate (17,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-17
If the vehicle has power windows,
the controls are located on each of
the side doors.
The driver door has a switch for the
passenger window also. The power
windows will work when the ignition
has been turned to ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY, or when
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is
active. SeeRetained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑23. Press the switch to lower the
window.
Pull up on the front edge of the
switch to raise the window.
Express‐Down
The driver window switch also has
an express-down feature that allows
the window to be lowered without
holding the switch. Press fully and
release the window switch marked
AUTO to activate the express-down
mode. This mode can be cancelled
at any time by pulling up on the
switch. To open the window part
way, lightly tap the switch until the
window is at the desired position.
Swing-Out Windows
Side Swing-Out Window
To open the side door swing-out
window, pull up on the latch at the
edge of the window. Swing the
window out and push down on the
latch to lock the window into place.
To close the window, pull the latch
toward you and push down on the
latch to lock it.
Page 56 of 414
Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
3-6 Seats and Restraints
3. Pull the pin handle up todisengage the pin from the
retaining clip, and then pull the
pin out.
4. Repeat this procedure for the other pins.
5. Pull the seat rearward about 5 cm (2 in), and then lift the seat
from the floor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
7. For the second- and third-rowseats, stow the safety belt latch
by attaching the clip on the
safety belt latch to the trim just
inside the side door.For the last row of seats, stow
the safety belt latch plate on the
clip at the window trim. Roll the
mini-latch into the safety belt
webbing and then hook the
safety belt latch plate on the clip.
Page 69 of 414

Black plate (19,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-19
4. If equipped with a shoulder beltheight adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you.
See “Safety Belt Height Adjuster”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the safety belt
webbing when the safety belt is not
in use. The latch plate should rest
on the stitching on the safety belt,
near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a safety belt height
adjuster for the driver and right front
passenger positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. See How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3‑12.
Page 81 of 414

Black plate (31,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-31
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows for the first,
second, and third rows (if equipped).
SeeWhere Are the Airbags? on
page 3‑27 for more information.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Roof-rail
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body. Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first, second, and third rows,
if equipped. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑29
for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
Page 91 of 414

Black plate (41,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-41
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑42 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑12.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.