
Black plate (71,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-71
Tire Chains
{WARNING
Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount of
clearance can cause damage to
the brakes, suspension, or other
vehicle parts. The area damaged
by the tire chains could cause you
to lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in a
crash. To help avoid damage to
the vehicle, drive slowly, readjust,
or remove the device if it is
contacting the vehicle. Do not
spin the vehicle's tires. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions.Notice:
Use tire chains only
where legal and only when you
must. Use chains that are the
proper size for the tires. Install
them on the tires of the rear axle.
Do not use chains on the tires of
the front axle. Tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly
and follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions.
If you can hear the chains
contacting the vehicle, stop and
retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains
on will damage the vehicle.
For Cutaway models with LT245/
75R16, LT225/75R16 or LT215/
85R16 size single or dual rear tires,
use Low Profile Z-Chain or SAE
Class S cables. For Cargo or Passenger models
with P245/70R17, LT225/75R16 or
LT245/75R16 size tires, use Low
Profile Z-Chain cables. SAE Class S
chains are not recommended.
If the vehicle has dual rear tires, do
not use individual tire chains. Use
tire chains that fit across both dual
tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if there ever is a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.

Black plate (75,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-75
If the spare tire does not lower to
the ground, the secondary latch
is engaged causing the tire not
to lower. SeeSecondary Latch
System on page 10‑81.
4. When the tire has been lowered, pull the tire toward you
so you can reach the tire
retainer and pull it up through
the wheel opening.
If you have a vehicle which was
completed from a cab and
chassis, refer to the information
from body supplier/installer. The spare tire is a full‐size tire,
like the other tires on the
vehicle.
5. Put the spare tire near the flat tire.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
If the vehicle has plastic wheel nut
caps, loosen them by turning the
wheel wrench counterclockwise.
The wheel nut caps are designed to
remain with the center cap. Remove
the center cap.
If the wheel has a smooth center
piece, place the chisel end of the
wheel wrench in the slot on the
wheel and gently pry it out.
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑71 for more
information.
2. Loosen all the wheel nuts with the wheel wrench. Do not
remove them yet. 3. Assemble the jack and tools:
Front Flat:
Assemble the
jack (A) together with the jack
handle (B), one or two jack
handle extensions (D) and the
wheel wrench (E).
Rear Flat: Assemble the jack (A)
together with the jack handle (B),
two jack handle extensions (D),
and the wheel wrench (E).

Black plate (83,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-83
Notice:If you drive away before
the spare tire or secondary
latch system cable has been
reinstalled, you could damage the
vehicle. Always reinstall this
cable before driving the vehicle.
9. If the cable is hanging under
the vehicle, turn the wheel
wrench in the hoist shaft hole in
the bumper clockwise to raise
the cable back up.
Have the hoist assembly inspected
as soon as you can. You will not be
able to store a spare or flat tire
using the hoist assembly until it has
been repaired or replaced.
To continue changing the flat tire,
return to Step 4 of “Storing a Flat or
Spare Tire and Tools” underTire
Changing on page 10‑73.Full-Size Spare Tire
This vehicle, when new, may have
had a fully-inflated spare tire.
A spare tire may lose air over time,
so check its inflation pressure
regularly. See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑57 andVehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑12 for information
regarding proper tire inflation and
loading the vehicle. For instruction
on how to remove, install or store a
spare tire, see “Removing the Flat
Tire and Installing the Spare Tire”
and “Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools” underTire Changing on
page 10‑73. After installing the spare tire on the
vehicle, you should stop as soon as
possible and make sure the spare is
correctly inflated. The spare tire is
made to perform well at speeds
up to 112 km/h (70 mph) at the
recommended inflation pressure, so
you can finish your trip.
Have the damaged or flat road tire
repaired or replaced as soon as you
can and installed back onto the
vehicle. This way, a spare tire will
be available in case you need it
again. Do not mix tires and wheels
of different sizes, because they will
not fit. Keep the spare tire and its
wheel together.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
Fluid (cont.)Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-43
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-42
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-43
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Fuel Economy
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20 Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Fuses
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Floor Console Fuse Block . . 10-48
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
G
Gasoline
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Gauges Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glass, Enhanced Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-11
TiresBuying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-59
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-58
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-81
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69 Tires (cont.)
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-70
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-48
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-88
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Trailer
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27, 9-31
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . 10-12, 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5U
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
V
Vehicle Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Vehicle Care Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Vehicle Identification Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1

Black plate (12,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
i-12 INDEX
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
W
WarningBrake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Wheels
Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70 When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-51
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Enhanced TechnologyGlass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Swing-out Windows . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-37