
Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-5
Once a Month
.Tire inflation pressures check.
SeeTire Pressure on
page 10‑57.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑63.
Once a Year
.See Starter Switch Check on
page 10‑35.
.See Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control Function
Check on page 10‑35.
.See Ignition Transmission Lock
Check on page 10‑36.
.See Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check on
page 10‑36.
.Accelerator pedal check for
damage, high effort, or binding.
Replace if needed.
.Underbody flushing service.
.Hood/Decklid/Liftgate/Liftglass
Support Gas Strut Service:
Visually inspect gas strut,
if equipped, for signs of wear,
cracks, or other damage. Check
the hold open ability of the gas
strut. Contact your dealer if
service is required.
First Engine Oil Change After
Every 80 000 km/50,000 Miles
.Engine air cleaner filter
replacement. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑18.
.Automatic transmission fluid
change (severe service) for
vehicles mainly driven in heavy
city traffic in hot weather, in hilly
or mountainous terrain, when
frequently towing a trailer,
or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service. See
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(4-Speed Transmission) on
page 10‑12 orAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) on page 10‑14.
.All‐wheel drive only: Transfer
case fluid change (severe
service) for vehicles mainly
driven when frequently towing a
trailer, or used for taxi, police,
or delivery service. Check vent
hose at transfer case for
kinks and proper installation.
Check to be sure vent hose is
unobstructed, clear, and free of
debris. During any maintenance,
if a power washer is used to
clean mud and dirt from the
underbody, care should be taken
to not directly spray the transfer
case output seals. High pressure
water can overcome the seals
and contaminate the transfer
case fluid. Contaminated fluid
will decrease the life of the
transfer case and should be
replaced.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
11-6 Service and Maintenance
.Evaporative control system
inspection. Check all fuel and
vapor lines and hoses for proper
hook‐up, routing, and condition.
Check that the purge valve,
if the vehicle has one, works
properly. Replace as needed.An
Emission Control Service. The
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency or the California Air
Resources Board has
determined that the failure to
perform this maintenance item
will not nullify the emission
warranty or limit recall liability
prior to the completion of the
vehicle's useful life. We,
however, urge that all
recommended maintenance
services be performed at the
indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded. First Engine Oil Change After
Every 160 000 km/100,000 Miles
.Automatic transmission fluid
change (normal service). See
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(4-Speed Transmission) on
page 10‑12
orAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) on page 10‑14.
.All‐wheel drive only: Transfer
case fluid change (normal
service). Check vent hose at
transfer case for kinks and
proper installation. Check to be
sure vent hose is unobstructed,
clear, and free of debris. During
any maintenance, if a power
washer is used to clean mud
and dirt from the underbody,
care should be taken to not
directly spray the transfer case
output seals. High pressure
water can overcome the seals
and contaminate the transfer
case fluid. Contaminated fluid
will decrease the life of the
transfer case and should be
replaced.
.Spark plug replacement and
spark plug wires inspection. An
Emission Control Service.
First Engine Oil Change After
Every 240 000 km/150,000 Miles
.Engine cooling system drain,
flush, and refill (or every five
years, whichever occurs first).
See Engine Coolant on
page 10‑20. An Emission
Control Service.
.Engine drive belts inspection for
fraying, excessive cracks,
or obvious damage (or every
10 years, whichever occurs
first). Replace, if needed.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-7
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
This maintenance section applies to vehicles with a gasoline engine. If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see the
maintenance schedule section in the Duramax Diesel Supplement.
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil The engine requires engine oil approved to the dexos specification. Oils
meeting this specification can be identified with the dexos certification
mark. Look for and use only an engine oil that displays the dexos
certification mark of the proper viscosity grade. See
Engine Oil on
page 10‑7.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑20.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Parking Brake Cable Guides Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®‐VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
11-8 Service and Maintenance
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Chassis Lubrication Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Front Wheel Bearings Wheel bearing lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category GC or
GC-LB (GM Part No. 1051344, in Canada 993037).
Front and Rear Axle SAE 75W-90 Synthetic Axle Lubricant (GM Part No. 89021677, in
Canada 89021678).
Transfer Case DEXRON
®‐VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
One-Piece Propshaft Slip Yoke Spline, Two-Piece Propshaft Slip-in-Tube Spline Spline Lubricant, Special Lubricant (GM Part No. 12345879, in
Canada 10953511).
Hood Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. 3634770, in Canada 10953518) or
Dielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part No. 12345579, in Canada 992887).
Weatherstrip Squeaks Synthetic Grease with Teflon, Superlube (GM Part No. 12371287, in
Canada 10953437).

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 (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

Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-7
Lights (cont.)Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-10
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3 Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-20
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . 5-38
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40 Mirrors
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Trailer Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
N
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 10-33
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5

Black plate (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
i-10 INDEX
SeatsAdjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-3
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Secondary Latch System . . . . . 10-81
Securing Child
Restraints . . . . . . . . 3-59, 3-62, 3-65
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Service Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-10
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12 Service (cont.)
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-8
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Side Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
StabiliTrak Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-35 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Storage Areas Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Swing-out Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Switches Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
T
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-12Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7