2011 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER wheel

Black plate (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
7-10 Infotainment System
©SEEK¨:Press the arrows to go
to the previous or to the next station
and stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold
either arrow for two seconds until a
beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station. For
AM-FM Radio and Radio with CD
(Base), the station frequency
flashes while the radio is in the scan
mode. Press either arrow again to
stop scanning.
The radio seeks and scans stations
only with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
For AM-FM Radio and Radio with
CD (Base), scan presets within the
current selected band by pressing
and holding either SEEK arrow for
four seconds until a double beep
sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds if a
strong signal is present, then goes
to the next stored preset. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode.Setting Preset Stations
If the radio does not have a FAV
button, up to 18 stations (six FM1,
six FM2, and six AM), can be
programmed on the six numbered
softkeys, by performing the following
steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered softkeys for
three seconds until a beep
sounds. When that softkey is
pressed and released, the
station that was set, returns.
5. Repeat the Steps 2 through 4 for each softkey.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up
their radio station favorites while the
vehicle is parked. Tune to favorite
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature. See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑2.
FAV (Favorites): If the vehicle has
a FAV button, a maximum of
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six softkeys
positioned below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the
radio favorites page button (FAV
button). Press the FAV button to go
through up to six pages of favorites,
each having six favorite stations
available per page. Each page of
favorites can contain any
combination of AM and FM stations.
The balance/fade and tone settings
that were previously adjusted, are
stored with the favorite stations.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
7-24 Infotainment System
.See“Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section for
more information.
{WARNING
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking your
eyes off the road too long or too
often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death. Focus
your attention on driving.
A Bluetooth system can use a
Bluetooth‐capable cell phone with a
Hands‐Free Profile to make and
receive phone calls. The system
can be used while the key is in the
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY
position. The range of the Bluetooth
system can be up to 9.1 m (30 ft).
Not all phones support all functions,
and not all phones are guaranteed
to work with the in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See www.gm.com/bluetooth
for more information on compatible
phones.
Voice Recognition
The Bluetooth system uses voice
recognition to interpret voice
commands to dial phone numbers
and name tags.
For additional information, say
“Help”
while you are in a voice
recognition menu.
Noise: Keep interior noise levels to
a minimum. The system may not
recognize voice commands if there
is too much background noise.
When to Speak: A short tone
sounds after the system responds
indicating when it is waiting for a
voice command. Wait until the tone
and then speak.
How to Speak: Speak clearly in a
calm and natural voice.
Audio System
When using the in‐vehicle Bluetooth
system, sound comes through the
vehicle's front audio system
speakers and overrides the audio
system. Use the audio system
volume knob, during a call, to
change the volume level. The
adjusted volume level remains in
memory for later calls. To prevent
missed calls, a minimum volume
level is used if the volume is turned
down too low.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 for more information.
b/g(Push To Talk): Press to
answer incoming calls, confirm
system information, and start
speech recognition.
c/x(Phone On Hook): Press
to end a call, reject a call, or cancel
an operation.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-3
It only works when the ignition is in
ON/RUN.
<(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
several minutes after the button is
pressed. If turned on again, the
defogger will run for several more
minutes before turning off. The
defogger can also be turned off by
turning off the engine.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Notice: Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
Rear Heating System
For vehicles with a rear heating
system, it lets you adjust the
amount of air flowing into the rear of
the vehicle, from the front-seating
area. This feature works with the
main climate-control system in the
vehicle.
AUX: The thumbwheel for this
system is located in the instrument
panel switchbank below the audio
system.
9(Fan): Turn the thumbwheel up
or down to increase or decrease the
amount of heated air sent to the
rear-seating area.
Q(High): This position supplies the
most amount of heat to the
rear-seating area.
c(Medium): This position
supplies half the amount of heat to
the rear‐seating area.
R(Low): This position supplies the
least amount of heat to the
rear-seating area.
9(Off): Turns the rear heating
system off.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-5
Rear Climate Control Panel
A. Fan Control
B. Air Delivery Mode Control
C. Temperature Control
If the vehicle has a 343 cm (135 in)
wheelbase, a rear control panel for
this system is located in the second
row behind the driver in the rear of
the vehicle. The temperature, air
delivery mode, and the fan speed
can be adjusted for the rear seating
area by a rear seat passenger. AUX (Auxiliary):
Turn the fan knob
on the front climate control panel to
AUX to let rear seat passengers use
the control panel in the rear seating
area. This disables the front control
panel. To return control to the front
panel, move the fan knob out
of AUX.
9: Turns the system off.
9(Fan Control): Turn clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed in the
rear-seating area.
Temperature Control: Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature in the
rear‐seating area.
The air-conditioning system on the
main climate control panel must be
turned on to direct cooled air to the
rear of the vehicle. If it is not on,
then the temperature in the rear of
the vehicle remains at cabin
temperature.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-17
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission (SixSpeed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission (Four Speed) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Ride Control Systems
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-43
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-44
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59

Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the
brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking —rather
than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. The brakes might not
have time to cool between hard
stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with the
traffic and allowing realistic following
distances eliminates a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life. If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
Steering
Power Steering
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or the
power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane,
or a car suddenly pulls out from
nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. These problems can
be avoided by braking—if you can
stop in time. But sometimes you
cannot stop in time because there
is no room. That is the time for
evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply
the brakes. See Braking on
page 9‑3. It is better to remove as
much speed as possible from a
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so that
the vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. Turn the steering wheel
8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 in), about
one-eighth turn, until the right

Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
front tire contacts the pavement
edge. Then turn the steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible. The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface —and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.