Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Horn
Press the horn symbol in the middle
of the steering wheel to sound
the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper control is
located on the multifunction lever on
the left side of the steering wheel.
Turn the band with
Non it to select
the wiper speed.
8(Mist): Use for a single wipe.
Hold the band on
z, then release.
For several wipes, hold the band on
zlonger.
6(Adjustable Interval Wipes): Use
to adjust the delay time between
wipes. Turn the band up for more
frequent wipes or down for less
frequent wipes.
d(Low Speed): Slow wipes.
a(High Speed): Fast wipes.
9(Off):Use to turn the
wipers off.
When driving during the day and the
wipers are activated, the head
lamps automatically turn on after
completing eight wipe cycles.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged blades should
be replaced.
Windshield Washer
The windshield wiper paddle is
located on top of the multifunction
lever.
L(Washer Fluid): Push the
paddle to spray washer fluid on the
windshield. The wipers will clear the
window and then either stop or
return to the preset speed.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
4. Press3until the vehicle
heading, for example, N for
North, is displayed in the DIC.
5. If calibration is necessary, calibrate the compass. See
“Compass Calibration
Procedure” following.
Compass Calibration
The compass can be manually
calibrated. Only calibrate the
compass in a magnetically clean
and safe location, such as an open
parking lot, where driving the
vehicle in circles is not a danger.
It is suggested to calibrate away
from tall buildings, utility wires,
manhole covers, or other industrial
structures, if possible.
If CAL should ever appear in the
DIC display, the compass should be
calibrated.
If the DIC display does not show a
heading, for example, N for North,
or the heading does not change
after making turns, there may be a
strong magnetic field interfering with the compass. Such interference
may be caused by a magnetic CB or
cell phone antenna mount, a
magnetic emergency light, magnetic
note pad holder, or any other
magnetic item. Turn off the vehicle,
move the magnetic item, then turn
on the vehicle and calibrate the
compass.
To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,
make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in which
the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this
section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof,
climate controls, seats, etc.
during the calibration procedure. 2. PressTuntil PRESSVTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays.
3. Press
Vto start the compass
calibration.
4. The DIC will display CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in
tight circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the
calibration. The DIC will display
CALIBRATION COMPLETE for a
few seconds when the
calibration is complete. The DIC
display will then return to
PRESS
VTO CALIBRATE
COMPASS.
Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-7
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated
entry/exit feature.
The dome lamps come on if the
E
button is in the out position, when a
door is opened or the key is
removed from the ignition.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle may have Electric
Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery's temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts
the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltagedisplay on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, wheneverneeded. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as SERVICE
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM.
If this messages displays, it is
recommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible. See
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages on page 5‑32.
Battery Power Protection
This feature shuts off the dome
lamps if they are left on for more
than 10 minutes when the ignition is
in LOCK/OFF. This helps to prevent
the battery from running down.
Black plate (2,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
)(Bi-Level):Air is divided
between the instrument panel and
floor outlets, with some air directed
toward the windshield.
6(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets with some air directed
to the windshield and side windows.
-(Defog): This mode clears the
windows of fog or moisture. Outside
air is directed to the floor and
defroster outlets. Adjust the
temperature knob for warmer or
cooler air. The air conditioning
compressor might turn on in this
setting to dehumidify the air.
1(Defrost): This mode clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield, with some to the floor
outlets and front side windows. The
air conditioning compressor might
turn on in this setting to dehumidify
the air.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the
windows are clear.
Vehicles With Air Conditioning
A. Fan Control
B. Temperature Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Rear Window Defogger
On hot days, open the windows to
let hot inside air escape; then close
them. This helps to reduce the time
needed for the vehicle to cool down
and the system operates more
efficiently.
#(Air Conditioning): Cools and
dehumidifies the air inside of the
vehicle.
V(Maximum Air Conditioning):
Cools the air inside the vehicle
faster, by recirculating the inside air.
Rear Window Defogger
For vehicles with a rear window
defogger, a warming grid is used to
remove fog or frost from the rear
window.
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 (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program on page 13‑6.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe and/or the
fuel operated heater exhaust
system, if equipped. If the
vehicle has a diesel engine
and a fuel operated heater,
see“Fuel Operated Heater
(FOH)” in the diesel engine
supplement.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑26.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under the vehicle. This can cause
deadly CO (carbon monoxide)
gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You
cannot see it or smell it, so you
might not know it is in the vehicle.
Clear away snow from around the
base of the vehicle, especially
any that is blocking the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If the vehicle has a traction system,
it can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. Refer to the vehicle's
traction system in the Index. If stuck
too severely for the traction system
to free the vehicle, turn the traction
system off and use the rocking
method.{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑71.
Black plate (23,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-23
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts
and prevent damage.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows (if equipped)
These features will work when the
ignition key is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY. Once the key is
turned from ON/RUN to LOCK/OFF,
power to the radio and power
windows will continue to work
10 minutes or until the driver door is
opened.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑48.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑36.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pulling the shift lever toward
you and moving it up as far as it
will go.