
Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2011 GMC Savana Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1 Instruments and Controls
. . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-40
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26 Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-59
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-7
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10

Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_: Tow/Haul Mode
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Airbag On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Performance and Maintenance
StabiliTrak®System . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-20
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-20
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑6.
B. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑27.
C. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑4 (Out of View).
E. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑11.
F. Shift Lever. See Starting the
Engine on page 9‑20.
Manual Mode on page 9‑33
(If Equipped).
G. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
H. Infotainment on page 7‑1. I.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
J. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps on page 6‑6.
K. Cruise Control on page 9‑39
(If Equipped) .
Fast Idle System (If Equipped).
See the Duramax diesel
supplement for more
information.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
M. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑20.
N. Horn on page 5‑4.
O. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2. P. Tow/Haul Mode Button. See
“Tow/Haul Mode” underTowing
Equipment on page 9‑56.
Q. Power Outlets on page 5‑9.
R. StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑37 (If Equipped).
S. Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑33 (If Equipped) .
T. Front Storage on page 4‑1.
U. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑19
(If Equipped).
OnStar
®System Button.
(If Equipped).
V. Rear Heating System on
page 8‑3 (If Equipped).
W. USB Port. See Auxiliary
Devices on page 7‑18.

Black plate (8,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
1-8 In Brief
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑9.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑12.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑18.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52.
Airbag On-Off Switch
If the instrument panel has one of
the switches pictured in the
following illustrations, the vehicle
has an airbag on-off switch that you
can use to manually turn on or off
the right front passenger airbag.
United States
Canada and Mexico
To operate the airbag on‐off switch,
use the vehicle key.
See Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑33 for important information.

Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-9
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver airbag
and roof‐rail airbags, if equipped,
are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
on the instrument panel when the
vehicle is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑37 for important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to
right so you can see a little of the
side of the vehicle, and have a clear
view of objects behind you.
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls located on the driver
side door.

Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-5
3. Insert the new battery, positiveside facing down. Replace with a
CR2032 or equivalent battery.
4. Snap the transmitter back together.
Remote Vehicle Start
This vehicle may have a remote
start feature. This feature allows you
to start the engine from outside the
vehicle. It may also start the
vehicle's heating or air conditioning
systems. See Climate Control
Systems on page 8‑1 for additional
information.
Laws in some local communities
may restrict the use of remote
starters. For example, some laws
may require a person using remote
start to have the vehicle in view
when doing so. Check local
regulations for any requirements on
remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature
if the vehicle is low on fuel. The
vehicle may run out of fuel. If the vehicle has the remote start
feature, the RKE transmitter
functions will have an increased
range of operation. However, the
range may be less while the vehicle
is running.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter, see
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2 for
additional information.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): This
button will be on the RKE
transmitter if you have remote start.
To start the engine using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release
Qon the
transmitter, then immediately
press and hold
/for
four seconds or until the turn
signal lamps flash. When the engine starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on while the engine is
running. The doors will be
locked. The airbag readiness
light will be on during a remote
start. It should turn off when the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN.
See
Airbag Readiness Light on
page 5‑16 for more information.
3. If it is the first remote start since the vehicle has been driven,
repeat these steps, while the
engine is still running, to extend
the engine running time by
10 minutes. Remote start can be
extended one time.
After entering the vehicle during a
remote start, insert and turn the key
to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
After a remote start, the engine
will automatically shut off after
10 minutes unless a time extension
has been done or the key is
inserted into the ignition switch and
turned to ON/RUN.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 3-3
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-23
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-27
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Airbag On-Off Switch . . . . . . . . 3-33
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-42
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-43
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-49
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-51
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat Position) . . . . . . . . 3-59
Securing Child Restraints (Front Seat-Passenger
Sensing System) . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Securing Child Restraints (Front Seat-Airbag On/Off
Switch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-65