
Black plate (13,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
English
The fuel gauge, when the ignition is
on, indicates how much fuel is left in
the vehicle fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
The gauge first indicates empty
before the vehicle is out of fuel, and
the fuel tank should be
refueled soon. Listed are four situations customers
might experience with the fuel
gauge. None of these indicate a
problem with the fuel gauge:
.At the gas station, the fuel pump
shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the fuel gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge does not go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel supplement
for more information.
Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge
Metric

Black plate (42,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
9-42 Driving and Operating
Fuel
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Fuel for Diesel Engines”in the
Duramax Diesel Supplement.
For Vehicles with gasoline engines,
please read this.
Gasoline
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑44. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑42.
Recommended Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline with
a posted octane rating of 87 or
higher. If the octane rating is less
than 87, an audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark knock, might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. If heavy knocking is heard
when using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher, the engine
needs service.
Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline
should meet ASTM specification
D 4814 in the United States or CAN/
CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. See
Fuel Additives
on page 9‑43 for additional
information.

Black plate (43,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-43
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑20. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.

Black plate (45,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
Many service stations will not have
an 85% ethanol fuel (E85) pump
available. The U.S. Department of
Energy has an alternative fuels
website (www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/
locator/stations/) that can help you
find E85 fuel. Those stations that do
have E85 should have a label
indicating ethanol content. Do not
use the fuel if the ethanol content is
greater than 85%.
At a minimum, E85 should meet
ASTM Specification D 5798. By
definition, this means that fuel
labeled E85 will have an ethanol
content between 70% and 85%.
Filling the fuel tank with fuel
mixtures that do not meet ASTM
specifications can affect driveability
and could cause the malfunction
indicator lamp to come on.To ensure quick starts in the
wintertime, the E85 fuel must be
formulated properly for your climate
according to ASTM specification
D 5798. If you have trouble starting
on E85, it could be because the
E85 fuel is not properly formulated
for your climate. If this happens,
switching to gasoline or adding
gasoline to the fuel tank can
improve starting. For good starting
and heater efficiency below 0°C
(32°F), the fuel mix in the fuel tank
should contain no more than
70% ethanol. It is best not to
alternate repeatedly between
gasoline and E85. If you do switch
fuels, it is recommended that you
add as much fuel as possible
—do
not add less than 11 L (3 gal) when
refueling. You should drive the
vehicle immediately after refueling
for at least 11 km (7 mi) to allow the
vehicle to adapt to the change in
ethanol concentration. E85 has less energy per liter
(gallon) than gasoline, so you will
need to refill the fuel tank more
often when using E85 than when
you are using gasoline. See
Filling
the Tank on page 9‑46.
Notice: Some additives are not
compatible with E85 fuel and can
harm the vehicle's fuel system.
Do not add anything to E85.
Damage caused by additives
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (46,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
9-46 Driving and Operating
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle. Do
not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap is located
behind a hinged fuel door on the
driver side of the vehicle.
If the vehicle has E85 fuel capability,
the fuel cap will be yellow and state
that E85 or gasoline can be used.
SeeFuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑44.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it
slowly counterclockwise.
While refueling, hang the tethered
fuel cap from the hook on the
fuel door.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait
for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not
top off or overfill the tank and wait a
few seconds after you have finished
pumping before removing the
nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Exterior Care on page 10‑91.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it
clockwise until it clicks. Make sure
the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would

Black plate (47,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑20.
{WARNING
If a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice: If you need a new fuel
cap, be sure to get the right type.
Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may
not fit properly. This may cause
the malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage the fuel
tank and emissions system. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑20.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you
and others:
.Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
.Do not fill a container while it
is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle's trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Bring the fill nozzle in contact
with the inside of the fill
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling is
complete.
.Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
.Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.

Black plate (46,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-46 Vehicle Care
Mini Fuse Usage3 Right Stop/Turn
Trailer
4 Spare
5 Spare
6 Fuel System
Control Module
Ignition
7 Body Control
Module 5
8 Body Control
Module 7
9 Body Control
Module 4
10 Instrument Panel
Cluster
11 Trailer Wiring
12 Spare
13 Brake Switch
14 Windshield Washer
16 Horn Mini Fuse Usage
17 Transmission
18 Air Conditioning
Compressor
19 Engine Control
Module Battery
20 Spare
21 Left Stop/Turn
Trailer
22 Spare
23 Spare
24 Fuel Pump
25 Auxiliary Power
Outlet
26 Body Control
Module 3
27 Special Equipment
Option
28 Airbag
29 Steering Wheel
Sensor Mini Fuse Usage
30 Engine Control
Module Ignition/
Glow Plug Module
31 Transmission
Control Module
Ignition
32 Transmission
Control Module
Battery
33 Spare
34 Spare
35 Fuel Operated
Heater Module
36 Fuel System
Control Module
Battery
51 Left High‐Beam
Headlamp
52 Right High‐Beam
Headlamp

Black plate (48,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
10-48 Vehicle Care
RelayUsage
15 Run/Crank
37 Spare
38 Fuel Pump
39 Crank
40 Air Conditioning
Compressor
48 Fan High
49 Powertrain
50 Spare
57 Fan Low
60 Fan Control
Floor Console Fuse Block
The floor console fuse block is
located under the driver seat.
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown.