
Black plate (5,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-5
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on and remain on as
long as the engine is running. The
doors will be locked and the climate
control system may come on.
The engine will continue to run for
10 minutes. Repeat the steps for a
10-minute time extension. Remote
start can be extended only once.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/
until the parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then
back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5.
Door Locks
Manual Door Locks
Lock and unlock the door from the
outside using the key or the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
if available. From the inside, slide
the manual lever on the door up
or down.
See Door Locks on page 2‑6.
Power Door Locks
On vehicles with power door locks,
the switches are located on the
doors.
T:Press to lock and unlock the
doors.
See Power Door Locks on page 2‑7.
Windows
Manual Windows
Operate the manual windows by
turning the hand crank on each door
to raise or lower the side door
windows.
SeeManual Windows on page 2‑16.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
1-16 In Brief
4:Press to switch the display
between the radio station frequency
and the time. While the ignition is
off, press this button to display the
time. Press to display additional text
information related to the current
FM-RDS station or MP3 song.
A choice of additional information
such as: Channel, Song, Artist, and
CAT (category) can display.
Continue pressing to highlight the
desired tab, or press the softkey
located under any one of the tabs
and the information about that tab
displays.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Infotainment on page 7‑1.Storing a Favorite Station
Depending on which radio the
vehicle has, radio stations are
stored as either favorites or presets.
For vehicles with a FAV button, a
maximum of 36 stations can be
stored as favorites using the six
softkeys located below the radio
station frequency tabs and by using
the radio FAV button. Press FAV 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.
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
buttons.
For more information on storing a
favorite station, see Operation on
page 7‑3.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
Radio with CD (MP3):
1. Press
Hand the HR, MIN, MM,
DD, YYYY (hour, minute, month,
day, and year) displays.
2. Press the softkey located below any one of the tabs that you
want to change.
3. Increase or decrease the time or date, depending on the radio, by
pressing the
©SEEK¨arrows,
s/\REV/FWD buttons or by
turning
fclockwise or
counterclockwise.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for your specific audio
system, see Clock on page 5‑7.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
1-20 In Brief
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑58.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change. Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,
with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three times
within five seconds.
3. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑11.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
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.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.

Black plate (2,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2-2 Keys, Doors and Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key is used for the ignition and
all door locks.
The key has a bar-coded key tag
that the dealer or qualified locksmith
can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not
in the vehicle.
See your dealer if a replacement
key or additional key is needed.
Notice:If the keys get locked in
the vehicle, it may have to be
damaged to get them out. Always
carry a spare key. If you are locked out of the vehicle,
call the Roadside Assistance
Center. See
Roadside Assistance
Program on page 13‑6.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑16 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.

Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-3
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See“Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter functions work up to
60 m (195 feet) away from the
vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.
RKE Transmitter With Remote
Start Shown
Q(Lock):Press once to lock all
doors. If enabled through the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the
parking lamps flash once to indicate
locking has occurred.
The horn may chirp when
Qis
pressed again within five seconds.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑40 for additional information.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the
driver door. If
Kis pressed again
within five seconds, all remaining
doors unlock.
The interior lamps come on and
stay on for 20 seconds or until the
ignition is turned on. If enabled
through the DIC, the parking lamps
flash twice to indicate unlocking
has occurred. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑40 for
additional information.
j(Cargo Door): Press to unlock
only the cargo doors.
/(Remote Vehicle Start): For
vehicles with this feature, press
Q
and then press and hold/within
five seconds to start the engine from
outside the vehicle using the RKE
transmitter. See Remote Vehicle
Start on page 2‑5 for additional
information.

Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2-4 Keys, Doors and Windows
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The turn signal
lamps flash and the horn sounds
three times.
Press and hold
Lfor more than
two seconds to activate the panic
alarm. The turn signal lamps flash
and the horn sounds repeatedly for
30 seconds. The alarm turns off
when the ignition is moved to ON/
RUN or
Lis pressed again. The
ignition must be in LOCK/OFF for
the panic alarm to work.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to the vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer. When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to the vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
programmed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters no longer work once the
new transmitter is programmed.
Each vehicle can have up to
four transmitters programmed to it.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
“REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE
KEY”
under Key and Lock
Messages on page 5‑36 for
additional information.
Notice: When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with a flat, thin object, such as a flat
head screwdriver.
.Carefully insert the tool into
the notch located along the
parting line of the
transmitter. Do not insert
the tool too far. Stop as
soon as resistance is felt.
.Twist the tool until the
transmitter is separated.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.

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 (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2-6 Keys, Doors and Windows
The maximum number of remote
starts between ignition cycles with
the key is two.
If the remote start procedure is
used again before the first 10 minute
time frame has ended, the first
10 minutes will immediately expire
and the second 10 minute time
frame will start.
After the engine has been remote
started two times, the ignition switch
must be turned to ON/RUN and then
back to LOCK/OFF using the key
before the remote start procedure
can be used again.
To manually shut off the engine after
a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press
/until the
parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers. See Hazard Warning
Flashers on page 6‑4.
.Insert the key into the ignition
switch and turn the switch to
ON/RUN and then back to
LOCK/OFF.
The remote vehicle start feature will
not operate if:
.The key is in the ignition.
.The hood is open.
.The hazard warning flashers
are on.
.There is an emission control
system malfunction. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑20.
.The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
.The oil pressure is low.
.Two remote vehicle starts have
already been provided.
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven. (Continued)