
Black plate (19,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the instrument
panel will have a passenger airbag
status indicator. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑30 for
important safety information.
United States
Canada and Mexico
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds as a system check. If you are using
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle from a distance, you may
not see the system check. Then,
after several more seconds, the
status indicator will light either ON
or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled, and may inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑16 for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (23,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when ignition key is turned to ON/
RUN. If it does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem. When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑34
for
more information. The light stays on
if the parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after the
parking brake is fully released, it
means the vehicle has a brake
problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal might go closer to the
floor. It could take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑89.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
5-24 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑23.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑32.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Low Fuel Warning Light
English Shown, Metric Similar
This light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition is
turned on as a check to indicate it is
working. If it does not come on,
have it fixed.
The low fuel warning light (A) comes
on and a chime sounds when the
vehicle is low on fuel. The light turns
off when fuel is added to the
fuel tank. For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑28 for more information.
Security Light
The immobilizer light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. See Immobilizer Operation
on page 2‑13.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2.

Black plate (28,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. SeeCruise
Control on page 9‑37 for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
This vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
All messages will appear in the DIC
display located at the bottom of the
instrument panel cluster. The DIC
buttons are located on the
instrument panel, next to the
instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. If the vehicle has these features, the
DIC also displays the compass
direction and the outside air
temperature when viewing the trip
and fuel information. The compass
direction appears on the top right
corner of the DIC display. The
outside air temperature
automatically appears in the
bottom right corner of the DIC
display. If there is a problem with
the system that controls the
temperature display, the numbers
will be replaced with dashes. If this
occurs, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax
®diesel
supplement for more information.

Black plate (34,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
5-34 Instruments and Controls
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument panel cluster. See
Charging System Light on
page 5‑20. Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off all
unnecessary accessories. Have the
electrical system checked as soon
as possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 5‑23. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message
on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
Compass Messages
CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES
This message displays when
calibrating the compass. Drive the
vehicle in circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the calibration.
See
Compass on page 5‑5 for more
information.
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
This message displays when the
compass calibration is complete.
See Compass on page 5‑5 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
CARGO DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the cargo door is open
while the ignition is in ON/RUN.
Turn off the vehicle and check the
cargo door. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display.
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver door is not fully
closed and the vehicle is in a drive
gear. Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and
close the door again. Check to see
if the message still appears on
the DIC.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Instruments and Controls 5-39
STABILITRAK OFF may also
display when the stability control
has been automatically disabled.
There are several conditions that
can cause this message to appear.
.One condition is overheating,
which could occur if StabiliTrak
activates continuously for an
extended period of time.
.The message also displays if the
brake system warning light is on.
SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 5‑23.
.The message could display if the
stability system takes longer
than usual to complete its
diagnostic checks due to driving
conditions.
.The message displays if an
engine or vehicle related
problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service. See
your dealer. The message turns off as soon as
the conditions that caused the
message to be displayed are no
longer present.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message displays if there is a
problem with the airbag system.
Have your dealer inspect the
system for problems. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑16 and
Airbag System on page 3‑19 for
more information.
Anti-theft Alarm System
Messages
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may not
restart so you may want to take the
vehicle to your dealer before turning off the engine. See
Immobilizer
Operation on page 2‑13 for more
information.
WAIT TO START
This message displays briefly when
the theft-deterrent system has
initially found incorrect conditions
within the vehicle and is making a
double check. If your vehicle does
not start soon after, try to start it
again. If it still does not start, have
your vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE A/C SYSTEM
This message displays when the
electronic sensors that control the
air conditioning and heating
systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system
serviced by your dealer if you notice
a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.

Black plate (40,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
5-40 Instruments and Controls
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays when a
non-emissions related malfunction
occurs. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer as soon as possible.
STARTING DISABLED
SERVICE THROTTLE
This message displays if the starting
of the engine is disabled due to the
electronic throttle control system.
Have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer immediately.
This message only appears while
the ignition is in ON/RUN, and will
not disappear until the problem is
resolved.
This message cannot be
acknowledged.
Tire Messages
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE or
TIRE LOW ADD AIR TO TIRE
If the vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the tires
is low. The low tire pressure warning
light will also come on. SeeTire
Pressure Light on page 5‑26. This
message will also indicate which tire
needs to be checked. You can
receive more than one tire pressure
message at a time. To read the
other messages that may have been
sent at the same time, press the set/
reset button. If a tire pressure
message appears on the DIC, stop
as soon as you can. Have the tire
pressures checked and set to those
shown on the Tire Loading Information label. See
Tires on
page 10‑50, Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑10, and Tire Pressure on
page 10‑57. The DIC also shows
the tire pressure values. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑28.
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
If the vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
system is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. See Tire Pressure
Light on page 5‑26. Several
conditions may cause this message
to appear. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑60 for
more information. If the warning
comes on and stays on, there may
be a problem with the TPMS. See
your dealer.