Page 39 of 424

Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
To close the 60/40 side doors, close
the rear door first. Then close the
front door. Check to make sure that
both doors are completely closed.
The swing-out doors have a check
strap assembly in the door frame to
keep the door from opening beyond
90 degrees.
To open the door beyond
90 degrees, close the door partially,
pull the check strap toward you and
then open the door. When the door
is closed, the check strap will
automatically re-engage.Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door from
the outside, pull the handle toward
the rear of the vehicle and slide the
door open.
To close the sliding side door from
the outside, use the handle to slide
the door toward the front of the
vehicle.
When the door is closed, it will be
flush with the side of the body.
To open the sliding side door from
the inside, pull the handle toward
the rear of the vehicle. Then, slide
the door toward the rear of the
vehicle.
To close the sliding side door from
the inside, grasp the handle and
slide the door toward the front of the
vehicle.
Make sure the door is completely
closed before driving away.
Page 40 of 424

Black plate (12,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Rear Doors
{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.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.
To open the rear doors from the
outside, pull the handle toward you
to open the passenger side rear
door first.
To open the driver side rear door,
pull the latch release at the inside
edge of the door.
To close the rear doors, close the
driver side rear door first. Then
close the passenger side rear door.
Check to make sure both doors are
completely closed.
Page 43 of 424

Black plate (15,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-15
Manual Mirrors
Adjust the mirrors by pressing the
mirror up and down and left and
right.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.
On the lower portion of each mirror
is an auxiliary convex mirror.
A convex mirror's surface is curved
so you can see more from the driver
seat. The auxiliary convex mirrors
can be adjusted manually by
pressing the mirror.
Trailer-Tow Mirrors
Vehicles with towing mirrors can be
adjusted manually for a clear view
of the objects behind you.
On the lower portion of each mirror
there is an auxiliary convex mirror
that can be adjusted manually to
provide an extended field of view.
The mirrors can be manually folded
in or out.
Power Mirrors
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls located on the driver
side door.
Select each mirror by turning the
knob clockwise for the passenger
side mirror or counterclockwise for
the driver side mirror. The center
position is neutral.
Then, adjust the mirror angle by
moving the knob in the desired
direction. The auxiliary convex
mirrors can only be adjusted
manually.
Page 46 of 424
Black plate (18,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
2-18 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Express‐Down
The driver window switch also has
an express-down feature that allows
the window to be lowered without
holding the switch. Press fully and
release the window switch marked
AUTO to activate the express-down
mode. This mode can be cancelled
at any time by pulling up on the
switch. To open the window part
way, lightly tap the switch until the
window is at the desired position.
Swing-Out Windows
Side Swing-Out Window
To open the side door swing-out
window, pull up on the latch at the
edge of the window. Swing the
window out and push down on the
latch to lock the window into place.
To close the window, pull the latch
toward you and push down on the
latch to lock it.
Rear Swing‐Out Windows
The vehicle also has rear swing‐out
windows. The rear swing-out
windows work the same way as the
side swing‐out window, but the latch
is located at the bottom edge of the
window.
Page 54 of 424
Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-6 Seats and Restraints
3. Pull the pin handle up todisengage the pin from the
retaining clip, and then pull the
pin out.
4. Repeat this procedure for the other pins.
5. Pull the seat rearward about 5 cm (2 in), and then lift the seat
from the floor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
7. For the second- and third-rowseats, stow the safety belt latch
by attaching the clip on the
safety belt latch to the trim just
inside the side door.For the last row of seats, stow
the safety belt latch plate on the
clip at the window trim. Roll the
mini-latch into the safety belt
webbing and then hook the
safety belt latch plate on the clip.
Page 61 of 424

Black plate (13,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-13
4. If equipped with a shoulder beltheight adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you.
See “Safety Belt Height Adjuster”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the safety belt
webbing when the safety belt is not
in use. The latch plate should rest
on the stitching on the safety belt,
near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Safety Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a safety belt height
adjuster for the driver and right front
passenger positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. See How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3‑10.
Page 73 of 424

Black plate (25,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-25
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first, second, and third rows,
if equipped. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑22for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags inflate, they
quickly deflate, so quickly that some
people may not even realize an
airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags
may still be at least partially inflated
for some time after they deploy.
Some components of the
airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑24.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors
(if equipped with power door locks),
turn on the interior lamps and
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags
Page 83 of 424

Black plate (35,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-35
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance
of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑36 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system.
To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑12.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.