Black plate (31,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-31
Manual Mode
Range Selection Mode
The vehicle may have a Range
Selection Mode. The Range
Selection Mode helps control the
vehicle's transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or
towing a trailer by letting you select
a desired range of gears.
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever toM (Manual Mode).
2. Press the +/− buttons, located
on the steering column shift
lever, to select the desired range
of gears for current driving
conditions. When M (Manual Mode) is selected
a number displays in the DIC next to
the M indicating the current gear.
This number is the highest gear that
can be used. However, the vehicle
can automatically shift to lower
gears as it adjusts to driving
conditions. This means that all
gears below that number are
available. When 5 (Fifth) is selected,
1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle,
but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until
the +/−
button located on the
steering column lever is used to
change to the gear.
Grade Braking is not available when
Range Selection Mode is active.
See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑32.
While using Range Selection Mode,
Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul
Mode can be used. Notice:
Spinning the tires or
holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.Low Traction Mode
Low Traction Mode can assist in
vehicle acceleration when road
conditions are slippery. While the
vehicle is at a stop, select the
second gear range using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels after it detects
wheel slip, preventing the tires from
spinning.
Black plate (36,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
9-36 Driving and Operating
Press and hold the StabiliTrak
button for more than five seconds to
turn off StabiliTrak and TCS. The
StabiliTrak Off light illuminates and
the appropriate messages will be
displayed in the DIC.
To turn on the StabiliTrak system
back on, press the StabiliTrak
button again. StabiliTrak will
automatically turn back on when the
vehicle speed exceeds 32 km/h
(20 mph).
When the StabiliTrak system has
been turned off, system noises may
still be heard as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on.It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow,
and you want to
“rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. See If the Vehicle
Is Stuck on page 9‑10.
StabiliTrak System Operation
The StabiliTrak system is normally
on, except when the system is
initializing or has been disabled
with the StabiliTrak button. The
StabiliTrak system will automatically
activate to assist the driver in
maintaining vehicle directional
control in most driving conditions.
When activated, the StabiliTrak
system may reduce engine power to
the wheels and apply braking to
individual wheels as necessary to
assist the driver with vehicle
directional control. If cruise control
is being used when StabiliTrak
activates, the cruise control
automatically disengages. The cruise control can be re-engaged
when road conditions allow. See
Cruise Control on page 9‑37.
The StabiliTrak system may also
turn off automatically if it determines
that a problem exists with the
system. If the problem does not
clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, see your dealer for service.Traction Control Operation
TCS is part of the StabiliTrak
system. TCS limits wheel spin by
reducing engine power to the
wheels and by applying brakes to
each individual wheel as
necessary .
If the brake-traction control system
activates constantly or if the brakes
have heated up due to high speed
braking, the brake-traction control
will be automatically disabled. The
system will come back on after the
brakes have cooled. This can take
up to two minutes or longer
depending on brake usage.
Black plate (37,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-37
TCS may activate on dry or rough
roads or under conditions such as
heavy acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this a reduction
in acceleration may be noticed, or a
noise or vibration may be heard.
This is normal.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
SeeAccessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3 for more information.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Cruise Control
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
For vehicles with cruise control, a
speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or
more can be maintained without
keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about 40 km/h
(25 mph).
When the brakes are applied, cruise
control is turned off. If the vehicle has StabiliTrak and the
system begins to limit wheel spin,
cruise control will automatically
disengage. See
StabiliTrak
®System
on page 9‑35. When road conditions
allow the cruise control to be safely
used again, it can be turned
back on.
I(On/Off): Press to turn the
system on or off. The indicator light
is on when cruise control is on and
turns off when cruise control is off.
Black plate (38,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
9-38 Driving and Operating
+RES (Resume/Accelerate):
Press briefly to make the vehicle
resume to a previously set speed,
or press and hold to accelerate.
SET−(Set/Coast): Press to set the
speed and activate cruise control or
press and hold to decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
The cruise control light on the
instrument panel cluster comes on
after the cruise control has been set
to the desired speed.
1. Press the
Ibutton.
2. Get up to the desired speed. 3. Press the SET−
button located
on the steering wheel and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more,
press the +RES button on the
steering wheel. The vehicle returns
to the previous set speed and stays
there. Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the +RES button
on the steering wheel until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small amounts, press the +RES
button. Each time this is done,
the vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and hold the SET– button
on the steering wheel until the
desired lower speed is reached,
then release it.
Black plate (39,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-39
.To slow down in small amounts,
press the SET–button on the
steering wheel briefly. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previous set cruise speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends on the vehicle
speed, the load, and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep
hills, pressing the accelerator pedal
may be necessary to maintain
vehicle speed. While going downhill:
.Vehicles with a four speed
automatic transmission may
need to have the brakes applied
or the transmission shifted to a
lower gear to keep the
speed down.
.Vehicles with a six speed
automatic transmission have a
Cruise Grade Braking feature
that may automatically shift to a
lower gear to keep the speed
down. It may be necessary to
apply the brake or manually shift
the transmission to a lower gear.
The vehicle may shift to a higher
gear when grade braking
assistance is no longer required.
Cruise Grade Braking is not
available while in Range
Selection Mode. This feature is
active when the exhaust brake is
enabled (if equipped). See
"Range Selection Mode" under
Manual Mode on page 9‑31.When the brakes are manually
applied the cruise control is
disengaged.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise
control:.To disengage cruise control,
step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press the[on the steering
wheel.
.To turn off the cruise control,
press
Ion the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory if
Iis
pressed or if the vehicle is
turned off.
Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
INDEX i-3
CleaningExterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-10
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Connections, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . 14-4
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-12
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-10
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-15
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Diagnostics, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-5
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 10-30, 9-33
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-21
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
i-6 INDEX
I
Idle SystemFast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-37
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-51
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Lamps, Bulb Replacement . . . . 10-39
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-47 Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Lighting
Entry/Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lights Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-23
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-16
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37