Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-7
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑50.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
Black plate (17,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-17
A (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF):When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21.
This position locks the ignition and
transmission.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force. 2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).
This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑34.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency. If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Notice:
Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
B (ACC/ACCESSORY): This is the
position in which you can operate
things like the radio and the
windshield wipers when the engine
is off.
Black plate (18,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
9-18 Driving and Operating
C (ON/RUN):This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning
and indicator lights. This position
can also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
D (START): This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving. A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF
and the key is in the ignition.
Starting the Engine
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax® diesel
supplement for more information.
To place the transmission in the
proper gear:
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to
START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed
will go down as your engine gets
warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and transmission gently to allow the
oil to warm up and lubricate all
moving parts.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for
a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START for many seconds,
cranking will be stopped after
15 seconds to prevent cranking
motor damage. To prevent gear
damage, this system also
prevents cranking if the engine
is already running. Engine
cranking can be stopped by
turning the ignition switch to the
ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF position.
Black plate (57,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-57
The four-wire harness (without
connector) contains the following
circuits:
.Black: Ground
.Red/White: Battery Feed
.Dark Blue: Trailer Brake Signal
.Light Blue: CHMSL/Stoplamp
Supply Voltage
* If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse will
be shared for both left/stop trailer
turn and right/stop trailer turn
signals. However, the cutaway
lighting connector will have a
10 amp fuse for each signal.
** If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse will
be shared for trailer park lamps and
cutaway rear lighting connector park
lamps. Also, a 10 amp fuse will be
shared for trailer back-up lamps and
cutaway rear lighting connector
back-up lamps.
Tow/Haul Mode
This button is on the instrument
panel, to the right of the steering
wheel.
Pressing this button turns on and off
the Tow/Haul Mode.
This indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster comes on when the
Tow/Haul Mode is on.
Tow/Haul is a feature that assists
when pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load. See Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑32 for more
information. Tow/Haul is designed to be most
effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at least
75 percent of the vehicle Gross
Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).
See
“Weight of the Trailer” inTrailer
Towing on page 9‑50. Tow/Haul is
most useful under the following
driving conditions:
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load through
rolling terrain.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in stop and
go traffic.
.When pulling a heavy trailer or a
large or heavy load in busy
parking lots where improved low
speed control of the vehicle is
desired.
Black plate (23,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Vehicle Care 10-23
8. Replace the pressure cap. Atany time during this procedure if
coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the
pressure cap.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
Engine Overheating
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel supplement
for more information.
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating. There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the vehicle's
instrument panel. See
Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑14 for more information.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
but instead get service help right
away. See Roadside Assistance
Program on page 13‑5.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced. See if the engine cooling fan speed
increases when idle speed is
doubled by pushing the accelerator
pedal down. If it does not, the
vehicle needs service. Turn off the
engine.
Notice:
Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
Notice: If the engine catches fire
because of being driven with no
coolant, the vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Black plate (73,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Vehicle Care 10-73
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑4.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
5. Place wheel blocks on both sides of the tire at the
opposite corner of the tire
being changed. When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist in the placement of
the wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
OnStar 14-7
OnStar Personal Identification
Number (PIN)
A PIN is needed to access some of
the OnStar services, like Remote
Door Unlock and Stolen Vehicle
Assistance. You will be prompted to
change the PIN the first time when
speaking with an Advisor. To
change the OnStar PIN, call OnStar
and provide the Advisor with the
current number.
Warranty
OnStar equipment may be
warranted as part of the new-vehicle
limited warranty. The manufacturer
of the vehicle furnishes detailed
warranty information.
Languages
The vehicle can be programmed to
respond in French or Spanish. Push
Qand ask an Advisor. Advisors
can speak French or Spanish.
Potential Issues
Some OnStar services are disabled
after five days. OnStar cannot
perform Remote Door Unlock or
Stolen Vehicle Assistance after the
vehicle has been off continuously
for five days. After five days, OnStar
can contact Roadside Assistance
and a locksmith to help gain access
to the vehicle.
Global Positioning
System (GPS)
.Obstruction of the GPS can
occur in a large city with tall
buildings; in parking garages;
around airports; in tunnels,
underpasses, or parking
garages; or in an area with very
dense trees. If GPS signals are
not available, the OnStar system
should still operate to call
OnStar. However, OnStar could
have difficulty identifying the
exact location.
.In emergency situations, OnStar
can use the last stored GPS
location to send to emergency
responders.
.A temporary loss of GPS can
cause loss of the ability to send
a Turn-by-Turn Navigation route.
The Advisor may give a verbal
route or may ask for a call back
after the vehicle is driven into an
open area.
Cellular and GPS Antennas
Avoid placing items over or near the
antenna to prevent blocking cellular
and GPS signal reception. Cellular
reception is required for OnStar to
send remote signals to the vehicle.
Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
INDEX i-9
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-16
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Rear Climate Control System . . . 8-5
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12 Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-14
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . 3-37
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . 3-18
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-14
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Ride Control Systems Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . 12-5
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . 3-18
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 3-17