
Black plate (10,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
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.
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.

Black plate (13,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.
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
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.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
2-16 Keys, Doors, and Windows
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.
Enhanced Technology
Glass
The vehicle may be equipped with
Enhanced Technology Glass (ETG).
ETG is part of the overall occupant
protection system on passenger
vans. ETG may help to keep
passengers sitting next to these
fixed windows from being ejected
through the glass in some, but not in
all crashes. Even with this glass,
safety belts must still be worn at all
times. For passenger vans, use only
ETG glass approved for the vehicle
for replacement when damaged.

Black plate (6,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
3-6 Seats and Restraints
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.
Reinstalling the Rear Seats
{WARNING
A seat that is not locked into
place properly can move around
in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be
injured. Be sure to lock the seat
into place properly when
installing it.
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted. 1. Position the seat into the open
slots in both rails. Push the seat
forward in the rail, hooking both
seat bases onto the pins inside
of the rails.
2. Locate the hole in the rail to install the locking pins at the rear
of the seat base. If the vehicle
has floor mats, pull the flap that
has been cut into the mat.
3. Insert the locking pins into the seat base and push the seat to
line up the pins with the base.
On a three-passenger seat, the
pin with the black cap
marked “R”must be installed on
the right side and the pin with
the gray cap marked “L”on the
left side.
On a four-passenger seat, the
pins marked “R”must be
installed on the half of the seat
on the right side. The pins
marked “L”must be installed on
the half of the seat on the
left side.

Black plate (11,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Seats and Restraints 3-11
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 3‑9.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Seats and Restraints 3-21
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of
what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.
In a rollover event, roof‐rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows for the first,
second, and third rows (if equipped).
See
Where Are the Airbags? on
page 3‑18 for more information.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
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 3‑19
for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.

Black plate (30,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
3-30 Seats and Restraints
This allows the system to detect that
person and then enable the right
front passenger frontal airbag.
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 3‑31
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 13‑11.
{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.

Black plate (44,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
3-44 Seats and Restraints
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position. SeeWhere to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑39 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑39.
This system is designed to make
the installation of child restraints
easier. When using lower anchors,