
Black plate (26,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
3-26 Seats and Restraints
Canada and Mexico
To turn the right front passenger
airbag on again, insert the ignition
key into the switch, push in, and
move the switch to the on position.
The right front passenger frontal
airbag is now enabled, and
may inflate. See Airbag On-Off Light
on page 5‑15 for more information.
Passenger Sensing
System
If the instrument panel has one of
the indicators pictured in the
following illustrations, the vehicle
has a passenger sensing system
unless there is an airbag off switch
located on the instrument panel.
If there is an airbag off switch, the
vehicle does not have a passenger
sensing system. See Airbag On-Off
Switch on page 3‑23 for more
information.
United States
Canada and Mexico
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle is
started.
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. If you are
using remote start, if equipped, to
start the vehicle from a distance,
you may not see the system check.
When the system check is
complete, either the word ON or the
word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off, will be visible.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑16.
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag and

Black plate (31,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Seats and Restraints 3-31
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar garnish
trim, front sensors, rollover
sensor module, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the
airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle may have
a passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger
position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger seat. The passenger sensing
system may not operate properly
if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or
device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of
the passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑26.
If you have any questions about
this, you should contact
Customer Assistance before you
modify the vehicle. The phone
numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See
Customer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 13‑1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, see Different
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 10‑62 for additional
important information.
Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my vehicle
modified. How can I find out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A: If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See Customer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 13‑1.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Seats and Restraints 3-39
Administration (NHTSA) website to
locate the nearest child safety seat
inspection station. For CPST
availability in Canada, check with
Transport Canada or the Provincial
Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{WARNING
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child
restraint. Secure the child
properly following the instructions
that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the
Restraint
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.We recommend that children and
child restraints be secured in a rear
seat, including: an infant or a child
riding in a rear-facing child restraint;
a child riding in a forward-facing
child seat; an older child riding in a
booster seat; and children, who are
large enough, using safety belts.
If a child restraint is secured in the
right front passenger seat, and there
is a switch on the instrument panel
to manually turn off the right front
passenger airbag. See
Airbag
On-Off Switch on page 3‑23 and
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat) on page 3‑47 orSecuring
Child Restraints (Front Seat with
Passenger Sensing System) on
page 3‑49 orSecuring Child
Restraints (Front Seat with Airbag
On/Off Switch) on page 3‑52 for
more information, including
important safety information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system or airbag switch has
turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
(Continued)

Black plate (52,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
3-52 Seats and Restraints
Child Restraint”underPassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 for
more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Seat with Airbag
On/Off Switch)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑39.
On vehicles with an airbag on/off
switch, you can use this feature to
turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag. The switch is located
on the instrument panel. See Airbag
On-Off Switch on page 3‑23 for
more information, including
important safety information. A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.”
This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the airbag switch has
turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag
is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. For
example, the right front(Continued)

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Storage 4-1
Storage
Storage Compartments
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage
Compartments
Front Storage
This vehicle may have a front
storage compartment. It is located at
the center of the instrument panel
extension, by the floor. To open the
compartment, pull up on the latch.
The compartment will open
automatically.
Storage compartments may also be
included on the inside of each
front door.

Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Another way to increase the time
or date, is to press
¨SEEK or
\FWD (forward).
3. To decrease, press
©SEEK or
sREV. Turn thefknob, on
the upper right side of the radio,
to adjust the selected setting.
Changing the Time and Date
Default Settings
To change the time or date default
settings:
1. Press
Hand then the softkey
under the forward arrow that is
currently displayed on the radio
screen until the time 12H (hour)
and 24H (hour), and the date
MM/DD (month and day) and
DD/MM (day and month) are
displayed.
2. Press the softkey under the desired option.
3. Press
Hagain to apply the
selected default, or let the
screen time out.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or an MP3
player.
The vehicle may have two
accessory power outlets on the
instrument panel.
Remove the cover to access and
replace when not in use.
Certain power accessory plugs may
not be compatible to the accessory
power outlet and could overload
vehicle or adapter fuses. If a
problem is experienced, see your
dealer.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death. Notice:
Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment on page 9‑57.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the cigarette lighter, if the
vehicle has one, push it in all the
way, and let go. When it is ready for
use, it will pop back out by itself.

Black plate (15,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Instruments and Controls 5-15
The airbag readiness light comes on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.If there is a problem with the airbag
system, a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message may also come on.
See
Airbag System Messages on
page 5‑35.
Airbag On-Off Light
When the right front passenger
airbag is manually turned off using
the airbag on-off switch on the
instrument panel, if equipped, the
indicator light OFF or the off symbol
will come on and stay on as a
reminder that the airbag has been
turned off. This light will go off when
the airbag has been turned on. See
Airbag On-Off Switch on page 3‑23
for more information, including
important safety information.
United States
Canada and Mexico

Black plate (16,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
5-16 Instruments and Controls
{WARNING
If the right front passenger airbag
is turned off for a person who is
not in a risk group identified by
the national government, that
person will not have the extra
protection of an airbag. In a
crash, the airbag will not be able
to inflate and help protect the
person sitting there.
Do not turn off the passenger
airbag unless the person sitting
there is in a risk group identified
by the national government. See
Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑23for more on this,
including important safety
information.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. For
example, the right front
passenger airbag could inflate
even though the airbag on-off
switch is turned off.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have the vehicle serviced
right away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑14 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit, it means that the right front
passenger frontal airbag is enabled,
and may inflate. See Airbag On-Off
Switch on page 3‑23 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the instrument
panel will have a passenger airbag
status indicator. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 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