Black plate (3,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem, and SAVANA
are trademarks and/or service
marks of General Motors LLC, its
subsidiaries, affiliates, or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name
“General
Motors of Canada Limited” for GMC
wherever it appears in this manual.
If the vehicle has the Duramax
®
Diesel engine, see the Duramax
diesel supplement for additional and
specific information on this engine.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language manual can be
obtained from your dealer, at
www.helminc.com, or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
savant:
Helm, Incorporated
Attention: Customer Service
47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20987871 B Second Printing©2012 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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 (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
6-4 Lighting
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. This warns others that you
are having trouble. Press again to
turn the flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, the vehicle's turn signals will
not work.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
G(Turn Signals): An arrow on
the instrument cluster flashes in the
direction of the turn or lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all
the way up or down.
To signal a lane change, raise or
lower the lever until the arrow starts
to flash. The turn signal
automatically flashes three times
and if the Tow/Haul Mode is active it
flashes six times. Holding the turn
signal lever for more than
one second causes the turn signals
to flash continually until the lever is
released.
Black plate (7,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Infotainment System 7-7
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
The radio may have an RDS. The
RDS feature is available for use
only on FM stations that broadcast
RDS information. This system relies
upon receiving specific information
from these stations and only works
when the information is available.
While the radio is tuned to an
FM-RDS station, the station name
or call letters display. In rare cases,
a radio station could broadcast
incorrect information that causes the
radio features to work improperly.
If this happens, contact the radio
station.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, and XM. The
selection displays.
f(Tune): Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the station frequency.
©SEEK or¨SEEK: Press©
SEEK to go to the previous or¨
SEEK to go to the next station and
stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold
either button for two seconds until a
beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station. For
AM-FM Radio and Radio with CD,
the station frequency flashes while
the radio is in the scan mode. Press
either button again to stop scanning.
The radio seeks and scans stations
only with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
For AM-FM Radio and Radio with
CD, scan presets within the current
selected band by pressing and
holding either SEEK button for
four seconds until a double beep
sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds if a strong signal is present, then goes
to the next stored preset. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode.
Setting Preset Stations
If the radio does not have a FAV
button, up to 18 stations (six FM1,
six FM2, and six AM), can be
programmed on the six numbered
softkeys, by performing the following
steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1,
FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered softkeys for
three seconds until a beep
sounds. When that softkey is
pressed and released, the
station that was set, returns.
5. Repeat Steps 2–4 for each softkey.
Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Infotainment System 7-9
f(Tune):Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the station frequency.
©SEEK or¨SEEK: Press©
SEEK to go to the previous or¨
SEEK to go to the next station and
stay there.
To scan stations, press and hold
either button for two seconds until a
beep sounds. The radio goes to a
station, plays for a few seconds,
then goes to the next station. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode. Press
either button again to stop scanning.
The radio seeks and scans stations
only with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
To scan presets within the current
selected band by pressing and
holding either SEEK button for
four seconds until a double beep
sounds. The radio goes to a stored
preset, plays for a few seconds if a
strong signal is present, then goes to the next stored preset. The
station frequency flashes while the
radio is in the scan mode.
Setting Preset Stations
If the radio does not have a FAV
button, up to 18 stations (six FM1,
six FM2, and six AM), can be
programmed on the six numbered
softkeys, by performing the following
steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select FM1,
FM2, or AM.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered softkeys for
three seconds until a beep
sounds. When that softkey is
pressed and released, the
station that was set, returns.
5. Repeat Steps 2–4 for each softkey.
Storing a Radio Station as a
Favorite
Drivers are encouraged to set up
radio station favorites while the
vehicle is parked. Tune to favorite
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature. See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3.
FAV (Favorites): If the vehicle has
a FAV button, a maximum of
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the six softkeys
below the radio station frequency
tabs and by using the radio favorites
page button (FAV button). Press the
FAV button to go through up to
six pages of favorites, each having
six favorite stations available per
page. Each page of favorites can
contain any combination of AM and
FM stations.
The balance/fade and tone settings
that were previously adjusted, are
stored with the favorite stations.
Black plate (13,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
Infotainment System 7-13
display and artist information
displays on the bottom line. When
information is not available, NO
INFO displays.
f(Tune):Turn to select tracks on
the CD that is currently playing.
©SEEK: Press to go to the start of
the current track if more than
10 seconds on the CD have played.
Press to go to the previous track if
less than 10 seconds on the CD
have played.
Press and hold, or press multiple
times, to continue moving backward
through the tracks on the CD.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
track.
Press and hold, or press multiple
times, to continue moving forward
through the tracks on the CD.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly within a
track.
\FWD (Fast Forward): Press
and hold to advance playback
quickly within a track.
RDM (Random): For Radios with
CD/MP3. Press to listen to tracks in
random, rather than sequential
order.
To use random:
1. Press the softkey under the RDM tab until Random Current
Disc displays.
2. Press the softkey again to turn off random play.
MP3-Supported Files
Radios with CD/MP3 have the
capability of playing an MP3 CD-R
or CD-RW disc.
Format
Radios that have the capability of
playing MP3s can play .mp3 or .wma
files that were recorded onto a
CD-R or CD-RW disc. The files can
be recorded with the following fixed
bit rates: 32 kbps, 40 kbps, 56 kbps,
64 kbps, 80 kbps, 96 kbps, 112 kbps, 128 kbps, 160 kbps, 192 kbps,
224 kbps, 256 kbps, and 320 kbps or
a variable bit rate.
Compressed Audio or Mixed Mode
Discs
The radio can play discs that
contain both uncompressed CD
audio and MP3 files. If both formats
are on the disc, the radio reads all
MP3 files first, then the
uncompressed CD audio files.
CD-R- or CD-RW-Supported File
and Folder Structure
The radio supports:.Up to 50 folders.
.Up to eight folders in depth.
.Up to 50 playlists.
.Up to 255 files.
.Playlists with an .m3u or .wpl
extension.
.Files with an .mp3, .wma, or .cda
file extension.
Black plate (16,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
7-16 Infotainment System
To change from playback by artist to
playback by album:
1. Press the softkey below the SortBy tab.
2. Press one of the softkeys below the Album tab from the sort
screen.
3. Press the softkey below the Back tab to return to the main
music navigator screen.
The album name displays on the
second line between the arrows,
and songs from the current album
begin to play. Once all songs from
that album have played, the player
moves to the next album in
alphabetical order on the CD and
begins playing MP3s from that
album.
To exit music navigator mode, press
the softkey below the Back tab to
return to normal MP3 playback.CD Player Messages
CHECK DISC: If this message
displays and/or the CD ejects, it
could be for one of the following
reasons:
.It is very hot. When the
temperature returns to normal,
the CD should play.
.The road is very rough. When
the road becomes smoother, the
CD should play.
.The CD is dirty, scratched, wet,
or upside down.
.The air is very humid. If so, wait
about an hour and try again.
.There was a problem while
burning the CD.
.The label is caught in the CD
player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for
any other reason, try a known
good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if
an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it
down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.
Auxiliary Devices
Using the Auxiliary Input Jack
Radios with an auxiliary input jack
on the lower right side of the
faceplate can connect to an external
audio device such as an iPod
®,
MP3 player, or CD player, for use as
another source for audio listening.
This input jack is not an audio
output; do not plug headphones into
the front auxiliary input jack.
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3 for
more information on driver
distraction.
To use a portable audio player,
connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable to
the radio's front auxiliary input jack.
Black plate (18,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd Edition - 9/25/12
7-18 Infotainment System
Radios that have a USB port can
play .mp3 and .wma files that are
stored on a USB storage device as
well as AAC files that are stored on
an iPod.
USB-Supported File and Folder
Structure
The radio supports:
.Up to 700 folders.
.Up to eight folders in depth.
.Up to 65,535 files.
.Folder and file names up to
64 bytes.
.Files with an .mp3 or .wma file
extension.
.AAC files stored on an iPod.
.FAT16.
.FAT32.
Connecting a USB Storage
Device or iPod
The USB port can be used to
control an iPod or a USB storage
device.To connect a USB storage device,
connect the device to the USB port
on the instrument panel.
To connect an iPod, connect one
end of the USB cable that came
with the iPod to the iPod’s dock
connector and connect the other
end to the USB port on the
instrument panel. If the vehicle is on
and the USB connection works,
“OK
to disconnect” and a GM logo may
appear on the iPod, and iPod
appears on the radio display. The
iPod music appears on the radio
display and begins playing.
The iPod charges while it is
connected to the vehicle if the
vehicle is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN position. When the
vehicle is turned off, the iPod
automatically powers off and will not
charge or draw power from the
vehicle's battery.
If you have an older iPod model that
is not supported, it can still be used
by connecting it to the auxiliary
input jack using a standard 3.5 mm (1/8 in) stereo cable. See
“Using the
Auxiliary Input Jack” previously in
this section.
Using the Radio to Control a
USB Storage Device or iPod
The radio can control a USB
storage device or an iPod using the
radio buttons and knobs, and
display song information on the
radio display.
f(Tune): Turn to select files.
©SEEK:Press to go to the start of
the track, if more than 10 seconds
have played. Press and hold or
press multiple times to continue
moving backward through tracks.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
track. Press and hold or press
multiple times to continue moving
forward through tracks.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly. Sound
is heard at a reduced volume.