GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
224 Vehicle Care
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
1. Radiator Pressure Cap
2. Coolant Recovery Tank
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Outof View)
{Warning
An electric engine cooling fan can
start even when the engine is not
running. To avoid injury, always
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any engine
cooling fan.
{Warning
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Caution
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner. Any repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0228.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Vehicle Care 225
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature. .
Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0302.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams, or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant recovery tank. If the
coolant inside the coolant recovery
tank is boiling, do not do anything
else until it cools down. If coolant is
visible but the coolant level is not at
or above the COLD FILL mark, add
a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant recovery tank, but be sure
the cooling system is cool before
this is done.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
228 Vehicle Care
Caution
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.
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of engine overheating.
There is an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the vehicle's
instrument cluster. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 097.
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 0313.
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, the fan
should be running. If it is 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.
Caution
Running the engine without
coolant may cause damage or a
fire. Vehicle damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
If Steam is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam from an overheated engine
can burn you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away from
the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of
steam or coolant before you open
the hood.
If you keep driving when the
engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others
could be badly burned. Stop the
engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
If No Steam is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Vehicle Care 229
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
. Tows a trailer. See “Driving on
Grades” underTrailer
Towing 0204.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone or an overheat warning no
longer displays, the vehicle can be
driven. Continue to drive the vehicle
slowly for about 10 minutes. Keep a
safe vehicle distance from the vehicle in front. If the warning does
not come back on, continue to drive
normally and have the cooling
system checked for proper fill and
function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is still no sign of steam,
push down the accelerator until the
engine speed is about twice as fast
as normal idle speed for at least
three minutes while parked. If the
warning is still on, turn off the
engine until it cools down.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood, get service help right away.
Engine Fan
The vehicle has a clutched engine
cooling fan. When the clutch is
engaged, the fan spins faster to
provide more air to cool the engine.
In most everyday driving conditions,
the fan is spinning slower and the
clutch is not fully engaged. This
improves fuel economy and reduces
fan noise. Under heavy vehicle
loading, trailer towing, and/or highoutside temperatures, the fan speed
increases as the clutch more fully
engages, so an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and should not be mistaken as the
transmission slipping or making
extra shifts. It is merely the cooling
system functioning properly. The fan
will slow down when additional
cooling is not required and the
clutch partially disengages.
This fan noise may be heard when
starting the engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch partially
disengages.
Power Steering Fluid
The power steering fluid reservoir is
in the engine compartment on the
driver side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0
216 for reservoir location.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Index 335
Climate Control Systems (cont'd)Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 159
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 316
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Coolant
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . 97
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 318
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 316
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 321
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Devices
Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Diagnostics
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 29
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Door (cont'd)
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 308
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Driving
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 21
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 168
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 169
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
E
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
336 Index
Electrical SystemEngine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 247
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 243
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Emergency
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 216
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . 97
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Cooling System Messages . . . .112
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 182 Engine (cont'd)
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Enhanced Technology Glass . . . . 38
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 321
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 123
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 124
F
Fan Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 126
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
FlexFuel E85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 220
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 105
Requirements, California . . . . . 198
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Fuses Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 247
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 243
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Index 337
G
GaugesEngine Coolant Temperature . . . 97
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Warning Lights andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 293
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Glass, Enhanced Technology . . . . 38
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 126
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Headlamps (cont'd)
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 106
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 124
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 157
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 168
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
I
Idle System
Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 36
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . . 114
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 25
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 250
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 124
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 100
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Lamps, Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 240
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78