
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
124 Lighting
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned
on and the key is out of the ignition.
To turn off the chime, turn the
headlamp switch to
Oor AUTO and
then back on, or close and re‐open
the door. In the auto mode, the
headlamps turn off once the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF or may remain on
until the headlamp delay ends,
if enabled in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See “Exit Lighting”
under Vehicle
Personalization 0118.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer) : Pull the turn signal lever
all the way toward you to change
the headlamps from low to high
beam. Then release it.
This instrument cluster light comes
on when the high-beam headlamps
are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature is used to signal to the
vehicle ahead that you want
to pass.
If the headlamps are off or in the
low‐beam position, pull the turn
signal lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beams.
Release the lever to turn the
high-beam headlamps off.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada. The DRL system comes on in
daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
. The shift lever is not in P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights,
and other lamps will not be on.
The automatic headlamp system
automatically switches from DRL to
the headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release
it. For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the transmission must be in the
P (Park) position, before the DRL
can be turned off.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Lighting 125
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the headlamp switch is in AUTO,
the automatic headlamp system
turns on the headlamps, along with
the taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
parking lamps, and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will
also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamp
control to the off position and then
release. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position, before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
the top of the instrument panel. Do
not cover the sensor; otherwise the
system will come on whenever the
ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor sees a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately 30 seconds
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is light
outside. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be asbright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
0127.
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.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
126 Lighting
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.
The lever returns to its starting
position when released. If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If a bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers 0243.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime
sounds at each flash of the turn
signal and the message TURN
SIGNAL ON also appears in the
Driver Information Center (DIC). See
Lamp Messages 0114. To turn off
the chime and message, move the
turn signal lever to the off position.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
130 Infotainment System
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . 131
Overview (AM-FM Radio) . . . . . 131
Overview (Radio withCD/MP3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 139
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
OnStar System
OnStar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Introduction
Infotainment
Base radio information is included in
this manual. See the infotainment
manual for information on other
available infotainment systems.
Read the following pages to
become familiar with these features.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road for
too long or too often while using
any infotainment feature can
cause a crash. You or others
could be injured or killed. Do not
give extended attention to
infotainment tasks while driving.
Limit your glances at the vehicle
displays and focus your attention
on driving. Use voice commands
whenever possible.
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid
distraction by disabling some
functions when driving. These functions may gray out when they
are unavailable. Many infotainment
features are also available through
the instrument cluster and steering
wheel controls.
Before driving:
.
Become familiar with the
operation, faceplate buttons, and
screen buttons.
. Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
. Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
button or by using a single voice
command if equipped with
Bluetooth phone capability.
See Defensive Driving 0164.
To play the infotainment system with
the ignition off, see Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0179.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Driving and Operating 175
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 0188.
{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.
Caution
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. 1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) :
This is the
position in which you can operate
things like the radio and the
windshield wipers when the engine
is off.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument 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.
3 (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.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
182 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
SeeShifting Into Park 0179 and
Engine Exhaust 0181.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0201.
Automatic
Transmission
A shift position indicator is in the
instrument cluster.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
See “Range Selection Mode” under
Manual Mode 0185.
P : This position locks the rear
wheels. It is the best position to use
when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you might notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
“Torque Lock” underShifting Into
Park 0179.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0179 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0201.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
(Continued)

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
186 Driving and Operating
Caution
Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill
using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission.
The repair will not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. If you are
stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes
to hold the vehicle in place.
Low Traction Mode
Low Traction Mode can assist in
vehicle acceleration when road
conditions are slippery. While the
vehicle is at a stop, select the
second gear range using Range
Selection Mode. This will limit
torque to the wheels after it detects
wheel slip, preventing the tires from
spinning.
Tow/Haul Mode
If equipped, Tow/Haul Mode adjusts
the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing
increased performance, vehicle
control, and transmission cooling
when towing or hauling heavy loads.
Turn the Tow/Haul Mode on and off
by pressing the button on the
instrument panel. When Tow/Haul is
on, a light on the instrument cluster
will come on.
SeeTow/Haul Mode Light 0103.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing Equipment 0208.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking is
only enabled while the Tow/Haul
Mode is selected and the vehicle is
not in the Range Selection Mode.
See “Tow/Haul Mode” listed
previously and Manual Mode0185.
Tow/Haul Mode Grade Braking
assists in maintaining desired
vehicle speeds when driving on
downhill grades by using the engine
and transmission to slow the
vehicle.
To disable or enable Tow/Haul Mode
Grade Braking within the current
ignition key cycle, press and hold
the Tow/Haul button for
three seconds. A DIC message will
be displayed. See Transmission
Messages 0117.
See Towing Equipment 0208.
For other forms of grade braking,
see Automatic Transmission 0182
and Cruise Control 0190.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Driving and Operating 189
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 40 km/h (25 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) of
driving before the system initializes.
The Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak indicator light comes on
in the instrument cluster when the
system requires service.
When StabiliTrak activates, the
TCS/StabiliTrak indicator light
flashes in the instrument cluster.
This also occurs when TCS is
activated.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light 0104.
For your safety, the system can only
be disabled when the vehicle speed
is less than 40 km/h (25 mph).
Press the StabiliTrak button on the
instrument panel once to turn off the
TCS. The appropriate message is
displayed in the DIC. See Ride
Control System Messages 0114.
Press and hold the StabiliTrak
button to turn off StabiliTrak and
TCS. The StabiliTrak OFF light
illuminates and the appropriate messages will be displayed in the
DIC. See
Ride Control System
Messages 0114.
To turn StabiliTrak and TCS back
on, press the StabiliTrak button
again. StabiliTrak will automatically
turn back on when the vehicle
speed exceeds 40 km/h (25 mph).
When the StabiliTrak system has
been turned off, system noises may
still be heard as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle
is stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow,
and you want to “rock”the vehicle to
attempt to free it. See If the Vehicle
Is Stuck 0169.
StabiliTrak System Operation
The StabiliTrak system is normally
on, except when the system is
initializing or has been disabled with
the StabiliTrak button. The
StabiliTrak system will automatically
activate to assist the driver in
maintaining vehicle directional