GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
164 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving. Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means
“always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety
Belts 046.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
. Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Driving and Operating 169
.Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0313. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0181.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
202 Driving and Operating
.The trailer must be equipped
with brakes adequate for the
intended use. A loaded trailer
weighing more than 680 kg
(1,500 lb) must be equipped with
its own brake system, with
brakes working on all axles.
Trailer braking equipment
conforming to Canadian
Standards Association (CSA)
requirement CAN3-D313, or its
equivalent, is recommended.
. Do not tow a trailer during the
first 800 km (500 mi) to prevent
damage to the engine, axle,
or other parts.
. Then during the first 800 km
(500 mi) of trailer towing, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and
do not make starts at full throttle.
. Vehicles can tow in D (Drive).
The Tow/Haul Mode may be
used if the transmission shifts
too often. See Tow/Haul
Mode 0186.
. Turn off Park Assist when
towing.{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
When towing a trailer:
. Do not drive with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch,
or rear-most window open.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Also adjust the climate
control system to a setting
that brings in only outside
air. See “Climate Control
Systems” in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust 0181.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the vehicle itself. Get acquainted with
the handling and braking of the rig
before setting out for the open road.
The structure, tires, and brakes of
the trailer must be rated to carry the
load. Inadequate trailer equipment
can cause the combination to
operate in an unexpected or unsafe
manner.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires, and mirrors. Get familiar with
the handling and braking of the rig.
If the trailer has electric brakes, start
the combination moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by
hand to be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure
and the lamps and any trailer
brakes still work.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid heavy
braking and sudden turns.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Vehicle Care 267
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
334 Index
Automatic TransmissionManual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
B
Battery
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Battery - North America . . . . 233, 279
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 237
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 102
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 174
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 241
Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 242
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .213, 233, 279
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Carbon Monoxide (cont'd)
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 100
Check Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 236
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 67
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79, 81
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 157
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
340 Index
Rear Climate Control System . . . 159
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 193
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 283
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 65
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 320 Reporting Safety Defects (cont'd)
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Ride Control Systems Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 308
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 54
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 52 Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 320
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 315
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 41
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 79, 81
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Service
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 157
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 304