GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Introduction 3
Danger, Warning, and
Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:
Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®(if equipped)
J: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses
3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0162.
2. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons (Out of View). See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0106.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change
Signals 0126.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 088.
4. Horn 088.
5. Hazard Warning
Flashers 0126.
6. Instrument Cluster 094.
7. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0182.
Manual Mode 0185 (If
Equipped).
8. Climate Control
Systems 0157.
9. Infotainment 0130.
10. Power Outlets 091.
11. USB Port (If Equipped). See Auxiliary Devices 0144. 12. Power Outlet 110 Volt
Alternating Current. See Power
Outlets 091.
13. Rear Heating System 0159 (If
Equipped).
14. Passenger Airbag On-Off Switch (If Equipped). See
Airbag On-Off Switch 061.
15. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0188 (If
Equipped).
16. Tow/Haul Mode Button (If Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0186.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 087
(If Equipped).
18. Steering Wheel Adjustment
087 (Out of View), (If
Equipped).
19. Hood Release. See Hood 0215.
20. Cruise Control 0190 (If
Equipped).
Fast Idle System 0177 (If
Equipped).
21. Parking Brake 0188. 22. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0100.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0127.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps 0127.
24. Exterior Lamp Controls 0123.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
In Brief 21
The low tire pressure warning light
alerts to a significant loss in
pressure of one of the vehicle's
tires. If the warning light comes on,
stop as soon as possible and inflate
the tires to the recommended
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits0170. The
warning light will remain on until the
tire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
may be an early indicator that the
tire pressures are getting low and
the tires need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. Maintain
the correct tire pressures. See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0258.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter. The oil life system
should be reset to 100% only
following an oil change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN, with the engine off.
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal slowly three
times within five seconds.
3. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
See Engine Oil Life System 0219.
E85 or FlexFuel
Vehicles with a yellow fuel cap can
use either unleaded gasoline or
ethanol fuel containing up to 85%
ethanol (E85). See E85 or FlexFuel 0
198. For all other vehicles, use
only the unleaded gasoline
described under Fuel0197.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
. Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
. Combine several trips into a
single trip.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
60 Seats and Restraints
not toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
058 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags (if
equipped) inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize an airbag
inflated. Roof-rail airbags (if
equipped) may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? 059.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors
(if equipped with power door locks),
turn on the interior lamps and
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag inflation,
after an event that exceeds a
predetermined threshold. You can
lock the doors, and turn off the
interior lamps and the hazard
warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
86 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 87
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 87
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 88
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . 96
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 98 Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 100
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 100
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 103
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 103
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 104
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 105
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 106
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Brake System Messages . . . . . 111
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 111
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 111 Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 113
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 113
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 113
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . 114
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Airbag System Messages . . . . . 115
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Service Vehicle Messages . . . . 116
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 117
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 118
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
102 Instruments and Controls
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation. SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0211. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine
is running. .
The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working. If the warning light comes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. See
Parking Brake 0188 for more
information. The light stays on if the
parking brake does not fully release.
If it stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, it means the
vehicle has a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The pedal might be harder to push,
or the pedal might go closer to the
floor. It could take longer to stop.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Instruments and Controls 103
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle0282.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning
Light 0102.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
See Tow/Haul Mode 0186.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
This light comes on when the
StabiliTrak system is turned off.
If StabiliTrak is off, the Traction
Control System (TCS) is also off.
If the StabiliTrak and TCS are off,
the system does not assist in
controlling the vehicle. Turn on the
TCS and the StabiliTrak systems
and the warning light turns off.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Instruments and Controls 111
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after
another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing
V(Set/Reset).
The messages that require
immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken
seriously and clearing the message
does not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages and some information
about them.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem with
the battery charging system. Under
certain conditions, the charging
system light may also turn on in the
instrument cluster. See Charging
System Light 0100. Driving with this
problem could drain the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary
accessories. Have the electrical
system checked as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
Brake System Messages
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light if
there is a problem with the brake
system. See Brake System Warning
Light 0102. If this message
appears, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display. If the message
is still displayed or appears again
when you begin driving, the brake
system needs service as soon as
possible. See your dealer.
Compass Messages
CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES
This message displays when
calibrating the compass. Drive the
vehicle in circles at less than 8 km/h
(5 mph) to complete the calibration.
See
Compass 089 for more
information.
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
This message displays when the
compass calibration is complete.
See Compass 089 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
CARGO DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the cargo door is open
while the ignition is in ON/RUN.
Turn off the vehicle and check the