GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Instruments and Controls 103
Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages0113 for more
information. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there is
an electrical problem. Have it
checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine
Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board
diagnostic system. If this light is on
while the engine is running, a
malfunction has been detected and
the vehicle may require service. The
light should come on to show that it
is working when the ignition is in
ON/RUN and the engine is not
running. See Ignition Positions
0 178.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when
it comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not
run smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not
meet the original tire
specifications, can cause this light
to come on. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
affect the vehicle’s ability to pass
an Emissions Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications
0218.
If the light is flashing : A
malfunction has been detected that
could damage the emission control
system and increase vehicle
emissions. Diagnosis and service
may be required.
To help prevent damage, reduce
vehicle speed and avoid hard
accelerations and uphill grades.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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104 Instruments and Controls
If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to park. Turn the vehicle
off and wait at least 10 seconds
before restarting the engine. If the
light is still flashing, follow the
previous guidelines and see your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
If the light is on steady :A
malfunction has been detected.
Diagnosis and service may be
required.
Check the following:
. A loose or missing fuel cap may
cause the light to come on. See
Filling the Tank 0203. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See
Fuel
0 200.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
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. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0214. 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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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108 Instruments and Controls
Low Fuel Warning Light
English Shown, Metric Similar
This light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition is turned
on as a check to indicate it is
working. If it does not come on,
have it fixed.
The low fuel warning light comes on
and a chime sounds when the
vehicle is low on fuel. The light turns
off when fuel is added to the
fuel tank.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
0 109.
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If it
does not come on, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system. See Immobilizer Operation
0 34.
High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer 0127.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on when the cruise
control is set.
This light goes out when the cruise
control is canceled. See Cruise
Control 0194.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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Instruments and Controls 109
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
This vehicle has a DIC.
All messages will appear in the DIC
display at the bottom of the
instrument cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. After a short delay, the DIC
will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine
was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
If the vehicle has these features, the
DIC also displays the compass
direction and the outside air
temperature when viewing the trip
and fuel information. The compass
direction appears on the top right
corner of the DIC display. The
outside air temperature
automatically appears in the bottom
right corner of the DIC display.If there is a problem with the system
that controls the temperature
display, the numbers will be
replaced with dashes. If this occurs,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons on the instrument
panel, next to the instrument cluster.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and set/
reset buttons. The button functions
are detailed in the following pages.
3:
Press this button to display
the odometer, trip odometers, fuel
range, average economy, fuel used,
timer, average speed, and digital
tachometer.
T: Press this button to display the
oil life, rear park assist, units, tire
pressure readings for vehicles with
the Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS), engine hours, Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
programming for vehicles with the
TPMS and without a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter, and
compass zone and compass
calibration on vehicles with this
feature.
U: Press this button to customize
the feature settings on the vehicle.
See Vehicle Personalization 0120
for more information.
V: Press this button to set or reset
certain functions and to turn off or
acknowledge messages on the DIC.
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110 Instruments and Controls
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
3:Press this button to scroll
through the following menu items:
Odometer
Press
3until XX km (mi)
displays. This display shows the
distance the vehicle has been
driven in either kilometers (km) or
miles (mi).
Trip Odometers
Press
3until A or B displays.
This display shows the current
distance traveled in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) since
the last reset for each trip odometer.
Both trip odometers can be used at
the same time.
Each trip odometer can be reset to
zero separately by pressing
Vwhile
the desired trip odometer is
displayed.
The trip odometer has a feature
called the retro-active reset. This
can be used to set the trip odometer
to the number of kilometers (miles)
driven since the ignition was last turned on. This can be used if the
trip odometer is not reset at the
beginning of the trip.
To use the retro-active reset feature,
press and hold
Vfor at least
four seconds. The trip odometer will
display the number of
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) driven
since the ignition was last turned on
and the vehicle was moving. Once
the vehicle begins moving, the trip
odometer will accumulate mileage.
For example, if the vehicle was
driven 8 km (5 miles) before it is
started again, and then the
retro-active reset feature is
activated, the display will show 8 km
(5 miles). As the vehicle begins
moving, the display will then
increase to 8.1 km (5.1 miles),
8.2 km (5.2 miles), etc.
If the retro-active reset feature is
activated after the vehicle is started,
but before it begins moving, the
display will show the number of
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) that
were driven during the last ignition
cycle. Fuel Range
Press
3until FUEL RANGE
displays. This display shows the
approximate number of remaining
kilometers (km) or miles (mi) the
vehicle can be driven without
refueling. The display will show
LOW if the fuel level is low.
The fuel range estimate is based on
an average of the fuel economy
over recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank. This estimate will change if
driving conditions change. For
example, if driving in traffic and
making frequent stops, this display
may read one number, but if the
vehicle is driven on a freeway, the
number may change even though
the same amount of fuel is in the
fuel tank. This is because different
driving conditions produce different
fuel economies. Generally, freeway
driving produces better fuel
economy than city driving.
If the vehicle is low on fuel, the
FUEL LEVEL LOW message will be
displayed. See Fuel System
Messages 0116.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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Instruments and Controls 111
Average Economy
Press
3until AVG ECONOMY
displays. This display shows the
approximate average liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km) or miles
per gallon (mpg). This number is
calculated based on the number of
L/100 km (mpg) recorded since the
last time this menu item was reset.
To reset AVG ECONOMY, press and
hold
V. The display will return
to zero.
Fuel Used
Press
3until FUEL USED
displays. This display shows the
number of liters (L) or gallons (gal)
of fuel used since the last reset of
this menu item. To reset the fuel
used information, press and hold
V
while FUEL USED is displayed.
Timer
Press
3until TIMER displays.
This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press
Vwhile
TIMER is displayed. The display will
show the amount of time that has passed since the timer was last
reset, not including time the ignition
is off. Time will continue to be
counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being
shown on the DIC. The timer will
record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after
which the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press
Vbriefly
while TIMER is displayed.
To reset the timer to zero, press and
hold
Vwhile TIMER is displayed.
Average Speed
Press
3until AVERAGE SPEED
displays. This display shows the
average speed of the vehicle in
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). This average is
calculated based on the various
vehicle speeds recorded since the
last reset of this value. To reset the
value, press and hold
V. The
display will return to zero. Digital Tachometer
Press
3until
Tachometer ##00 RPM displays.
This display shows the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (RPM).
Blank Display
This display shows no information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
T: Press this button to scroll
through the following menu items:
Oil Life
Press
Tuntil OIL LIFE
REMAINING displays. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If you see
99% OIL LIFE REMAINING on the
display, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. The engine
oil life system will alert you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.
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116 Instruments and Controls
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the fuel level is low. Refuel
as soon as possible.
SeeFuel Gauge 097 and Fuel
0 200 for more information.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message may display along
with the check engine light on the
instrument cluster if the fuel cap is
not tightened properly. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) 0103. Reinstall the
fuel cap fully. See Filling the Tank
0 203. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed.
A loose or missing fuel cap allows
fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should
turn this light and message off.
Key and Lock Messages
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY
This message displays if a Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
battery is low. The battery needs to
be replaced in the transmitter. See
“Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation 026.
Lamp Messages
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned off.
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0126.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT
CONTROL ON
This message displays when the
automatic headlamps are turned on.
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0126.
TURN SIGNAL ON
This message displays and a chime
sounds if a turn signal is left on for
1.2 km (0.75 mi). Move the turn
signal lever to the off position.
Object Detection System
Messages
PARK ASST BLOCKED SEE
OWNERS MANUAL
This message displays if there is
something interfering with the Rear
Parking Assist (RPA) system. See
Parking Assist 0199.
PARK ASSIST OFF
After the vehicle has been started,
this message displays to remind the
driver that the Rear Parking Assist
(RPA) system has been turned off.
Press the set/reset button or the trip
odometer reset stem to
acknowledge this message and
clear it from the DIC display. To turn
the RPA system back on, see
Parking Assist 0199.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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166 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 170
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 171
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 173
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 177
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 181
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 186
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 197
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 201
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214