GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Driving and Operating 167
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, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
.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
0 47.
. 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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
172 Driving and Operating
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes
should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
0190.
. 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 0319. 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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0185.
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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Driving and Operating 205
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer. Read
the entire section before towing a
trailer.
For towing a disabled vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle0288. For
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0289.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Driving with a Trailer
When towing a trailer:
.
Become familiar with the state
and local laws that apply to
trailer towing. .
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
0 190.
. 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 0185.
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. The
combination you are driving is
longer and not as responsive as the
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Vehicle Care 273
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 thenorm 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 resistanceto the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Index 341
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 160Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 162
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 322
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Control Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . 99
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160, 162
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Cruise Control (cont'd)
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 324
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 322
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 328
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 327
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Devices Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 30
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 314
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 22
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 171
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
346 Index
ProgramCourtesy Transportation . . . . . . 321
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .217, 238, 285
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 325
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
RadiosAM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Rear Climate Control System . . . 162
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 197
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 289
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 67
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 326
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Ride Control Systems
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 314 Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 55
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 54
Safety Defects Reporting Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 326
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 321
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 42
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 81, 83
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Index 347
SecurityLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 160
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 310
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Parts Identification Label . . . . . .311
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 321
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Side Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Sidemarker
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Special Application Services . . . . 305
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Storage Areas Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 86
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Swing-out Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Switches Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 System
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133, 328
Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239T
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 318
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 34
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
All-Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 264
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 263
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256