GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
192 Driving and Operating
Caution
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system
and cause premature wear or
damage to brake system parts.
Make sure that the parking brake
is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
0 205.
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
The vehicle may have a vehicle
stability enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists the driver with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle's brakes to assist the
driver with keeping the vehicle on
the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to ensure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a 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.
See
Traction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak Light 0106.
For your safety, the system can only
be disabled when the vehicle speed
is less than 40 km/h (25 mph).
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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Driving and Operating 193
Pressgon the instrument panel
once to turn off the TCS. The
appropriate message is displayed in
the DIC. See Ride Control System
Messages 0117.
Press and holdgto 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 0117.
To turn StabiliTrak and TCS back
on, press
gagain. 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 0173.
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 control in most driving conditions.
When activated, the StabiliTrak
system may reduce engine power to
the wheels and apply braking to
individual wheels as necessary to
assist the driver with vehicle
directional control. If cruise control
is being used when StabiliTrak
activates, the cruise control
automatically disengages. The
cruise control can be re-engaged
when road conditions allow. See
Cruise Control
0194.
The StabiliTrak system may also
turn off automatically if it determines
that a problem exists with the
system. If the problem does not
clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, see your dealer for service.
Traction Control Operation
TCS is part of the StabiliTrak
system. TCS limits wheel spin by
reducing engine power to the
wheels and by applying brakes to
each individual wheel as necessary.
If the brake-traction control system
activates constantly or if the brakes
have heated up due to high speed
braking, the brake-traction control
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
194 Driving and Operating
will be automatically disabled. The
system will come back on after the
brakes have cooled. This can take
up to two minutes or longer
depending on brake usage.
TCS may activate on dry or rough
roads or under conditions such as
heavy acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this reduction in
acceleration occurs, it may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
SeeAccessories and Modifications
0 218.
Locking Rear Axle
Vehicles with a locking rear axle can
give more traction on snow, mud,
ice, sand, or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but
when traction is low, this feature will
allow the rear wheel with the most
traction to move the vehicle.
Cruise Control
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
If equipped with cruise control, a
speed of about 40 km/h (25 mph) or
more can be maintained without
keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about 40 km/h
(25 mph).
If the vehicle has StabiliTrak and the
system begins to limit wheel spin,
cruise control will automatically
disengage. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0192. When road conditions allow cruise
control to be safely used again,
cruise control can be turned
back on.
If the brakes are applied, cruise
control disengages.
I:
Press to turn cruise control on
or off. The white indicator comes on
in the instrument cluster when
cruise control is turned on.
+RES : If there is a set speed in
memory, press briefly to resume to a
previously set speed, or press and
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
218 Vehicle Care
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 066.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 324.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 066.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
270 Vehicle Care
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacture date is the last four
digits of the DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) which is molded into
one side of the tire sidewall. The
first two digits represent the week
(01-52) and the last two digits, the
year. For example, the third week of
the year 2010 would have a
four-digit DOT date of 0310.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be freeof grease, gasoline or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. See
Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0256 for additional
information.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four (six
for dual rear wheels). Uniform
tread depth on all tires will help
to maintain the performance of
the vehicle. Braking and
handling performance may be
adversely affected if all the tires
are not replaced at the same
time. If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires (six for dual rear
wheels) should wear out at
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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272 Vehicle Care
Spec rated tires are installed.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System 0263.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 173 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0270 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 218.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This 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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
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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.
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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