
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/6/16
166 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, 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 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.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/6/16
Driving and Operating 171
when on dry pavement. See
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)0189.
. 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 0318. 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 0183.
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 - 5/6/16
204 Driving and Operating
{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 0183.
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.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. The
combination will not accelerate as
quickly and is longer so it is
necessary to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before
returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the vehicle.
The vehicle could be damaged.
Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
272 Vehicle Care
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 - 5/2/16
Index 339
Automatic TransmissionManual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Avoiding Untrusted Media
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
B
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Battery - North America . . . . 236, 283
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 240
Bluetooth
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 104
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 176 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 245
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241, 242
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 245
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .216, 236, 283
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Carbon Monoxide (cont'd)
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 101
Check Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 240
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 68
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79, 81
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 159

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
340 Index
Climate Control Systems (cont'd)Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 161
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 321
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Coolant
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . 98
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 323
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 321
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 327
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 326
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Devices Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Door (cont'd)
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 29
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 313
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 22
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 172
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Index 345
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Rear Climate Control System . . . 161
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 195
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 287
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 66
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Reporting Safety Defects
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 325
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Ride Control Systems Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 313
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 54
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 53 Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 325
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 320
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 41
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 79, 81
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 159
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 309