GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
In Brief 15
Climate Controls
The vehicle's heating, cooling, and ventilation can be controlled with these
systems.
Vehicles without Air Conditioning
1. Fan Control
2. Temperature Control 3. Air Delivery Mode Control
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Instruments and Controls 87
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 88
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 88
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 89
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . 97
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 99
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 99 Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 101
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 102
Brake System Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . 105
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 107
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 107
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Brake System Messages . . . . . 112
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 113
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 113 Engine Cooling System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 114
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 114
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 115
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . 115
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Airbag System Messages . . . . . 117
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Service Vehicle Messages . . . . 117
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 118
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 119
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
98 Instruments and Controls
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
the oil level as soon as possible.
Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how
hard the vehicle is working. During a
majority of the operation, the gauge
will read 100 °C (210 °F) or less.
If the vehicle is pulling a load or
going up hills, it is normal for the
temperature to fluctuate and
approach the 122 °C (250 °F) mark.
If the gauge reaches the 125 °C
(260 °F) mark, it indicates that the
cooling system is working beyond
its capacity.
See Engine Overheating 0231.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Instruments and Controls 113
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.
SeeCompass 090 for more
information.
CALIBRATION COMPLETE
This message displays when the
compass calibration is complete.
See Compass 090 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 cargo door. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC
display.
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the driver door is not fully
closed and the vehicle is in a drive
gear. Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and
close the door again. Check to see
if the message still appears on
the DIC.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
On some vehicles, this message
displays and a chime sounds if the
driver side rear door is not fully
closed and the vehicle is in a drive
gear. Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and
close the door again. Check to see
if the message still appears on
the DIC.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the passenger door is not
fully closed and the vehicle is in a
drive gear. Stop and turn off the
vehicle, check the door for
obstructions, and close the door
again. Check to see if the message
still appears on the DIC.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
On some vehicles, this message
displays and a chime sounds if the
passenger side rear door is not fully
closed and the vehicle is in a drive
gear. Stop and turn off the vehicle,
check the door for obstructions, and
close the door again. Check to see
if the message still appears on
the DIC.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
ENGINE HOT A/C (Air
Conditioning) OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
See
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge 098. To avoid added strain
on a hot engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
114 Instruments and Controls
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Gauge 098.
ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP
ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the engine cooling system
reaches unsafe temperatures for
operation. Stop and turn off the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so
to avoid severe damage. This
message clears when the engine
has cooled to a safe operating
temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message. See Engine
Oil Life System 0222 for
information on how to reset the
message. See Engine Oil0220 and
Maintenance Schedule 0299.
ENGINE OIL LOW ADD OIL
If the vehicle has an oil level sensor,
this message displays if the oil level
in the vehicle is low. Check the oil
level and correct it as necessary.
You may need to let the vehicle cool
or warm up and cycle the ignition to
be sure this message clears. See
Engine Oil 0220.
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See
Engine
Oil 0220.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays and a chime
sounds when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot and the
engine further enters the engine
coolant protection mode. See
Engine Overheating 0231 for
further information.
This message also displays when
the engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
130 Lighting
Reading Lamps
If equipped with reading lamps,
press the button next to each lamp
to turn it on or off.
The vehicle may also have reading
lamps in other locations. The lamps
cannot be adjusted.
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The vehicle has an illuminated
entry/exit feature.
The dome lamps come on if the
E
DOME OFF button is in the
extended position, when a door is
opened, or the key is removed from
the ignition.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle may have Electric
Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery's temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts
the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver InformationCenter (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/2/16
Climate Controls 159
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . 159
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 161
Rear Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Maintenance
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
Vehicles without Air Conditioning
1. Fan Control
2. Temperature Control
3. Air Delivery Mode Control
9: Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed.
9: Turns the system off. Temperature Control :
Turn the
knob clockwise or counterclockwise
to increase or decrease the
temperature inside the vehicle.
Air Delivery Mode Control : Turn
the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to change the
current airflow mode.
H: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 5/6/16
170 Driving and Operating
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0253.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, accident). .
Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For slippery road driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0190.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes
should be applied sooner than