2019 GMC SAVANA Owner's Manual

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
224 Driving and Operating
Trailer Wiring Harness
Basic Trailer Wiring
If the vehicle is not equipped with a
trailer connector on the rear bumper,
a seven-wire trailering harness is
tied to the vehicle’s frame. The
harness requires the installation of a
trailer connector, which is available
through your dealer.
Use only a round, seven-wire
connector with flat blade terminals
meeting SAE J2863 specifications
for proper electrical connectivity.
The seven-wire harness contains
the following trailer circuits:Stop/Turn
Signal Left* Yellow
Stop/Turn
Signal Right* Dark Green
Tail/Parking
Lamps** Brown
Reverse
Lamps** Light Green Battery Feed Red/Black
Ground White
Electric Trailer
Brake
Dark Blue
*If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse
will be shared for both left/stop
trailer turn and right/stop trailer
turn signals. However, the
cutaway lighting connector will
have a 10 amp fuse for each
signal.
**If the vehicle is a cutaway with
trailer provisions, a 15 amp fuse
will be shared for trailer park
lamps and cutaway rear lighting
connector park lamps. Also, a
10 amp fuse will be shared for
trailer back-up lamps and cutaway
rear lighting connector back-up
lamps. Heavy-Duty Trailer Wiring Harness
Package
lf equipped, the trailer wiring
harness, with a seven-pin connector
is mounted on the trailer hitch.
1. Left Turn/Brake
2. Taillamps
3. Reverse Lamps
4. Battery Feed
5. Right Turn/Brake
6. Electric Brakes
7. Ground

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Driving and Operating 225
Electric Brake Control Wiring
Provisions
If the vehicle is not equipped with
an integrated trailer brake controller,
and the trailer has electric brakes, a
trailer brake controller needs to be
installed on the vehicle. The brake
controller should be installed by
your dealer or a qualified service
center.
If equipped, wiring provisions for an
aftermarket electric trailer brake
controller are included with the
vehicle as part of the trailer wiring
package. The harness contains the
following circuits:Electric Trailer
Brakes Dark Blue
Battery Feed Red/White
Brake Apply
Signal Light Blue
Ground Black
There are four blunt cut wires under
the floor carpeting in front of the
brake pedal. It will be necessary to have a technician connect the
12-volt power to the engine
compartment fuse block.
Refer to the aftermarket electric
trailer brake controller owner's
manual to determine wire color
coding of the electric trailer brake
controller. The wire colors on the
brake controller may be different
from the vehicle.
Trailer Lamps
Always check all trailer lamps are
working at the beginning of each
trip, and periodically on longer trips.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer
turn signals will illuminate to indicate
the vehicle is turning, changing
lanes, or stopping. When towing a
trailer, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will illuminate even if the
trailer is not properly connected or
the bulbs are burned out.
Tow/Haul Mode
Tow/Haul assists when pulling a
heavy trailer or a large or heavy
load. For instructions on how to
enter Tow/Haul mode, see
Tow/Haul
Mode 0190.
Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be
most effective when the vehicle and
trailer combined weight is at least
75% of the vehicle's Gross
Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).
See “Trailer Weight ”under Trailer
Towing 0215.
Tow/Haul Mode is most useful when
towing a heavy trailer or carrying a
large or heavy load:
. through rolling terrain
. in stop-and-go traffic
. in busy parking lots
Operating the vehicle in Tow/Haul
Mode when lightly loaded or not
towing will not cause damage;
however, it is not recommended and
may result in unpleasant engine and
transmission driving characteristics
and reduced fuel economy.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
226 Driving and Operating
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while
towing. If the vehicle is towing a
trailer and the TSC detects that
sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at
each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If equipped
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the
trailer has an electric brake system,
StabiliTrak/ESC may also apply the
trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/
ESC warning light will flash on the
instrument cluster. Reduce vehicle
speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer
sway continues, StabiliTrak/ESC
can reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned
off. SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0192.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash
and in serious injury or death,
even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
If the trailer begins to sway,
reduce vehicle speed by
gradually removing your foot from
the accelerator. Then pull over to
check the trailer and vehicle to
help correct possible causes,
including an improperly or
overloaded trailer, unrestrained
cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. SeeTowing
Equipment 0222 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from
vehicle tires. Trailer tires are
designed with stiff sidewalls to help
prevent sway and to support heavy
loads. These features can make it
difficult to determine if the trailer tire
pressures are low only based on a
visual inspection.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Driving and Operating 227
Always check all trailer tire
pressures before each trip when the
tires are cool. Low trailer tire
pressure is a leading cause of trailer
tire blow-outs.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time.
The trailer tire sidewall will show the
week and year the tire was
manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend
replacing tires more than six
years old.
Overloading is another leading
cause of trailer tire blow-outs. Never
load your trailer with more weight
than the tires are designed to
support. The load rating is located
on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed
rating for the trailer tires before
driving. This may be significantly
lower than the vehicle tire speed
rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed
rating is not shown, the default
trailer tire speed rating is 105 km/h
(65 mph).Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp 0107. A device connected
to the DLC —such as an
aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 069 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 70.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
228 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 229
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 230
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 237
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 238
Automatic Transmission Fluid (8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 241
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 242
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 248
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 249
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Battery - North America . . . . . . 253
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 254
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 256
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 257
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 257
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 258
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 260
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 261
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 262
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 263
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 263
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 267
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 271
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Vehicle Care 229
Wheel Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 289
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 301
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0253
and Jump Starting - North America
0 301 and the back cover.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
230 Vehicle Care
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
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 070.
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
Publication Ordering Information
0 344.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 069.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Vehicle Care 231
If equipped with remote vehicle
start, open the hood before
performing any service work to
prevent remote starting the vehicle
accidentally. SeeRemote Vehicle
Start 029.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0330.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the handle with this symbol
on it. It is in front of the driver
side door frame near the floor.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle
and lift up the secondary hood
release, which is underneath
the middle of the hood.
3. Lift the hood, release the hoodprop from its retainer, and put
the hood prop into the slot in
the hood.
If the vehicle has an underhood
lamp, it will automatically come on
and stay on until the hood is closed.
Before closing the hood, be sure all
of the filler caps are on properly.
Then lift the hood to relieve
pressure on the hood prop. Remove
the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its
retainer. Let the hood down and
close it firmly.