
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
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 seat belt. See Seat Belts050.
. 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.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Driving and Operating 171
.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 0339. 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-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
212 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. 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 experience.
The combination of the vehicle and
trailer is longer and not as
responsive as the vehicle itself. Get
used to the handling and braking of
the combination by driving on a
level road surface before driving on
public roads.
The trailer structure, the tires, and
the brakes must be all be rated to
carry the intended cargo.
Inadequate trailer equipment can
cause the combination to operate in an unexpected or unsafe manner.
Before driving, inspect all trailer
hitch parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires, and mirrors. See
Towing
Equipment 0222. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the
combination moving and then
manually apply the trailer brake
controller to check the trailer brakes
work. During the trip, occasionally
check that the cargo and trailer are
secure and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are working.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the stability control
system might be heard. The system
reacts to vehicle movement caused
by the trailer, which mainly occurs
during cornering. This is normal
when towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving 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 of the vehicle and
trailer will not accelerate as quickly
and is much longer than the vehicle
alone. It is necessary to go much
farther beyond the passed vehicle
before returning to the lane. Pass
on level roadways. Avoid passing
on hills if possible.
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 that hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
288 Vehicle Care
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 the
norm 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 resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoorlaboratory 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-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Index 363
Child Restraints (cont'd)Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85, 87
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 159 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . 161
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 342
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 358 Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . 104
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159, 162
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Customer Information Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 342
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 348 Data Collection (cont'd)
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 347
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Devices Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 360
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Door Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . 31
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sliding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 334
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 197
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
368 Index
PhoneBluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 181
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pregnancy, Using Seat Belts . . . . 57
Privacy Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 347
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 341
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Proposition 65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .229, 253, 301, Back Cover
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 345
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Rear Climate Control System . . . 162
Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Rear Heating System . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 198
Rear Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 305
Reimbursement Program,
GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Replacement Parts Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Replacement Parts (cont'd)
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 71
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 346
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Roads Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 334
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
S
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 346
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Index 369
Safety Defects Reporting (cont'd)U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 341
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 59
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 57
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 44
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 85, 87
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 159
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 230
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 330
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 331
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 341
Services
Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . 202
Side Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Special Application Services . . . . 324 Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Storage Areas Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 91
Struts
Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Swing-out Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Switches Airbag On-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132, 348