2019 GMC SAVANA automatic transmission

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0164.
2. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons (Out of View). See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
0114.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 128.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 095.
4. Horn 095.
5. Hazard Warning Flashers
0128.
6. Instrument Cluster 0101.
7. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0186.
Manual Mode 0189 (If
Equipped).
8. Climate Control Systems
0159.
9. Infotainment 0132.
10. Power Outlets 098.
11. USB Port (If Equipped). See Auxiliary Devices 0146. 12. Power Outlet 110/120 Volt
Alternating Current. See Power
Outlets 098.
13. Rear Heating System 0161 (If
Equipped).
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) 0204 (If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0201 (If Equipped).
14. Passenger Airbag On-Off Switch (If Equipped). See
Airbag On-Off Switch 067.
15. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0192.
16. Tow/Haul Mode Button (If Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0190.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 094
(If Equipped).
18. Steering Wheel Adjustment
094 (Out of View), (If
Equipped). 19. Parking Brake Release. See
Parking Brake 0191.
20. Cruise Control 0194 (If
Equipped).
Fast Idle System 0180 (If
Equipped).
21. Parking Brake 0191.
22. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp 0107.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0129.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps 0129.
24. Exterior Lamp Controls 0125.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Instruments and Controls 119
.Brakes
. Steering
. Ride Control Systems
. Driver Assistance Systems
. Cruise Control
. Lighting and Bulb Replacement
. Wiper/Washer Systems
. Doors and Windows
. Seat Belts
. Airbag Systems
. Engine and Transmission
. Tire Pressure
. Battery
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's propulsion power is
reduced. A reduction in propulsion
power can affect the vehicle's ability
to accelerate. If this message is on, but there is no observed reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven
while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, or displays
repeatedly, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO
XXX KM/H (MPH)
This message shows that the
vehicle speed has been limited to
the speed displayed. The limited
speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems,
such as lubrication, thermal,
suspension, or tires.
Vehicle
Personalization
This vehicle may have
customization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to
one preferred setting. Customization
features can only be programmed to
one setting on the vehicle and
cannot be programmed to a
preferred setting for two different
drivers.
All of the customization options may
not be available on your vehicle.
Only the options available will be
displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the
customization features were set
when the vehicle left the factory, but
may have been changed from their
default state since then.
The customization preferences are
automatically recalled.
To change customization
preferences, use the following
procedure.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Lighting 127
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system comes on in
daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
. The shift lever is not in P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights,
and other lamps will not be on.
The automatic headlamp system
automatically switches from DRL to
the headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release
it. For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the DRL can only be turned off
when the vehicle is parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the headlamp switch is in AUTO,
the automatic headlamp system
turns on the headlamps, along with
the taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
parking lamps, and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will
also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamp
control to the off position and then
release. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position, before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.The vehicle has a light sensor on
the top of the instrument panel. Do
not cover the sensor; otherwise the
system will come on whenever the
ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor sees a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Driving and Operating 165
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 169
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 170
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 172
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 176
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 181
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 186
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 192
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 197
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 198
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 206
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 207
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 226
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
178 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, turn off the vehicle
only in an emergency.
In an emergency, if the vehicle
cannot be pulled over and must be
turned off while driving: 1. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2. Brake using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
3. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. Continue
braking and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
4. Come to a complete stop. 5. Shift to P (Park) with an
automatic transmission,
or Neutral with a manual
transmission.
6. Continue to hold the brake pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Parking Brake
0 191.
7. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF.
8. Remove the key.
9. Release the brake pedal.
Caution
Use the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in —or pushed all
the way in toward the steering
column when turning off the
vehicle —and turn it only with
your hand.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position allows features such as the
infotainment system to operate while the vehicle is off. It also
unlocks the steering column,
if equipped with a locking steering
column. Use this position if the
vehicle must be pushed or towed.
See
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0181.
From ON/RUN, push the key all the
way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If the key is left in ACC/
ACCESSORY with the engine off,
the battery could drain and the
vehicle may not start.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
184 Driving and Operating
If torque lock does occur, you might
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission. Then you
should be able to pull the shift lever
out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
brakes before you can shift from
P (Park) when the ignition is on. See
Automatic Transmission0186.
The shift lock control system is
designed to:
. Prevent the ignition key from
being removed unless the shift
lever is in P (Park).
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is on and the regular
brake pedal is applied. The shift lock control system is
always functional except in the case
of a dead battery or low voltage
(less than 9 V) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting - North
America 0301.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park): 1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park). 3. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, have the vehicle serviced.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
186 Driving and Operating
Automatic
Transmission
A shift position indicator is in the
instrument cluster.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
See“Range Selection Mode” under
Manual Mode 0189.
P : This position locks the rear
wheels. It is the best position to use
when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you might notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
“Torque Lock” underShifting Into
Park 0183.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0183 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0210.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck 0172.
N : In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels.
To restart when you are already
moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also,
use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
being towed.
{Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
(Continued)

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Driving and Operating 187
Warning (Continued)
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Caution
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
Caution
A transmission hot message may
display if the automatic
transmission fluid is too hot.
Driving under this condition can
damage the vehicle. Stop and idle(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
the engine to cool the automatic
transmission fluid. This message
clears when the transmission fluid
has cooled sufficiently.
D : This position is for normal
driving. It provides the best fuel
economy. If you need more power
for passing, and you are:
. Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
. Going about 55 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts
down to the next gear and has
more power.
D (Drive) can be used when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
or driving on steep hills. You might
want to shift the transmission to a
lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often. Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding. See
“Skidding”under
Loss of Control 0168.
The vehicle has a shift stabilization
feature that adjusts the transmission
shifting to the current driving
conditions in order to reduce rapid
upshifts and downshifts. This shift
stabilization feature is designed to
determine, before making an
upshift, if the engine is able to
maintain vehicle speed by analyzing
things such as vehicle speed,
throttle position, and vehicle load.
If the shift stabilization feature
determines that a current vehicle
speed cannot be maintained, the
transmission does not upshift and
instead holds the current gear.
In some cases, this could appear to
be a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive
shift controls. Adaptive shift controls
continually compare key shift
parameters to pre-programmed
ideal shifts stored in the
transmission’s computer. The