GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
170 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0269.
. 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.
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 assist. 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, crash).
. 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 0192.
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
270 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
.Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overallperformance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be
“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0270.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see
Buying New Tires 0285.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
286 Vehicle Care
tread depth on all tires will help
to maintain the performance of
the vehicle. Braking and
handling performance may be
adversely affected if all the tires
are not replaced at the same
time. If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires (six for dual rear
wheels) should wear out at
about the same time. SeeTire
Rotation 0282 for information
on proper tire rotation. However,
if it is necessary to replace only
one axle set of worn tires, place
the new tires on the rear axle
(two for single rear wheels, four
for dual rear wheels).
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Vehicle Care 287
Spec rated tires are installed.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System 0278.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 172 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0285 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 230.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
340 Customer Information
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
. Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest GMC dealer for warranty
service, or if the vehicle was in a
crash and cannot be driven.
Assistance is not given when the
vehicle is stuck in the sand,
mud, or snow.
. Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
. Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery. .
Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
event, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 500 miles.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
. Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws
. Legal fines
. Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 L. Diesel fuel delivery
may be restricted. Propane and
other fuels are not provided
through this service.
. Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
150 km from where your trip
was started to qualify.
Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders are required.
Once authorization has been
received, the Roadside
Assistance advisor will help to
make arrangements and explain
how to receive payment.
. Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside
Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
362 Index
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . 238, 241
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
B
Battery Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Battery - North America . . . . 253, 301
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 257
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 109 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 176
Bulb Replacement Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 261
Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 262
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .229, 253, 301,
Back Cover
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 107
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 256
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 73
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
370 Index
System (cont'd)Noise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
T
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 338
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 37Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 279
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 278
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Tires (cont'd)
Terminology and Definitions . . 274
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 289
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 210
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 210
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 305
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 226
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . 111
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 226 Trailer (cont'd)
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . 238, 241
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 287
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
VehicleAlarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 331
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119