GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 155
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
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 Tires0254.
. 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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 213
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 214
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 215
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 223
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 224
Automatic Transmission Fluid (8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 227
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 228
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 235
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Battery - North America . . . . . . 239
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 240
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 241
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 242
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 243
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 243
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 244
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 244
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 246
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 247
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 247 Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 248
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 252
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 273
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 255
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 overall
performance on most road surfacesand 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 0255.
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 0270.
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-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 271
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 Spec rated tires are installed.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0263.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 157 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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
272 Vehicle Care
{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 0270 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 215.
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:
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.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Customer Information 325
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,
after sending the original receipt
to Roadside Assistance.
Mechanical failures may be
covered, however any cost for
parts and labor for repairs not
covered by the warranty are the
owner
’s responsibility.
Scheduling Service
Appointments
When the vehicle requires warranty
service, contact your dealer and
request an appointment. By
scheduling a service appointment
and advising the service consultant
of your transportation needs, your
dealer can help minimize your
inconvenience.
If the vehicle cannot be scheduled
into the service department
immediately, keep driving it until it
can be scheduled for service,
unless, of course, the problem is
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
344 Index
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . 224, 227
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Axle, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
B
Battery Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Battery - North America . . . . 239, 286
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 243
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 94
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Brakes (cont'd)
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 161
Bulb Replacement Center High-MountedStoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 246
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 247
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .214, 239, 286,
Back Cover
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Cargo Door Relocking . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . 92
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 242
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 57
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
352 Index
SystemsDriver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
T
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 323
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 20
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Dual Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 264
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 263
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Terminology and Definitions . . 259 Tires (cont'd)
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 273
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 195
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 195
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 291
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 210
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Traction
Control System(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . 96
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Trailer
Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . 210
Tow Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Trailer (cont'd)
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . 224, 227
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 272
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
VehicleAlarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 316
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . 96