2021 GMC SAVANA Owner's Manual

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
176 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
unrestrained cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly inflated or
incorrect vehicle or trailer tires. See
Towing Equipment0172 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.
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. See
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) 076.
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 (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 044 and
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 045.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
Vehicle Care 177
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . 178
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 178
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 179
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 180
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic Transmission Fluid (8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . 201
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 206
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 214
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . 217
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . 217
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 222
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 224
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 224
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 225
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 236
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
178 Vehicle Care
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 0198 and
Jump Starting - North America 0236 and
the back cover.
California Perchlorate Materials
Requirements
Certain types of automotive applications,
such as airbag initiators, seat belt
pretensioners, and lithium batteries
contained in electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate Material –
special handling may apply. 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.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
Vehicle Care 179
Also, seeAdding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 045.
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 0269.
This vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to do your own service work,
see Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 44. If equipped with remote vehicle start, open
the hood before performing any service
work to prevent remote starting the vehicle
accidentally. See
Remote Vehicle Start 010.
Keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service
work performed. See Maintenance Records
0 257.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
{Warning
Turn the vehicle off before opening the
hood. If the engine is running with the
hood open, you or others could be
injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can get hot
from running the engine. To help avoid
the risk of burning unprotected skin,
never touch these components until they
have cooled, and always use a glove or
towel to avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood before
opening.
To open the hood: 1. Pull the hood release lever with the
isymbol. It is on the lower left side
of the instrument panel.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
180 Vehicle Care
2. Go to the front of the vehicle and locatethe secondary release lever under the
front center of the hood. Push the
secondary hood release lever upward to
release.
3. Lift the hood and release the hood proprod from its retainer, in the front of the
engine compartment. Securely insert the
rod end into the slot marked with an
arrow, on the underside of the hood.
To close the hood: 1. Before closing the hood, be sure all filler caps are on properly, and all tools are
removed. 2. Lift the hood and remove the hood prop
rod from the underside of the hood.
Return the prop rod to its retainer. The
prop rod must click into place when
returning it to the retainer to prevent
hood damage.
3. Lower the hood 20 cm (8 in) above the vehicle and release it. Check to make
sure the hood is latched completely.
Repeat this process with additional force
if necessary.
{Warning
Do not drive the vehicle if the hood is
not latched completely. The hood could
open fully, block your vision, and cause a
crash. You or others could be injured.
Always close the hood completely before
driving.
Engine Compartment Overview
For diesel engine vehicles, see the Duramax
diesel supplement.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
Vehicle Care 181
4.3L V6 Engine

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
182 Vehicle Care
1.Battery - North America 0198.
2. Radiator Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0191.
3. Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling
System 0191.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0184. 5. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See
Cooling System 0191.
6. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0189.
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0184.
8. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid 0196.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0206. 10. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See
Brake Fluid 0197.
11. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer Fluid” underWasher
Fluid 0196.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
Vehicle Care 183
6.6L V8 Engine
1. Battery - North America 0198.
2. Radiator Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System 0191.
3. Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling
System 0191. 4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil 0184.
5. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0191.
6. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0189. 7. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
“When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil 0184.
8. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering Fluid 0196.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0206.