GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
Driving and Operating 125
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 126
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 138
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . 141
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 141
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Brakes
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic StabilityControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . 157
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 160
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 176
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
158 Driving and Operating
Recommended Fuel
For diesel engine vehicles, see“Fuel for
Diesel Engines” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Use regular unleaded gasoline meeting
ASTM specification D4814 with a posted
octane rating of 87 —(R+M)/2 —or higher.
Do not use gasoline with a posted octane
rating of less than 87, as this may cause
engine knock and will lower fuel economy.
Do not use any fuel labeled E85 or FlexFuel.
Do not use gasoline with ethanol levels
greater than 15% by volume.
Prohibited Fuels
Caution
Do not use fuels with any of the
following conditions; doing so may
damage the vehicle and void its
warranty:
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.For vehicles that are not FlexFuel, fuel
labeled greater than 15% ethanol by
volume, such as mid-level ethanol
blends (16–50% ethanol), E85,
or FlexFuel.
.Fuel with any amount of methanol,
methylal, ferrocene, and aniline. These
fuels can corrode metal fuel system
parts or damage plastic and rubber
parts.
.Fuel containing metals such as
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT), which can damage
the emissions control system and
spark plugs.
.Fuel with a posted octane rating of
less than the recommended fuel. Using
this fuel will lower fuel economy and
performance, and may decrease the
life of the emissions catalyst.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico post fuel
octane ratings in anti-knock index (AKI). For
fuel not to use in a foreign country, see
Prohibited Fuels 0158.
Fuel Additives
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is highly
recommended for use with your vehicle.
If your country does not have TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, add ACDelco Fuel
System Treatment Plus−Gasoline to the
vehicle’s gasoline fuel tank at every oil
change or 15 000 km (9,000 mi), whichever
occurs first. TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline and
ACDelco Fuel System Treatment Plus
−Gasoline will help keep your vehicle’s
engine fuel deposit free and performing
optimally.
Filling the Tank
If the vehicle has a diesel engine, see the
Duramax diesel supplement.
An arrow on the fuel gauge indicates which
side of the vehicle the fuel door is on. See
Fuel Gauge 071.
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn violently
and can cause injury or death.
Follow these guidelines to help avoid
injuries to you and others:
(Continued)
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
2021 - crc - 7/10/20
284 Index
Engine (cont'd)Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Oil Pressure Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Enhanced Technology Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . 95
F
Fan Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Fixed Mast Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 186, 189
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . .154
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 160
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Fuel (cont'd)
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 206
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
G
GaugesEngine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 70
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160