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Seats and Restraints 45
Warning (Continued)
system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to
do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the vehicle's
frame, bumper system, height, front end,
or side sheet metal may keep the airbag
system from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system can also
be affected by changing, including
improperly repairing or replacing, any parts
of the following:
.Airbag system, including airbag modules,
front or side impact sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, or airbag wiring
.Front seats, including stitching, seams or
zippers
.Seat belts
.Steering wheel, instrument panel, ceiling
trim, or pillar garnish trim
.Inner door seals, including speakersYour dealer and the service manual have
information about the location of the airbag
modules and sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, and airbag wiring along with the
proper replacement procedures.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags,
see
Different Size Tires and Wheels 0224 for
additional important information.
If the vehicle must be modified because you
have a disability and have questions about
whether the modifications will affect the
vehicle's airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag system
will be affected if the vehicle is modified for
any other reason, call Customer Assistance.
See Customer Assistance Offices 0264.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need regularly
scheduled maintenance or replacement.
Make sure the airbag readiness light is
working. See Airbag Readiness Light 074.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged, opened,
or broken, the airbag may not work
properly. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any opened or
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
broken airbag coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module replaced.
For the location of the airbags, see Where
Are the Airbags? 038. See your dealer
for service.
Replacing Airbag System Parts
after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag systems
in the vehicle. A damaged airbag system
may not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting in
serious injury or even death. To help
make sure the airbag systems are
working properly after a crash, have
them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your dealer
for service.
GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14583543) -
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126 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions are
appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and can
take your focus from the task of driving.
Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away from
the road. Many local governments have
enacted laws regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your eyes
on the road, keep your hands on the
steering wheel, and focus your attention on
driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding driving
situations. Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take notes,
or look up information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle features
before driving, such as programming
favorite radio stations and adjusting
climate control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to the
floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier or
restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or on a
cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for more
information on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in driving
defensively is to wear the seat belt. See
Seat Belts 028.
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132 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
Overloading can also reduce stopping
distance, damage the tires, and
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and Loading
Information label is attached to the
center pillar (B-pillar). The tire and
loading information label shows the
number of occupant seating positions (1), and the maximum vehicle
capacity weight (2) in kilograms and
pounds.
The Tire and Loading Information label
also shows the size of the original
equipment tires (3) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (4). For more information on
tires and inflation see
Tires0211 and
Tire Pressure 0216.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle Certification/
Tire label. It may show the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in this
section.“Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit–
1.
Locate the statement "The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For example,
if the "XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.”
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134 Driving and Operating
Certification/Tire Label
A vehicle specific Certification/Tire label
is attached to the rear edge of the
driver door. The label may show the
size of the vehicle's original tires and
the inflation pressures needed to obtain
the gross weight capacity of the
vehicle. This is called Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, and cargo.
The Certification/Tire label also may
show the maximum weights for the
front and rear axles, called Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out theactual loads on the front and rear axles,
you need to go to a weigh station and
weigh the vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with this. Be sure to spread out the
load equally on both sides of the
centerline.
{Warning
Things you put inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a sudden
stop or turn, or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area of the
vehicle. Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so
that some of them are above the
tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in the vehicle.
.When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded down
unless you need to. Add-On Equipment
When carrying removable items, a limit
on how many people carried inside the
vehicle may be necessary. Be sure to
weigh the vehicle before buying and
installing the new equipment.
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the
long run if you follow these guidelines:
.Keep the vehicle speed at 88 km/h
(55 mph) or less for the first 805 km
(500 mi).
.Do not drive at any one constant
speed, fast or slow, for the first
805 km (500 mi). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting
to brake or slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for the first
322 km (200 mi) or so. During this
time the new brake linings are not yet
(Continued)
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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
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212 Vehicle Care
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,
seeBuying New Tires 0222.
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.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The example
shows a typical light truck tire sidewall.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Tire Size:The tire size code is a
combination of letters and numbers
used to define a particular tire's width,
height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the “Tire
Size” illustration later in this section for
more detail. (2) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original equipment tires
designed to GM's specific tire
performance criteria have a TPC
specification code molded onto the
sidewall. GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety guidelines.
(3) Dual Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be carried and
the maximum pressure needed to
support that load when used in a dual
configuration. For information on
recommended tire pressure see Tire
Pressure 0216 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0131.
(4) DOT (Department of
Transportation)
:The Department of
Transportation (DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.
DOT Tire Date of Manufacture
:The last
four digits of the TIN indicate the tire
manufactured date. The first two digits
represent the week (01-52) and the last
two digits, the year. For example, the
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Vehicle Care 213
third week of the year 2020 would have
a 4-digit DOT date of 0320. Week 01 is
the first full week (Sunday through
Saturday) of each year.
(5) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:
The letters and numbers following the
DOT code are the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the
manufacturer and plant code, tire size,
and date the tire was manufactured.
The TIN is molded onto both sides of
the tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(6) Tire Ply Material
:The type of cord
and number of plies in the sidewall and
under the tread.
(7) Single Tire Maximum Load
:
Maximum load that can be carried and
the maximum pressure needed to
support that load when used as a
single. For information on
recommended tire pressure see Tire
Pressure 0216 and
Vehicle Load Limits 0131.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The examples show a typical light truck
tire size.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(1) Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire:The
United States version of a metric tire
sizing system. The letters LT as the first
two characters in the tire size mean a
light truck tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim
Association.
(2) Tire Width
:The 3-digit number
indicates the tire section width in
millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A 2-digit number that
indicates the tire height-to-width
measurements. For example, if the tire
size aspect ratio is 75, as shown in item 3 of the light truck (LT-Metric) tire
illustration, it would mean that the
tire's sidewall is 75 percent as high as it
is wide.
(4) Construction Code
:A letter code is
used to indicate the type of ply
construction in the tire. The letter R
means radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or bias ply
construction.
(5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of the
wheel in inches.
(6) Load Range
:Load Range.
(7) Service Description
:The service
description indicates the load index and
speed rating of a tire. If two numbers
are given as in the example, 120/116,
then this represents the load index for
single versus dual wheel usage (single/
dual). The speed rating is the maximum
speed a tire is certified to carry a load.
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216 Vehicle Care
equipment tire size and recommended
inflation pressure. See“Tire and Loading
Information Label” underVehicle Load
Limits 0131.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of air
pressure to operate effectively.
{Warning
Neither tire underinflation nor
overinflation is good. Underinflated
tires, or tires that do not have
enough air, can result in:
.Tire overloading and overheating,
which could lead to a blowout.
.Premature or irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that have
too much air, can result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from road
hazards.
The Tire and Loading Information label
on the vehicle indicates the original
equipment tires and the correct cold
tire inflation pressures. The
recommended pressure is the minimum
air pressure needed to support the
vehicle's maximum load carrying
capacity.
For additional information regarding
how much weight the vehicle can carry,
and an example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see Vehicle Load
Limits 0131. How the vehicle is loaded
affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load the vehicle with
more weight than it was designed to
carry.
When to Check
Check the pressure of the tires once a
month or more. Do not forget the spare tire, if the
vehicle has one. See
Full-Size Spare Tire
0 235 for additional information.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gauge
to check tire pressure. Proper tire
inflation cannot be determined by
looking at the tire. Check the tire
inflation pressure when the tires are
cold, meaning the vehicle has not been
driven for at least three hours or no
more than 1.6 km (1 mi).
Remove the valve cap from the tire
valve stem. Press the tire gauge firmly
onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire inflation
pressure matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment
is necessary. If the inflation pressure is
low, add air until the recommended
pressure is reached. If the inflation
pressure is high, press on the metal
stem in the center of the tire valve to
release air.