tow GMC SAVANA 1998 User Guide

To open the “40” (rear) portion of a 60/40 door from the
outside, pull the handle
on the side of the rear door and
pull it toward you.
To close the side doors, close the “40” (rear) door first.
Then close the
“60” (front) door. Check to make sure
both doors are completely closed.
The front side swing-out door
has a check strap
assembly
in the door frame to keep the door from
opening beyond
90 degrees.
To open the door beyond 90 degrees, close the door
partially, pull the check strap outward at the spring hole
and then open the door. When you
close the door, the
check strap will automatically re-engage.
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Sliding Side Door (Option)
To open the sliding side door from outside, pull the
handle toward the rear
of the vehicle. Then, slide the
door toward the rear
of the vehicle to open.
To close the sliding side door from outside, use the
outside door handle
to slide the door toward the front
of the vehicle.
When the door slides closed completely, it will be flush
with the side
of the body.
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To open the sliding door from inside, rotate the handle
upward and toward the rear of the vehicle. Then, slide
the door toward the rear
of the vehicle to open.
To close the sliding door from inside, grasp the inside
handle and slide the door toward the front
of the vehicle
to a closed position.
Make sure the door
is completely closed before driving
your vehicle.
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Rear Doors
To open the rear doors from the outside, open the
passenger side rear door first. Pull the handle toward
you to open the door.
To open the driver side rear door, pull the latch release
lever at the inside edge
of the door.
Both rear doors can be opened past
90 degrees by
opening the doors past the first detent (90 degrees open),
then opening fully.
To close the rear doors, close the driver side rear door
first. Then, close the passenger side rear door. Check to
make sure both doors
are completely closed.
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New Vehicle LLBreak-In”
-
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
e
e
e
0
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the
first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
See “Towing a Trailer” in the Index for
more information.
Ignition Positions
Your key lets you turn the ignition switch to five
different positions.
C
E
ACCESSORY (A): ACCESSORY lets you use things
like the radio, power windows and the windshield
wipers when the engine is off.
To get into
ACCESSORY, push in the key and turn it toward you.
Your steering wheel will remain locked, just as it was
before
you inserted the key.
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NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2.
3.
If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down for five
more
seconds, unless it starts sooner.
If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), wait
15 seconds and start over.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has
a
brake-transmission shift interlock. With the ignition in
the RUN position, you must fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P).
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you continue pressing the brake pedal.
Then move the shift lever into
the gear you want. See
“Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting into REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL
(N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
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r
I I - CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
1 dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift
out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine
is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
DRIVE
(D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and have more power.
You should use DRIVE (D) (or, as
you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer
to minimize heat build-up
and extend the life
of your transmission.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD
(3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want
to use
your brakes off and on. If you manually select
SECOND
(2), the transmission will drive in
SECOND
(2). You may use this feature for reducing
torque
to the rear wheels when you are trying to start
your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST(
l), the transmission
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
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NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your
rear brakes to overheat. You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle. Always check to
be sure your parking
brake
is fully released before you drive.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
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