ECU GMC SAVANA 2008 Owner's Guide

If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-39for how to install your child restraint using
LATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety
belt and it uses a top tether, seeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-39for
top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a
top tether anchor if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions
that come with the child restraint say that the top
strap must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing
child restraints have a top tether, and that the
tether be attached.You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the forward-facing child restraint.
If you have no other choice but to install a
rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make
sure the airbag is off once the child restraint
has been installed.
When the airbag off switch has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the airbag off light should light and
stay lit when you start the vehicle. SeeAirbag
Off Light on page 3-28.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and
shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show you how.
1-54

6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten
the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. If you are using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the
child restraint as you tighten the belt.7. If your vehicle does not have a rear seat and your
child restraint has a top tether, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding
the use of the top tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-39for
more information.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. If the top
tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it.
If you had turned the airbag off with the switch,
remember to be sure to use the airbag off switch
to turn on the right front passenger’s airbag when
you remove the child restraint from the vehicle unless
the person who will be sitting there is a member of
a passenger airbag risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-66.
1-56

{CAUTION:
Airbags inate with great force, faster than
the blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it inates
can be seriously injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the airbag, as you
would be if you were sitting on the edge of
your seat or leaning forward. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during
a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with airbags. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control
of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep
against the door or side windows in seating
positions with roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION:
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the
best protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always secure children
properly in your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 1-29orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-32.
There is an airbag
readiness light on
the instrument panel,
which shows the
airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-27
for more information.
1-59

For passenger vans with a sliding door, on the
passenger’s side of the vehicle, you will have a separate
roof-rail airbag for the passenger seated directly behind
the right front passenger and the third row outboard
passenger position.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear.
Do not put anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel hub or on
or near any other airbag covering.
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle
by routing the rope or tie down through any
door or window opening. If you do, the path
of an inating roof-rail airbag will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce
the potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s
or right front passenger’s head and chest. However,
they are only designed to inflate if the impact exceeds
a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash
is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and
help restrain the occupants.
Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds.
For example:
•If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inflate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
•If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than
if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
1-62

The airbag off light will come on to let you know that
the right front passenger’s airbag is off. The airbag
off light will stay on to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeeAirbag Off Light on page 3-28. The airbag off
light will stay on to remind you that the airbag is off.
The right front passenger’s airbag will remain off
until you turn it back on again.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the airbag, it means
that something may be wrong with the airbag
system. The right front passenger’s airbag
could inate even though the switch is off.
If this ever happens, do not let anyone whom
the national government has identied as a
member of a passenger airbag risk group
sit in the right front passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger’s seat)
until you have your vehicle serviced. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-27for
additional information.To turn the right front passenger’s airbag on again, insert
your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the on position. The right front passenger’s
frontal airbag is now enabled (may inflate). SeeAirbag
Off Light on page 3-28or more information. United States
Canada
1-68

Passenger Sensing System
If your instrument panel has one of the indicators
pictured in the following illustrations, your vehicle
has a passenger sensing system unless there is an
airbag off switch located on the instrument panel.
If there is an airbag off switch, your vehicle does not
have a passenger sensing system. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-66for more information.
The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible
on the instrument panel when you start your vehicle.The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off, will
be visible during the system check. When the system
check is complete, either the word ON or the word OFF,
or the symbol for on or the symbol for off, will be visible.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbags are not part of the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger’s seat. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts. United States
Canada
1-69

A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing
child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and
no one can guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual circumstance,
even though it is turned off. We recommend
that rear-facing child restraints be secured
in a rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.If your vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, we
recommend that rear-facing child restraints not be
transported in your vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if:•The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
•The system determines that an infant is present
in a rear-facing infant seat.
•The system determines that a small child is present
in a child restraint.
•The system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat.
•A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
•The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
•Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30.
1-70

If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint
following the child restraint manufacturer’s directions
and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position (With Passenger Sensing System)
in the Index.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the
child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens,
slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust
the seat cushion if possible.
Remove any additional material from the seat such
as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle,
and check with your dealer/retailer. If no rear seat is
available, do not install a child restraint in this vehicle,
and check with your dealer/retailer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inflate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a person of adult size
is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s seat.When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the airbag is active.
For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag, depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off, remove any
additional material from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers
and ask the person to place the seatback in the fully
upright position, then sit upright in the seat, centered
on the seat cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably
extended.
1-71

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts
of the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner
or pillar garnish trim, front sensors, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle may have a passenger
sensing system for the right front passenger’s
position, which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger’s seat. The passenger sensing
system may not operate properly if the original
seat trim is replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with GM covers, upholstery
or trim designed for a different vehicle. Any object,
such as an aftermarket seat heater or a comfort
enhancing pad or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also interfere with the
operation of the passenger sensing system.This could either prevent proper deployment of
the passenger airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-69.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modied. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and the service manual
have information about the location of the airbag sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module and airbag wiring.
1-74

Keys...............................................................2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-4
Doors and Locks.............................................2-6
Door Locks....................................................2-6
Power Door Locks..........................................2-6
Cargo Door Relocking.....................................2-7
Delayed Locking.............................................2-7
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-7
Automatic Door Lock.......................................2-8
Automatic Door Unlock....................................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-8
Lockout Protection..........................................2-9
Sliding Side Door...........................................2-9
60/40 Swing-Out Side Door............................2-10
Rear Doors..................................................2-12
Windows........................................................2-13
Manual Windows..........................................2-13
Power Windows............................................2-14
Swing-Out Windows......................................2-15
Enhanced Technology Glass..........................2-16
Sun Visors...................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-16
PASS-Key
®III+............................................2-16
PASS-Key®III+ Operation..............................2-17Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-18
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-18
Ignition Positions..........................................2-19
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-20
Starting the Engine.......................................2-20
Fuel Regulator.............................................2-21
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-21
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-22
Tow/Haul Mode............................................2-25
Parking Brake..............................................2-26
Shifting Into PARK (P)...................................2-27
Shifting Out of PARK (P)...............................2-29
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-29
Engine Exhaust............................................2-30
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-31
Mirrors...........................................................2-32
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-32
Outside Manual Mirror...................................2-32
Outside Camper-Type Mirrors.........................2-32
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-33
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-33
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-34
Storage Areas................................................2-34
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1