tires GMC SAVANA 2012 Owner's Guide

Black plate (46,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
9-46 Driving and Operating
For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, seeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑89. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑90.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
Pulling a Trailer
Here are some important points:
.There are many different laws,
including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering.
Make sure the rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also
where you will be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or
provincial police.
.Consider using a sway control.
See “Hitches” inTowing
Equipment on page 9‑55.
.Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 800 km (500 mi) the new
vehicle is driven. The engine,
axle or other parts could be
damaged.
.Then, during the first 800 km
(500 mi) that a trailer is towed,
do not drive over 80 km/h
(50 mph) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of the
vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
.Vehicles with an automatic
transmissions can tow in
D (Drive). Shift the transmission
to a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer.
.The weight of the trailer tongue.
.The weight on the vehicle's tires.
Also see “Tow/Haul Mode” later in
this section for information about the
Tow/Haul button and the Tow/Haul
indicator light.

Black plate (47,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-47
Driving with a Trailer
{WARNING
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
To maximize safety when towing
a trailer:
.Have the exhaust system
inspected for leaks and make
necessary repairs before
starting a trip.
.Never drive with the liftgate,
trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window open.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24. Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Get to know
the rig before setting out for the
open road. Get acquainted with the
feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And
always keep in mind that the vehicle
you are driving is now longer and
not as responsive as the vehicle is
by itself.
Before starting, check all trailer
hitch parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustments. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start the
vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by
hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This checks the electrical
connection at the same time.
During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.

Black plate (55,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Driving and Operating 9-55
Total Weight on the Vehicle's
Tires
Be sure the vehicle tires are inflated
to the upper limit for cold tires.
These numbers can be found on the
Certification label at the rear edge of
the driver door, or seeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑10. Make sure not
to go over the GVW limit for the
vehicle, or the GAWR, including the
weight of the trailer tongue. If using
a weight distributing hitch, make
sure not to go over the rear axle
limit before applying the weight
distribution spring bars.
Towing Equipment
Hitches
It is important to have the correct
hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by and rough roads are
a few reasons why the right hitch is
needed.
Weight‐Distributing Hitches
and Weight Carrying Hitches
A. Body to Ground Distance
B. Front of Vehicle
When using a weight-distributing
hitch, the hitch must be adjusted so
the distance (A) remains the same
both before and after coupling the
trailer to the tow vehicle. If a step-bumper hitch will be used,
the bumper could be damaged in
sharp turns. Make sure there
is ample room when turning to avoid
contact between the trailer and the
bumper.
If the loaded trailer being pulled
will weigh more than 2 270 kg
(5,000 lbs), be sure to use a
properly mounted weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper
size. This equipment is very
important for proper vehicle loading
and good handling when driving.
Always use a sway control if the
trailer will weigh more than these
limits. Ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
Will any holes need to be made in
the body of the vehicle when a
trailer hitch is installed?

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid (4-Speed Transmission) . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-17
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-23 Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Noise Control System . . . . . . 10-32
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-34
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-35
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Front Turn Signal,Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . 10-41
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-41
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-51
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . 10-65

Black plate (2,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
10-2 Vehicle Care
When It Is Time for NewTires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-70
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-71
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-82
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . 10-84
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 10-89
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
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
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause 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.

Black plate (27,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Vehicle Care 10-27
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
10-50 Vehicle Care
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. SeeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑10.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.

Black plate (51,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
Vehicle Care 10-51
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into the sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle and light
truck tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire
(A) 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.
(B) 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.
(C) 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. (D) 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.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to
grade tires based on three
performance factors: treadwear,
traction, and temperature
resistance. For more
information, see Uniform Tire
Quality Grading on page 10‑68.

Black plate (52,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
10-52 Vehicle Care
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load. For
information on recommended
tire pressure see Tire Pressure
on page 10‑57 andVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑10.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire
(A) 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.
(B) 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. This does not apply
to Goodyear LT225/75R16 G949
RSA and Goodyear LT225/
75R16 G933 RSD commercial
truck tires.
(C) 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 on page 9‑10
and
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑10.
(D) 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.
(E) 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.
(F) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.

Black plate (54,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
10-54 Vehicle Care
(B) Tire Width:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 75, as shown in
item C 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.
(D) 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; and the letter B
means belted‐bias ply
construction. (E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Load Range
:Load Range.
(G) 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. This
does not apply to Goodyear
LT225/75R16 G949 RSA and
Goodyear LT225/75R16 G933
RSD commercial truck tires; see
the dual tire and single tire
maximum load and load range
letter designations on the tire
sidewall.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between
the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.