warning GMC SAVANA 2020 Owner's Manual

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 201
Trailering Weight Ratings
When towing a trailer, the combined
weight of the vehicle, vehicle
contents, trailer, and trailer contents
must be below all of the maximum
weight ratings for the vehicle,
including:
.GCWR: Gross Combined Weight
Rating
. GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating
. Maximum Trailer Weight Rating
. GAWR-RR: Gross Axle Weight
Rating-Rear
. Maximum Trailer Tongue Weight
Rating
See “Weight-Distributing Hitch
Adjustment” underTowing
Equipment 0207 to determine if
equalizer bars are required to obtain
the maximum trailer weight rating. See
“Trailer Brakes” underTowing
Equipment 0207 to determine if
brakes are required based on your
trailer's weight.
The only way to be sure the weight
is not exceeding any of these
ratings is to weigh the tow vehicle
and trailer combination, fully loaded
for the trip, getting individual
weights for each of these items.
{Warning
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed if the trailer is too
heavy or the trailer brakes are
inadequate for the load. The
vehicle may be damaged, and the
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Only tow a trailer if all the steps in
this section have been followed.
Ask your dealer for advice and
information about towing a trailer.
Gross Combined Weight
Rating (GCWR)
GCWR is the total allowable weight
of the completely loaded vehicle
and trailer including any fuel,
passengers, cargo, equipment, and
accessories. Do not exceed the
GCWR for your vehicle. The GCWR
for the vehicle is on the Tow Rating
Chart following.
To check that the weight of the
vehicle and trailer are within the
GCWR for the vehicle, follow these
steps:
1. Start with the curb weight from the Tow Rating Chart.
2. Add the weight of the trailer loaded with cargo and ready
for the trip.
3. Add the weight of all passengers.
4. Add the weight of all cargo in the vehicle.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Driving and Operating 211
sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at
each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If equipped
with the Integrated Trailer Brake
Control (ITBC) system, and the
trailer has an electric brake system,
StabiliTrak/ESC may also apply the
trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak/
ESC warning light will flash on the
instrument cluster. Reduce vehicle
speed by gradually removing your
foot from the accelerator. If trailer
sway continues, StabiliTrak/ESC
can reduce engine torque to help
slow the vehicle. TSC will not
function if StabiliTrak/ESC is turned
off. SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0177.
{Warning
Trailer sway can result in a crash
and in serious injury or death,
even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC.
If the trailer begins to sway,
reduce vehicle speed by
gradually removing your foot from
the accelerator. Then pull over to
check the trailer and vehicle to
help correct possible causes,
including an improperly or
overloaded trailer, unrestrained
cargo, improper trailer hitch
configuration, or improperly
inflated or incorrect vehicle or
trailer tires. See Towing
Equipment 0207 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from
vehicle tires. Trailer tires are
designed with stiff sidewalls to help
prevent sway and to support heavy
loads. These features can make it
difficult to determine if the trailer tire
pressures are low only based on a
visual inspection.
Always check all trailer tire
pressures before each trip when the
tires are cool. Low trailer tire
pressure is a leading cause of trailer
tire blow-outs.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time.
The trailer tire sidewall will show the
week and year the tire was
manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend
replacing tires more than six
years old.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
212 Driving and Operating
Overloading is another leading
cause of trailer tire blow-outs. Never
load your trailer with more weight
than the tires are designed to
support. The load rating is located
on the trailer tire sidewall.
Always know the maximum speed
rating for the trailer tires before
driving. This may be significantly
lower than the vehicle tire speed
rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed
rating is not shown, the default
trailer tire speed rating is 105 km/h
(65 mph).Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 092.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 053 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 054.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 213
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 214
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 215
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 223
Automatic Transmission Fluid (6-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 224
Automatic Transmission Fluid (8-Speed Transmission) . . . . . 227
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 228
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . 235
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Battery - North America . . . . . . 239
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Noise Control System . . . . . . . . 240
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 241
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 242
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 243
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 243
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 244
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 244
Taillamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) . . . . . . . . . 246
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 247
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 247 Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 248
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Floor Console Fuse Block . . . . 252
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Dual Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 273

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
214 Vehicle Care
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 286
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
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
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, 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. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0239
and
Jump Starting - North America
0 286 and the back cover.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 215
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
electronic keys, may contain
perchlorate materials. Perchlorate
Material–special handling may
apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/
hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 054.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see
Publication Ordering Information
0 329.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
216 Vehicle Care
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, seeServicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 053.
If equipped with remote vehicle
start, open the hood before
performing any service work to
prevent remote starting the vehicle
accidentally. See Remote Vehicle
Start 012.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records 0315.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
{Warning
Turn the vehicle off before
opening the hood. If the engine is
running with the hood open, you
or others could be injured.
{Warning
Components under the hood can
get hot from running the engine.
To help avoid the risk of burning
unprotected skin, never touch
these components until they have
cooled, and always use a glove or
towel to avoid direct skin contact.
Clear any snow from the hood
before opening. To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release lever with the
isymbol. It is on the
lower left side of the instrument
panel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle and locate the secondary
release lever under the front
center of the hood. Push the
secondary hood release lever
upward to release.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 217
3. Lift the hood and release thehood prop rod from its retainer,
in the front of the engine
compartment. Securely insert
the rod end into the slot
marked with an arrow, on the
underside of the hood. To close the hood:
1. Before closing the hood, be sure all filler caps are on
properly, and all tools are
removed.
2. Lift the hood and remove the hood prop rod from the
underside of the hood. Return
the prop rod to its retainer. The
prop rod must click into place
when returning it to the retainer
to prevent hood damage.
3. Lower the hood 20 cm (8 in) above the vehicle and release
it. Check to make sure the
hood is latched completely.
Repeat this process with
additional force if necessary.
{Warning
Do not drive the vehicle if the
hood is not latched completely.
The hood could open fully, block
your vision, and cause a crash.
You or others could be injured.
Always close the hood completely
before driving.
Engine Compartment
Overview
For diesel engine vehicles, see the
Duramax diesel supplement.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 221
1.Battery - North America 0239.
2. Radiator Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0229.
3. Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling System 0229.
4. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (6-Speed
Transmission) 0224 or
Automatic Transmission Fluid
(8-Speed Transmission) 0227.
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0221.
6. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil 0221.
7. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 229.
8. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0228.
9. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power Steering
Fluid 0235. 10.
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0248.
11. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Brake Fluid
0 238.
12. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
0 236.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
. Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section. .
Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0223.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0217 for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13882574) -
2020 - CRC - 11/1/19
Vehicle Care 223
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
SeeRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0312.
Specification
Use full synthetic engine oils that
meet the dexos1 specification.
Engine oils that have been
approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked
with the dexos1 approved logo. See
www.gmdexos.com.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty. Viscosity Grade
Use SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade
engine oil.
Cold Temperature Operation: In an
area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below
−29 °C
(−20 °F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be
used. An oil of this viscosity grade
will provide easier cold starting for
the engine at extremely low
temperatures. When selecting an oil
of the appropriate viscosity grade, it
is recommended to select an oil of
the correct specification. See
“Specification” earlier in this section.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils meeting the
dexos1 specification are all that is
needed for good performance and
engine protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash or pouring it on the ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies of water. Recycle it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which