service indicator GMC SAVANA PASSENGER 2011 Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
2011 GMC Savana Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1 Instruments and Controls
. . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-40
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26 Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-59
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-88
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-3
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-7
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10

Black plate (4,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Dangerindicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning orCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury or
death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see the owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

Black plate (39,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-39
.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 frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is off.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑19. The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inflate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front
passenger 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
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt
properly
—whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑16 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.

Black plate (41,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-41
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑42 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates. The on indicator may be lit if an
object, such as a briefcase,
handbag, grocery bag, laptop or
other electronic device, is put on an
unoccupied seat. If this is not
desired remove the object from
the seat.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑12.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.

Black plate (1,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Engine Oil Pressure
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Voltmeter Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-16
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-16
Airbag On-Off Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-20
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Tow/Haul Mode Light . . . . . . . . 5-24
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light . . . 5-24
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-25
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-32
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-35
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-35
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-36
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-37
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-38
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-39
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-40

Black plate (15,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
It also provides an indicator of how
hard the vehicle is working. During a
majority of the operation, the gauge
wil read 100°C (210°F) or less. If the
vehicle is pulling a load or going up
hills, it is normal for the temperature
to fluctuate and approach the 122°C
(250°F) mark. If the gauge reaches
the 125°C (260°F) mark, it indicates
that the cooling system is working
beyond its capacity. See
Engine Overheating on
page 10‑24.
Voltmeter Gauge
When the engine is not running, but
the ignition is on, this gauge shows
the battery's state of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the
gauge shows the condition of the
charging system. Readings between
the low and high warning zones
indicate the normal operating range. Readings in the low warning zone
may occur when a large number of
electrical accessories are operating
in the vehicle and the engine is left
at an idle for an extended period.
This condition is normal since the
charging system is not able to
provide full power at engine idle. As
engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as
higher engine speeds allow the
charging system to create maximum
power.
The vehicle can be only driven for a
short time with the reading in either
warning zone. If it must be driven,
turn off all unnecessary
accessories.
Readings in either warning zone
indicate a possible problem in the
electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.

Black plate (17,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
The airbag readiness light flashes
for a few seconds when the engine
is started. If the light does not come
on then, have it fixed immediately.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.For vehicles with a remote start, the
airbag readiness light will stay on
until the driver places the ignition
switch to the ON/RUN position.
If there is a problem with the airbag
system, an airbag Driver Information
Center (DIC) message can also
come on. See
Airbag System
Messages on page 5‑37 for more
information.
Airbag On-Off Light
When the right front passenger
airbag is manually turned off using
the airbag on-off switch on the
instrument panel, if equipped, the
indicator light OFF or the off symbol
will come on and stay on as a
reminder that the airbag has been
turned off. This light will go off when
the airbag has been turned on. See
Airbag On-Off Switch on page 3‑33
for more information, including
important safety information.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the instrument
panel will have a passenger airbag
status indicator. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑37 for
important safety information.
United States
Canada and Mexico When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. If you are using
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle from a distance, you may
not see the system check. Then,
after several more seconds, the
status indicator will light either ON
or OFF, or either the on or off
symbol to let you know the status of
the right front passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag is
enabled, and may inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the airbag status indicator, it
means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag. If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑16 for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the
engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. A charging system
message in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) can also appear. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑32for moreinformation. This light could indicate
that there are problems with a
generator drive belt, or that there is
an electrical problem. Have it
checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2011
5-24 Instruments and Controls
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑23.
Tow/Haul Mode Light
For vehicles with the Tow/Haul
Mode feature, this light comes on
when the Tow/Haul Mode has been
activated.
For more information, see Tow/Haul
Mode on page 9‑34.
StabiliTrak®Indicator
Light
For vehicles with the StabiliTrak®
system, this light comes on or
flashes.
For more information, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑37.
Three chimes sound if the light turns
on and one chime if the light
turns off.
If this light remains on steady, the
vehicle needs to be taken in for
service.