automatic transmission GMC SAVANA PASSENGER 2016 Owners Manual

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0162.
2. Driver Information Center (DIC) Buttons (Out of View). See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) 0106.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change
Signals 0126.
Windshield Wiper/Washer 088.
4. Horn 088.
5. Hazard Warning
Flashers 0126.
6. Instrument Cluster 094.
7. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0182.
Manual Mode 0185 (If
Equipped).
8. Climate Control
Systems 0157.
9. Infotainment 0130.
10. Power Outlets 091.
11. USB Port (If Equipped). See Auxiliary Devices 0144. 12. Power Outlet 110 Volt
Alternating Current. See Power
Outlets 091.
13. Rear Heating System 0159 (If
Equipped).
14. Passenger Airbag On-Off Switch (If Equipped). See
Airbag On-Off Switch 061.
15. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0188 (If
Equipped).
16. Tow/Haul Mode Button (If Equipped). See Tow/Haul
Mode 0186.
17. Steering Wheel Controls 087
(If Equipped).
18. Steering Wheel Adjustment
087 (Out of View), (If
Equipped).
19. Hood Release. See Hood 0215.
20. Cruise Control 0190 (If
Equipped).
Fast Idle System 0177 (If
Equipped).
21. Parking Brake 0188. 22. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0100.
23. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0127.
Dome Lamp Override. See
Dome Lamps 0127.
24. Exterior Lamp Controls 0123.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Instruments and Controls 117
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
If the vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays if a part on the
system is not working properly. The
tire pressure light also flashes and
then remains on during the same
ignition cycle. SeeTire Pressure
Light 0104. Several conditions may
cause this message to appear. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
0 259 for more information. If the
warning comes on and stays on,
there may be a problem with the
TPMS. See your dealer.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
If the vehicle has the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the system
is re-learning the tire positions on
the vehicle. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) 0106 for more
information. The tire positions must
be re-learned after rotating the tires
or after replacing a tire or sensor. See
Tire Inspection 0262, Tire
Rotation 0262, Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation 0259, and Tire
Pressure 0256 for more
information.
Transmission Messages
GRADE BRAKING DISABLED
This message displays when the
grade braking has been disabled
with the Tow/Haul Mode button on
the end of the shift lever. See Tow/
Haul Mode 0186, Automatic
Transmission 0182, and Cruise
Control 0190.
GRADE BRAKING ENABLED
This message displays when the
grade braking has been enabled
with the Tow/Haul Mode button on
the end of the shift lever. See Tow/
Haul Mode 0186, Automatic
Transmission 0182, and Cruise
Control 0190.
GRADE BRAKING ON
This message displays when the
grade braking has been activated
while driving on downhill grades.
This message will only appear the
first time the feature is activated in
an ignition cycle. See Tow/Haul
Mode 0186, Automatic
Transmission 0182, and Cruise
Control 0190.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays when there
is a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer for service.
TRANSMISSION HOT IDLE
ENGINE
Caution
Do not drive the vehicle while the
transmission fluid is overheating,
or the transmission can be
damaged. This could lead to
costly repairs that would not be
covered by the warranty.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
118 Instruments and Controls
This message displays along with a
chime if the transmission fluid in the
vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears and the chime
stops when the fluid temperature
reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold
enough to create icy road
conditions. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
Vehicle
Personalization
This vehicle may have
customization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to
one preferred setting. Customization
features can only be programmed to
one setting on the vehicle and
cannot be programmed to a
preferred setting for two different
drivers.
All of the customization options may
not be available on your vehicle.
Only the options available will be
displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the
customization features were set
when the vehicle left the factory, but
may have been changed from their
default state since then.
The customization preferences are
automatically recalled.
To change customization
preferences, use the following
procedure.
Entering the Feature
Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and placethe vehicle in P (Park).
To avoid excessive drain on
the battery, it is recommended
that the headlamps are
turned off.
2. Press
Uto enter the feature
settings menu.
If the menu is not available,
FEATURE SETTINGS
AVAILABLE IN PARK will
display. Before entering the
menu, make sure the vehicle is
in P (Park).
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization
features that allow you to program
settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a
language other than English has
been set. This feature allows you to
change the language in which the
DIC messages appear to English.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
124 Lighting
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime
sounds when the headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned
on and the key is out of the ignition.
To turn off the chime, turn the
headlamp switch to
Oor AUTO and
then back on, or close and re‐open
the door. In the auto mode, the
headlamps turn off once the ignition
is in LOCK/OFF or may remain on
until the headlamp delay ends,
if enabled in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See “Exit Lighting”
under Vehicle
Personalization 0118.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer) : Pull the turn signal lever
all the way toward you to change
the headlamps from low to high
beam. Then release it.
This instrument cluster light comes
on when the high-beam headlamps
are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature is used to signal to the
vehicle ahead that you want
to pass.
If the headlamps are off or in the
low‐beam position, pull the turn
signal lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beams.
Release the lever to turn the
high-beam headlamps off.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada. The DRL system comes on in
daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO position.
. The shift lever is not in P (Park).
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights,
and other lamps will not be on.
The automatic headlamp system
automatically switches from DRL to
the headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release
it. For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the transmission must be in the
P (Park) position, before the DRL
can be turned off.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Lighting 125
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the headlamp switch is in AUTO,
the automatic headlamp system
turns on the headlamps, along with
the taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
parking lamps, and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will
also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp
system, turn the exterior lamp
control to the off position and then
release. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the transmission must be
in the P (Park) position, before the
automatic headlamp system can be
turned off.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
the top of the instrument panel. Do
not cover the sensor; otherwise the
system will come on whenever the
ignition is on.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic
headlamp system so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead
street lights does not affect the
system. The DRL and automatic
headlamp system are only affected
when the light sensor sees a
change in lighting lasting longer
than the delay.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes approximately 30 seconds
for the automatic headlamp system
to change to DRL if it is light
outside. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be asbright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control
is in the full bright position. See
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
0127.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Driving and Operating 163
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 167
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 168
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 169
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 174
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fast Idle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 182
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 193
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 198
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
Driving and Operating 175
This position locks the ignition and
transmission.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF. On
vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever
must be in P (Park) to turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK/
OFF position. 4. Set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0188.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Caution
Using a tool to force the key to
turn in the ignition could cause
damage to the switch or break the
key. Use the correct key, make
sure it is all the way in, and turn it
only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer. 1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) :
This is the
position in which you can operate
things like the radio and the
windshield wipers when the engine
is off.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
3 (START) : This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
180 Driving and Operating
first pulling it toward you. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle can put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. It might be difficult to
pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called torque lock. To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver
seat. To find out how, seeShifting
Into Park 0179.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you might
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission. Then you
should be able to pull the shift lever
out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply the
brakes before you can shift from
P (Park) when the ignition is in ON/
RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY. See
Automatic Transmission 0182.
The shift lock control system is
designed to:
. Prevent the ignition key from
being removed unless the shift
lever is in P (Park).
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park), unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular
brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock control system is
always functional except in the case
of a dead battery or low voltage
(less than 9 V) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0279. To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still are unable to shift out of
P (Park): 1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park).
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, have the vehicle serviced.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
182 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
SeeShifting Into Park 0179 and
Engine Exhaust 0181.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0201.
Automatic
Transmission
A shift position indicator is in the
instrument cluster.
There are several different positions
for the shift lever.
See “Range Selection Mode” under
Manual Mode 0185.
P : This position locks the rear
wheels. It is the best position to use
when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
When parked on a hill, especially
when the vehicle has a heavy load,
you might notice an increase in the
effort to shift out of P (Park). See
“Torque Lock” underShifting Into
Park 0179.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0179 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0201.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
(Continued)

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9159232) -
2016 - crc - 11/11/15
184 Driving and Operating
In some cases, this could appear to
be a delayed shift, however the
transmission is operating normally.
The transmission uses adaptive
shift controls. Adaptive shift controls
continually compare key shift
parameters to pre-programmed
ideal shifts stored in the
transmission’s computer. The
transmission constantly makes
adjustments to improve vehicle
performance according to how the
vehicle is being used, such as with
a heavy load or when the
temperature changes. During this
adaptive shift control process,
shifting might feel different as the
transmission determines the best
settings.
The shift quality of a new vehicle
may not be ideal because the
adaptive shift control process may
not have determined the best
settings for a particular shift or
condition. Shift quality will improve
with continued driving.
When temperatures are very cold,
the transmission's gear shifting
could be delayed, providing morestable shifts until the engine warms
up. Shifts could be more noticeable
with a cold transmission. This
difference in shifting is normal.
M :
This position lets drivers select
the range of gears appropriate for
current driving conditions. If the
vehicle has this feature, see “Range
Selection Mode” underManual
Mode 0185.
3 : This position is also used for
normal driving. It reduces vehicle
speed more than D (Drive) without
using the brakes. You might choose
3 (Third) instead of D (Drive) when
driving on hilly, winding roads; when
towing a trailer, so there is less
shifting between gears; and when
going down a steep hill. See “Range
Selection Mode” underManual
Mode 0185.
2 : This position reduces vehicle
speed even more than 3 (Third)
without using the brakes. You can
use 2 (Second) on hills. It can help
control vehicle speed as you go
down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use the brakes off and on. See
“Range
Selection Mode” underManual
Mode 0185.
If you manually select 2 (Second) in
an automatic transmission, the
transmission will start in
second gear. You can use this
feature for reducing the speed of the
rear wheels when trying to start the
vehicle from a stop on slippery road
surfaces.
1 : This position reduces vehicle
speed without using the brakes.
You can use it for major/severe
downgrades where the vehicle
would otherwise accelerate due to
steepness of grade. When you shift
to 1 (First) it provides the lowest
gear appropriate to current road
speed and continues to downshift
as the vehicle slows, eventually
downshifting to 1 (First) gear. The
transmission can be held in 1 (First)
gear using Range Selection Mode
or the shift lever. See “Range
Selection Mode” underManual
Mode 0185.