GMC 2003 Savana Van User manual

The
2003 GMC
Savana Owner Manual
m
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... I -I
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
RearSeats
............................................... 1-5
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-32
Air BagSystem
....................................... 1-63
Restraint SystemCheck
............................ 1-75
FeaturesandControls
..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
DoorsandLocks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................ 2-19
Mirrors .................................................... 2-32
Onstar@ System
...................................... 2-36
StorageAreas
...................................... 2-38
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-1 8
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-41
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-29
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-20
InstrumentPanel
............................................. 3-1
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-24
DrivingYourVehicle
....................................... 4-1
Service and Appearance Care
.......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
5-5
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-49
Rear Axle
............................................... 5-50
Front Axle ............................................... 5-51
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-54
Windshield WiperBladeReplacement
......... 5-59
Tires
...................................................... 5-60
AppearanceCare
..................................... 5-86
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-96
Electrical System
...................................... 5-97
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-1 03
.........................................................
Checking ThingsUnder the Hood ................. 5-9
Noise Control System
............................... 5-52
Normal MaintenanceReplacement Parts
.... 5-1 06
Maintenance Schedule
..................................... 6-1
MaintenanceSchedule
................................ 6-2
Customer AssistanceInformation
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
........................... 7-10
Index
1
................................................................

Canadian Owners
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the
GMC Truck Emblem and the name SAVANA are
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right
to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for GMC whenever it appears
in this
manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle,
so it will be
there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the
new owner can use it.
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit,
MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manualfrom beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together
to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual.
It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
Litho
in U.S.A. @Copyright General Motors Corporation 07/15/02
Part No.
X 2314 A First Edition All RightsReserved
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you
if you were to ignore the
warning.
-1 You will also find a circle
- -memean there is some ng that could hurt
I youorotherpeople.
I
I I
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell
you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
~ with a slash through it in
~ this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t: do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.’’

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTIONorNOTICE.
icle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describingthe operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage
or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator referencethe following
topics:
0 Seatsand Restraint Systems in Section 1
0 Features and Controls in Section 2
0 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
0 Climate Controls in Section 3
9 Warning Lights, Gagesand Indicators in Section 3
AudioSystem(s) in Section 3
0 EngineCompartmentOverview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
I
I CAUTION
POSSIBLE /3\
INJURY
PROTECT
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVO ID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR
FLAME \Ill4
COULD
EXPLODE
BAnERY
LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECTOCCUPANT
+
DONOTTWIST SAFETY
BELT WHENATACHING
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
MOVE SEAT
FULLY
\$!!
REARWARD+ /x
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
THEN SECURE
CHILD SEAT
POWER
WINDOW
a
DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
IN THISSEATING
POSITION
DO NOT INSTALLA
FORWARD-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
INTHIS SEATING
POSITION
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
LIGHTING
-
LAMPS P=-
RUNNING
DAYTIME
LAMPS
LAMPS
$0
CHARGING
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT
d
ENGINEOIL
PRESSURE
Wb
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
ENGINE
COOLANT
FAN
OWNER'S
MANUAL
SERVICE
MANUAL

Model Reference
This manual covers these models:
Passenger Van
Cargo Van
Cab
and Chassis
vi

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ...................................................... 1.2
Manual Seats
................................................ 1.2
Power Seat
................................................... 1.3
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1.3
Rear Seats
....................................................... 1.5
Rear Seat Operation
....................................... 1.5
Safety Belts
..................................................... 1-9
Safet Belts: They Arefor Ever one
................. 1-9
Ques
! Ions and Answers About 8 afety Belts ...... 1-1 3
How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly ................. 1-1 4
Driver Position .............................................. 1.14
SafetyBeltUse During Pregnancy
.................. 1-22
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1-23
CenterPassenger Position
(2nd Row)
................................................ 1-23
Center Passenger Position
(3rd,4th and 5thRow) ............................... 1.24
RearSeat Passengers
.................................. 1.25
and Small Adults ....................................... 1.28
Safety Belt Pretensioners
............................... 1.31
SafetyBeltExtender
..................................... 1.31
Child Restraints
............................................. 1-32
Older Children
.............................................. 1-32
Infants and Young Children
............................ 1.34
Child Restraint Systems
................................. 1-41
Where to Put the Restraint
............................. 1-44
RearSafetyBelt Comfort Guides for Children
Top Strap
.................................................... 1.48
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................. 1.50
........................... 1-51
LATCH System
......................................... 1-53
Seat Position 1-53
Position (2nd Row)
.................................... 1-56
Position (3rd,4th and 5th Row)
................... 1-56
Seat Position
............................................ 1-58
Air Bag System
.............................................. 1-63
Where Are the Air Bags?
............................... 1-66
When Should anAir Bag Inflate?
.................... 1-67
How Does an Air Ba Restrain?
..................... 1-69
What Will You See A
9 ter an Air Bag Inflates? ... 1-69
Servicin YourAir Ba -Equi ped Vehicle
......... 1-73
Adding
i! quipment to 4.x our lr Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
.................................................... 1-74
Checking Your Restraint Systems
................... 1-75
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash
...................................................... 1-76
esigned for the
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Securing a Child Restraint in
a Center Seat
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
............................................
What Makes anAir Bag Inflate? ..................... 1-68
Air Bag
Off Switch ........................................ 1-70
Restraint System Check
.................................. 1-75
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
The bucket seats can be adjusted forward or rearward
with the lever located at the front
of the seat.
To adjust the seat, pull the lever up to release the seal
bottom. Slide the seat to where you want it and then
release the lever. Try to move the seat with your body,
to make sure the seat is locked into place.
You can lose control
of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle
is not moving.
1-2

Power Seat
If your vehicle has a power seat on the driver’s or
passenger’s side, you can adjust it with these controls
located at the front center of the seat cushion.
To raise or lower the seat, move the center knob up or
down.
To move the seat forward or rearward, move
the center knob toward the right or left.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the front of the lever, which
is located on the inboard side of the seat cushion.
Move the seatback with your body and release the lever
to lock the seatback where you want it. Lean forward
and pull up on the front of the lever and the seatback will
go to an upright position.
To raise or lower the front of the seat cushion, move the
right lever up or down. To raise or lower the rear
of
the seat cushion, move the left lever up or down.
1 -3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
Sitting
in a reclined position when your vehicle
is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t
do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead,
it will be
in front ofyou. In a crash you could go into
it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen.The
belt forces would bethere, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in theseat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1 -4

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Removing the Rear Seat
There are two pins located on the inboard sides of the
rear seats. If the vehicle has floor mats, the pins
will be located under a flap that has been cut into the
mat.The driver’s side pin will have a black cap with
an
“L” marked on it and will look like this:
1. Disconnect the quick release latch plates for the lap
shoulder belts on the bench seat to be removed.
To
do this, press the tip of a key into the release
hole
of the safety belt buckle while pulling up on the
safety belt.
1 -5

The passenger’s side pin will have a white cap with an
“R” marked on it and will look like this:
2. Pull the pin handle up which will loosen the pin
from the retaining clip.
3. Once theblackor white pin is disengaged, pull the
4. Repeat this procedure for the pin on the other
pin completely out.
seat base.
5. Pull the seat rearward about two inches (5 cm) and
then lift the seat from the floor rails.
7. For the first rear seat,
stow the safety belt latch
by attaching the clip
on the safety belt latch
to
the trim just inside the
side door. For the
remaining rear seats,
stow the safety belt latch
plate on the clip at the
window trim.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
1 -6

Replacing the ear Seats
1.
2.
A seat thatisn’tlocked in1 placeproperlycan
move around in
a collision or sudden stop.
People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing
it.
3.
A safety belt that is improperly routed, . . - t
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed
in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising therear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed andattached, and are not twisted.
Position the seat into the open slots in both rails.
Push the seat forward in the rail, hooking both
seat bases onto the pins inside of the rails.
To install the locking pins at the rear of the seat
base, locate the hole in the rail for the pin. It is
found
on the inboard side of the seat. If the vehicle
has floor mats, pull the flap that has been cut
into the mat.
Insert the black or white locking pin into the seat
base. Possible slight seat pushing may be needed
to line up the pin with the base. Remember,
each pin has its own side. The pin with the white
handle marked “R” must be installed on the
passenger’s side and the pin with the black handle
marked
“L” on the driver’s side.

4. Push thepinwith the white handle marked “R”
down untilit is in the retaining clip.
5. Pushthepinwiththeblackhandlemarked “L”
down until it is in the retaining clip.
6. If the vehicle has a floor mat, put the flap back to
its original position.
7. Repeat this procedure for the other seat base.
8. Connect the quick-release latch plates for the
lap-shoulder belts by inserting the latch plates
into the buckles attached
at the outboard positions
of the bench seat. Do not twist the belt.
9. Check that both lockingpinsarelockedintoplace
before operating the vehicle.
1 -8

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
Don’t let anyv,,e ride whei, he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are
in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from
it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might notbe,
if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outsideof a vehicle.
In a
collision, people riding
in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle
that
is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle
is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
’ -9

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
on page 3-27.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says
to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
c
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-10

Put someone on it. Get
it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
1-1'

Zl-1

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be - whether you’re wearing a safety
belt
or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
1-13