GMC 2003 Savana User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-10
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-33
Air Bag System ....................................... 1-65
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-77
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-20
Mirrors .................................................... 2-32
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-36
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-38
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-17
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-22
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-40
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-29
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9
All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-50
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-51
Front Axle ............................................... 5-52
Noise Control System ............................... 5-53
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-59
Tires ...................................................... 5-60
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-88
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-96
Electrical System ...................................... 5-97
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-102
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-105
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index .................................................................1
2003 GMC Savana Owner Manual M

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.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. X 2314 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 07/15/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
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 manual from 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 will 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 is an alphabetical list of what
is in the manual, and the page number where you will
find it.
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.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
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.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
iii

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, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the 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, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
v

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

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Power Seat ...................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Rear Seats .......................................................1-6
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-6
Safety Belts ...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15
Driver Position ..............................................1-15
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-24
Center Passenger Position
(2nd Row) ................................................1-24
Center Passenger Position
(3rd, 4th and 5th Row) ...............................1-25
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-26
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-30
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-32
Child Restraints .............................................1-33
Older Children ..............................................1-33
Infants and Young Children ............................1-35
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-42
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-45
Top Strap ....................................................1-49
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-50
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-52
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position ............................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position (2nd Row) ....................................1-57
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat
Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row) ...................1-58
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-60
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Air Bag System ..............................................1-65
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-68
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-69
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-70
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-71
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? ...1-71
Air Bag Off Switch ........................................1-72
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-75
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-76
Restraint System Check ..................................1-77
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-77
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-78
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

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 seat
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.
{CAUTION:
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.
1-3

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.
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.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the front of the lever, which
is located on the inboard side of the seat cushion.
1-4

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.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
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 of you. 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 be there, 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 the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-5

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Removing the Rear Seat
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.
•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:
•The passenger’s side pin will have a white cap
with an “R” marked on it and will look like this:
1-6

2. Pull the pin handle up which will loosen the pin
from the retaining clip.
3. Once the black or white pin is disengaged, pull the
pin completely out.
4. Repeat this procedure for the pin on the other seat
base.
5. Pull the seat rearward about two inches (5 cm) and
then lift the seat from the floor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
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.
1-7

Replacing the Rear Seats
{CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
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.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 the pin with the white handle marked “R”
down until it is in the retaining clip.
1-8

5. Push the pin with the black handle marked “R”
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 locking pins are locked into place
before operating the vehicle.
1-9

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.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where 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 not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of 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.
1-10

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-25
.
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.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-11

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-12

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-13

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.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
1-14