GMC 2003 Savana Van Owner's Manual page 108

Shifting
...
to a drive gear
v
__..
le -Jr engine is
"racing'' (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects.
Notice: Damage to your transmission caused by
shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with
the engine racing isn't covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If
you need more power for passing, and you're:
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h)
or
more, push the
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3)
when carrying a heavy load or driving on steep hills.
You should use THIRD (3) (or, as you need to, a lower
gear) when towing a trailer to minimize heat build-up
and extend the life of your transmission.
SECOND
( 2 ) :
This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off and on. If you
manually select SECOND (2), the transmission will drive
in SECOND (2). You may use this feature for reducing
torque
to
the rear wheels when you are trying
to
start your vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST ( I ) , the transmission
won't shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
Notice: If your wheels won't turn, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud o r
were up against a solid object. You
could damage your transmission. Also, if you
stop when going uphill, don't hold your vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat
and damage the transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
2-25