GMC ACADIA 2008 Owner's Guide
Manufacturer: GMC, Model Year: 2008, Model line: ACADIA, Model: GMC ACADIA 2008Pages: 472, PDF Size: 5.72 MB
Page 31 of 472
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest.
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Page 32 of 472
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you
would not be restrained by the shoulder belt.
Your body could move too far forward
increasing the chance of head and neck injury.
You might also slide under the lap belt. The
belt force would then be applied right on the
abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest.
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Page 33 of 472
Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you would not have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can work
properly, or ask your dealer/retailer to x it.
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Page 34 of 472
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating position with a detachable
safety belt and the safety belt is not attached, see
Third Row Seats on page 1-13for instruction on
reconnecting the safety belt to the mini-buckle.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the
Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
4. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-36.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
5. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section.
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Page 35 of 472
6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull the stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the
lap belt on smaller occupants.
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The
belt should go back out of the way. When the safety
belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up the safety belt
webbing. The latch plate should rest on the stitching
on the safety belt, near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before you close a door, be sure the belt is out of
the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and your vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Your vehicle has shoulder belt height adjusters for the
driver and right front passenger.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder. Incorrect positioning of the shoulder belt
can reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt.
To move it down, push
down on the button (A)
and move the height
adjuster to the desired
position. You can move the
height adjuster up by
pushing up on the shoulder
belt guide.
After you move the height adjuster to where you want it,
try to move it down without pushing the button down
to make sure it has locked into position.
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Page 36 of 472
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash if
the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation
are met. And, for vehicles that have side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety
belts in a side crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-78.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.There is a guide for each outboard passenger position
in the second row seat and all passenger positions
in the third row. Here is how to install a comfort guide to
the safety belt:
1. For the outboard positions, remove the guide from
its storage clip on the interior body.Outboard Positions
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Page 37 of 472
For the third row center position, locate the comfort
guide which is located in a storage pocket, at
the top of the seat, under the headrest on the
driver’s side of the vehicle. To access the comfort
guide, you will rst need to move the headrest
forward by pulling on the handle behind the
seatback. The comfort guide will now be accessible.
Pull the comfort guide out
of its storage location and
then return the headrest
to its upright position.
The elastic cord on the comfort guide is adjustable.
You can make it longer or shorter by squeezing
both ends of the plastic adjuster.2. Place the guide over the belt, and insert the two
edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
Third Row Center
Position
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