GMC SAFARI 2003 User Guide

{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.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
1-5
2003 - Safari OM

Seatback Latches
The seatback lever is
located on the right rear of
your seat. To fold your
non-touring bench
seatback forward, pull up
on the latch release
lever while pulling the
seatback toward the rear
of the vehicle.After the latch has been released, push the seatback
toward the front of the vehicle until it locks into place. To
raise the seatback, unlock the seatback latch by
pushing up on the lever while pushing down on the
upper edge of the seatback. Move the seatback into the
upright position. Make sure the seatback is locked
when it is back in the upright position.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-6
2003 - Safari OM

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Removing the Rear Seats
To remove the rear seats, do the following:
1. If you are removing the
center seat, remove
the right lap-shoulder
belt. To do this,
press the tip of a key
into the release
hole of the safety belt
attachment while
pulling up on the
safety belt.2. If you have a safety
belt guide on your
seat, pull the safety belt
all the way out
through the guide.
3. To store the safety belt while the second row bench
seat is removed, pull the belt out and put both
buckles in the passenger’s side rear storage bin.
Route the belt out of the forward edge of the storage
bin. Close the cover to retain the belt.
4. Pull up on the seatback latch on the right rear of
the seat. Push the seatback down until it locks
into place.
1-7
2003 - Safari OM

5. Lift up on the left and the right seat release levers
at the same time. The latches are near the floor on
the rear legs of the seat.6. Lift up on the rear of the seat to remove the seat
assembly from the rear latch pins. Then, pull back
and lift the seat out of the vehicle.
Your seat release latch lever is operated with a
two-stage mechanism. To fully release the latch, two
levels of lift effort will be required. First, a low
effort to overcome the first stage and then a
moderate effort to fully release the latch.
1-8
2003 - Safari OM

Replacing the Rear Seats
1. Lower the seat into position. Make sure the front
retainers are hooked onto the anchor pins.2. Pull the seat down to latch the rear retainers. Make
sure the seat is locked in by pulling up and down
on the seat.
{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.
1-9
2003 - Safari OM

3. To raise the seatback, do the following:
3.1. Unlock the seatback latch by pulling up on
the latch release lever at the right rear of the
seat, while pushing down on the upper
edge of the seatback.
3.2. Move the seatback into the upright position.
Make sure the seatback is locked when it is
back in the upright position.
If you are replacing the center seat, connect the right
lap-shoulder belt to the attachment on the seat cushion.
If you have a safety belt guide on your seat, pull the
belt through the guide before reattaching the
lap-shoulder belt to the side of the seat. The release
hole should be facing outward.
If you installed the safety belt with the release hole
facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic cover
up so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the seat belt.
Slide the cover back down and reinstall the belt
correctly.
{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.
1-10
2003 - Safari OM

Bench Seat
Each bench seat can carry up to three passengers.
They can also be removed to increase storage space.
Only the rear bench seat can be adjusted forward
or rearward using the lever at the front of the seat.
Move the seat adjustment
lever located at the front of
the seat toward the
passenger’s side to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where
you want it. Then release
the lever and try to move
the seat with your body, to
make sure the seat is
locked into place.
The center bench seat has a pivoting right armrest.
The optional bench seats come with moveable armrests,
individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable headrests
and a fold-down center armrest console.To adjust your seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard side of the seat cushion.
1-11
2003 - Safari OM

If your vehicle has the
optional touring package,
your vehicle will have a
center console. To raise or
lower the center console,
press the button located
between the beverage
holders. Sit in the center
seating position only when
the console is in an upright
and locked position.
For details about headrests, seeHead Restraints on
page 1-5.Bucket Seats
Your vehicle may have rear bucket seats with an
adjustment release bar located under the front of the
seats. These seats can be adjusted forward or rearward
with the release bar. Pull the release bar up to release
the seat bottom. Slide the seat where you want it
and then let go of the release bar. Then try to move the
seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked
into place.
1-12
2003 - Safari OM

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
allowpeople 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.
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.
1-13
2003 - Safari OM

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.
1-14
2003 - Safari OM