GMC SAVANA 2006 Service Manual

Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by appropriate
restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s
adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice.
Instead, they need to use a child restraint.{CAUTION:
People should never hold a baby in their arms
while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not
weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a
baby will become so heavy it is not possible to
hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph
(40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly
become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s
arms. A baby should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
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{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system
nor its airbag system is designed for them.
Young children and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint, state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
1-36

{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This is
necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is
weak and its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the
crash forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and
shoulders. Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
1-37

Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous flat
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the
seating surface against the back of the infant. The
harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash,
acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint.
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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner,
and some high-back booster seats have a five-point
harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see
out the window.
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Q:How Should I Use a Child Restraint?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle’s owner. To help reduce
injuries, an add-on child restraint must be secured
in the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child
restraints, the child has to be secured within the
child restraint.
When choosing an add-on child restraint, be sure
the child restraint is designed to be used in a
vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it
meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Then
follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both.
Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child restraint is not properly
secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child
restraint is properly installed in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH
system, following the instructions that came
with that restraint, and also the instructions in
this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint
must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems
must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH
system. SeeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 1-44for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle.
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When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the
instructions that come with the restraint which may be on
the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this
manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so
if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy
from the manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child
is in it.
Securing the Child Within the Child
Restraint
There are several systems for securing the child within
the child restraint. One system, the three-point
harness, has straps that come down over each of the
infant’s shoulders and buckle together at the crotch. The
five-point harness system has two shoulder straps,
two hip straps, and a crotch strap. A shield may take the
place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder
straps that are attached to a flat pad which rests
low against the child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type
shield has straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like
shield that swings up or to the side.
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in a
crash if the child is not properly secured in the
child restraint. Make sure the child is properly
secured, following the instructions that came
with that restraint.
Because there are different systems, it is important to
refer to the instructions that come with the restraint.
A child can be endangered in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child restraint.
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Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors recommends that child restraints
be secured in a rear seat including an infant riding in a
rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing
child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat.
Never put a child in a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger seat unless your vehicle has
the passenger sensing system or an airbag off
switch and the passenger airbag status indicator or the
airbag off light shows off. Never put a rear facing
child restraint in the right front passenger seat unless
the airbag is off.
If your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint, there is a label on your
sun visor that says,″Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.″This is because the risk to the rear-facing
child is so great, if the airbag deploys.{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system or
the airbag off switch is designed to turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag if the
system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is turned
off. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if
the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back as it will
go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
1-42

If your vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, never put a
child in a rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger seat the unless passenger airbag status
indicator shows off. Never put a rear facing child
restraint in the right front passenger seat unless the
airbag is off. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag. Be
sure the airbag is off before using a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front seat position.
Even though the passenger sensing system or
the airbag off switch is designed to turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag if the
system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under some
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
unusual circumstance, even though it is turned
off. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be transported in vehicles with a
rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back as it will
go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system or the
airbag off switch and you need to secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat,
the passenger’s frontal airbag must be off. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-74,Airbag Off
Switch on page 1-71,Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position (With Passenger Sensing
System) on page 1-56orSecuring a Child Restraint
in the Right Front Seat Position (With Airbag Off Switch)
on page 1-60for more on this including important
safety information.
1-43

Wherever you install a child restraint, be sure to secure
the child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child
is in it.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)
Your vehicle has the LATCH system. The LATCH
system holds a child restraint during driving or in a
crash. This system is designed to make installation of a
child restraint easier. The LATCH system uses
anchors in the vehicle and attachments on the child
restraint that are made for use with the LATCH system
Make sure that a LATCH-compatible child restraint
is properly installed using the anchors, or use
the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that came with that
restraint, and also the instructions in this manual.When installing a child restraint with a top tether, you
must also use either the lower anchors or the safety
belts to properly secure the child restraint. A child
restraint must never be installed using only the top tether
strap and anchor.
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you
need a child restraint equipped with LATCH
attachments. The child restraint manufacturer will
provide you with instructions on how to use the child
restraint and its attachments. The following explains how
to attach a child restraint with these attachments in
your vehicle.
Your vehicle has lower anchors and top tether anchors.
Your child restraint may have lower attachments and
a top tether.
Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints have
lower anchors and attachments or top tether anchors
and attachments.
1-44