GMC SAVANA 2008 Owner's Guide

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is
too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the
lap belt and apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries.
The lap belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not on the
pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your belt
into the buckle nearest you.
1-18

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is over an armrest.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes
over an armrest like this. The belt would be
much too high. In a crash, you can slide under
the belt. The belt force would then be applied
on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones,
and that could cause serious or fatal injuries.
Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.
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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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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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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.
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, seeRear Seat Operation on page 1-6for
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.
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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.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-28.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.4. 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.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the
safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten
the lap belt on smaller occupants.
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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 Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for
the driver and right front passenger position.
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. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in
a crash.
To move it down, pull on
the center adjuster control
labeled PULL. You can
move the height adjuster
up just 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 in to make sure it
has locked into position.
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Safety Belt Pretensioners
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your
vehicle is below 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) then your vehicle
has safety belt pretensioners for the front occupants.
You can find the GVWR on the certification label
on the rear edge of the driver’s door. SeeLoading
Your Vehicle on page 4-20for more information.
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, if your vehicle has 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 1-76.
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 one guide for each outside passenger position in
the rear seats. Here is how to install a comfort guide to
the safety belt:
1. Locate the guide in a pocket on the side of the
seatback.
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2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the
two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
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