airbag GMC SAVANA 2017 User Guide

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Seats and Restraints 57
If the van is equipped with a
sliding door, the roof-rail airbag
for the front outboard passenger
is separate from the roof-rail
airbag for the second and third
row passengers seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger. If the van is
equipped with a 60/40 swing-out
door, a single roof-rail airbag
covers all three seating
positions.
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on an
attached label near the deployment
opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center of the
steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the front
outboard passenger.
For seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG is on the
side of the seatback closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim. Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating airbag, all airbags must
inflate very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{Warning
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? 060.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
are“supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Safety belts help keep
you in position before and during
a crash. Always wear a safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The safety belts and
(Continued)

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
58 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 067 or
Infants and Young Children 069.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0100.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
If the vehicle has a front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, it is in the
passenger side instrument panel.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Seats and Restraints 59
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
front outboard passenger, they are
in the sides of the seatbacks closest
to the door.Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
If the vehicle has a single seating
row and it has roof-rail airbags for
the driver and front outboard
passenger, the roof-rail airbags are
in the ceiling above the side
windows.Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
If the vehicle has two seating rows,
roof-rail airbags for the driver, front
outboard passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
If the vehicle has three or more
seating rows, roof-rail airbags for
the driver, front outboard passenger,
and second and third row outboard
passengers are in the ceiling above
the side windows.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
60 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with one or
more airbags. SeeAirbag System
0 56. Airbags are designed to inflate
if the impact exceeds the specific
airbag system's deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to inflate and help restrain
the occupants. The vehicle has
electronic sensors which help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver or front
outboard passenger head and
chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags,
if equipped, are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe side crashes
depending on the location of the
impact. Seat-mounted side impact
airbags are not designed to inflate in
frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
The vehicle may or may not be
equipped with roof-rail airbags.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Seats and Restraints 61
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
frontal, near-frontal, or rear impacts.
All roof-rail airbags will inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck or
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over on
its side.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? 058.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first, second, and third rows,
if equipped. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is not toward those airbags. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
0
60.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags (if
equipped) inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize an airbag
inflated. Roof-rail airbags (if
equipped) may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbag modules, see Where Are the
Airbags? 058.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
62 Seats and Restraints
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors
(if equipped with power door locks),
turn on the interior lamps and
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag inflation,
after an event that exceeds a
predetermined threshold. You can
lock the doors, and turn off the
interior lamps and the hazard
warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.
Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help
protect you in another crash.
A new system will include airbag
modules and possibly other
parts. The service manual for
the vehicle covers the need to
replace other parts.
. The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash.
See Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy 0326 andEvent Data
Recorders 0327.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Seats and Restraints 63
Airbag On-Off Switch
If the instrument panel has one of
the switches pictured in the
following illustrations, the vehicle
has an airbag on-off switch that you
can use to manually turn on or off
the front outboard passenger airbag.
No other airbag is affected by the
airbag on-off switch.
United States
Canada
This switch should only be turned to
the off position if the person in the
front outboard passenger position is
a member of a passenger risk group
identified by the national
government as follows:
Infant. An infant (less than
1 year old) must ride in the front
seat because:
. My vehicle has no rear seat;
. My vehicle has a rear seat too
small to accommodate a
rear-facing infant seat; or .
The infant has a medical
condition which, according to the
infant's physician, makes it
necessary for the infant to ride in
the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A child
age 1 to 12 must ride in the front
seat because:
. My vehicle has no rear seat;
. Although children ages 1 to 12
ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12
sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in
the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
. The child has a medical
condition which, according to the
child's physician, makes it
necessary for the child to ride in
the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the
child's condition.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
64 Seats and Restraints
Medical Condition. A passenger
has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
.Causes the passenger airbag to
pose a special risk for the
passenger; and
. Makes the potential harm from
the passenger airbag in a crash
greater than the potential harm
from turning off the airbag and
allowing the passenger, even if
belted, to hit the instrument
panel or windshield in a crash.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is turned off for a
person who is not in a risk group
identified by the national
government, that person will not
have the extra protection of an
airbag. In a crash, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect the person sitting there.
Do not turn off the front outboard
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
passenger frontal airbag unless
the person sitting there is in a risk
group.
United States
Canada
To turn off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, insert the
ignition key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the off
position.
The airbag off light will come on and
stay on to let you know the front
outboard passenger airbag is off.
See Airbag On-Off Light 0101. The
front outboard passenger airbag will
remain off until you turn it back on
again.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
Seats and Restraints 65
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. For
example, the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag could
inflate even though the airbag
on-off switch is turned off.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have the vehicle serviced
right away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light 0100 for more information,
including important safety
information.
United StatesCanada
To turn the front outboard passenger
airbag on again, insert the ignition
key into the switch, push in, and
move the switch to the on position.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is now enabled, and
may inflate. See Airbag On-Off Light
0 101.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9967828) -
2017 - crc - 6/29/17
66 Seats and Restraints
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information0324.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing any
parts of the front seats, safety belts,
the airbag sensing and diagnostic
module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, any of the airbag modules,
ceiling or pillar garnish trim, front
sensors, or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see Different Size Tires
and Wheels 0272 for additional
important information.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
you have questions about whether
the modifications will affect the vehicle's airbag system, or if you
have questions about whether the
airbag system will be affected if the
vehicle is modified for any other
reason, call Customer Assistance.
See
Customer Assistance Offices
0 317.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0100.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 058. See your dealer
for service.