GMC SAVANA 2019 Workshop Manual

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
50 Seats and Restraints
Seat Belts
This section describes how to use
seat belts properly, and some things
not to do.
{Warning
Do not let anyone ride where a
seat belt cannot be worn properly.
In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
seat belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
seat belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle. In
addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and seat belts.
Always wear a seat belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the seat belts.
See Seat Belt Reminders 0105.
Why Seat Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the seat belts!
When you wear a seat belt, you and
the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from the seat
belts. That is why wearing seat belts
makes such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Seat Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
seat belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a seat belt or not. Your
chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Seats and Restraints 51
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, whyshould I have to wear seat
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only. They work with
seat belts —not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is
provided, all occupants still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing seat belts.
How to Wear Seat Belts
Properly
Follow these rules for everyone's
protection.
There are additional things to know
about seat belts and children,
including smaller children and
infants. If a child will be riding in the
vehicle, see Older Children 071 or
Infants and Young Children 073.
Review and follow the rules for
children in addition to the following
rules. It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing seat belts.
There are important things to know
about wearing a seat belt properly.
.
Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front of
you (if possible).
. Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position. .
Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
. Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{Warning
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your seat belt properly.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
52 Seats and Restraints
Never allow the lap or shoulder belt
to become loose or twisted.Never wear the shoulder belt under
both arms or behind your back.
Always use the correct buckle for
your seating position.
Never route the lap or shoulder belt
over an armrest.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Seats and Restraints 53
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt. If you are
using a rear seating position with a
detachable seat belt and the seat
belt is not attached, see
“Reinstalling the Rear Seats”under
Rear Seats 046 for instructions on
reconnecting the seat belt to the
mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
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 the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be
engaged. If this happens, 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, see
Seat Belt Extender 058. Position the release button on
the buckle so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you.
See “Seat belt Height Adjuster”
later in this section for
instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
54 Seats and Restraints
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the seat 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
return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the seat belt
webbing when the seat belt is not in
use. The latch plate should rest on
the stitching on the seat belt, near
the guide loop on the side wall.
Always stow the seat belt slowly.
If the seat belt webbing returns
quickly to the stowed position, theretractor may lock and cannot be
pulled out. If this happens, pull the
seat belt straight out firmly to unlock
the webbing, and then release it.
If the webbing is still locked in the
retractor, see your dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
seat belt is out of the way. If a door
is slammed against a seat belt,
damage can occur to both the seat
belt and the vehicle.
Seat Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a seat belt height
adjuster for the driver and front
outboard passenger positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the seat belt in a crash. See
How to
Wear Seat Belts Properly 051.Squeeze both sides of the release
button and pull outward. Then move
the height adjuster up or down to
the desired position and release the
button.
After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it up or
down without squeezing the release
button to make sure it has locked
into position.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
If the vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags and roof-rail airbags,
it also has seat belt pretensioners
for the front outboard occupants.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Seats and Restraints 55
Although the seat belt pretensioners
cannot be seen, they are part of the
seat belt assembly. They can help
tighten the seat 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 the vehicle has roof-rail
airbags, seat belt pretensioners can
help tighten the seat belts in a side
crash or a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle’s seat belt
system will need to be replaced.
SeeReplacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 059.
Do not sit on the outboard seat belt
while entering or exiting the vehicle
or at any time while sitting in the
seat. Sitting on the seat belt can
damage the webbing and hardware.
Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides
This vehicle may have rear seat belt
comfort guides. The guides may
provide added seat belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults.
When installed and properly
adjusted, the comfort guide
positions the shoulder belt away
from the neck and head.
The comfort guides for the right rear
outboard seating positions of
three-passenger bench seats are
stored in a pocket on the side of the
seatback.
Adjustable comfort guides are
available through your dealer for the
left rear outboard seating positions
of the three-passenger bench seats
and for the outboard seating
positions of the four-passenger
bench seats. For these seating
positions, the adjustable comfort
guide attaches to a loop on the
outboard side of the seatback.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
56 Seats and Restraints
Comfort Guide Installation and
Removal (Pocket Style)
To install:
1. Locate the guide in a pocket onthe side of the seatback.
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 nottwisted and it lies flat. The
elastic cord must be behind the
belt with the plastic guide on
the front.
{Warning
A seat belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Seats and Restraints 57
4. Buckle, position, and releasethe seat belt as described
previously in this section. Make
sure that the shoulder belt
crosses the shoulder. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck.
To remove and store the comfort
guide, squeeze the belt edges
together so that the seat belt can be
removed from the guide. Slide the
guide back into its storage pocket
on the side of the seatback. Comfort Guide Installation and
Removal (Adjustable Style)
{Warning
A seat belt that is not properly
worn may not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. The shoulder
belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts
of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
Adjustable comfort guides are
available through your dealer for the
left rear outboard seating positions
of the three-passenger bench seats
and for the outboard seating
positions of the four-passenger
bench seats. Instructions are
included with the guides.
Seat Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Seat belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear seat belts.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
58 Seats and Restraints
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a seat
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making seat
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Seat Belt Extender
If the vehicle's seat belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a seat belt is not long enough,
your dealer will order you an
extender. When you go in to order it,
take the heaviest coat you will wear,
so the extender will be long enough
for you. To help avoid personal
injury, do not let someone else use
it, and use it only for the seat it is
made to fit. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child restraints. For more
information on the proper use and fit
of seat belt extenders see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Periodically check the seat belt
reminder, seat belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, shoulder belt
height adjusters (if equipped), and
seat belt anchorages to make sure
they are all in working order. Look
for any other loose or damaged seat
belt system parts that might keep aseat belt system from performing
properly. See your dealer to have it
repaired. Torn, frayed, or twisted
seat belts may not protect you in a
crash. Torn or frayed seat belts can
rip apart under impact forces. If a
belt is torn or frayed, have it
replaced immediately. If a belt is
twisted, it may be possible to
untwist by reversing the latch plate
on the webbing. If the twist cannot
be corrected, ask your dealer to
fix it.
Make sure the seat belt reminder
light is working. See
Seat Belt
Reminders 0105.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See
Seat Belt Care 058.
Seat Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
Seat belts should be properly cared
for and maintained.
Seat belt hardware should be kept
dry and free of dust or debris. As
necessary, exterior hard surfaces
and seat belt webbing may be lightly
cleaned with mild soap and water.

GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146167) -
2019 - CRC - 11/26/18
Seats and Restraints 59
Ensure there is not excessive dust
or debris in the mechanism. If dust
or debris exists in the system please
see the dealer. Parts may need to
be replaced to ensure proper
functionality of the system.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye seat belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Clean and
rinse seat belt webbing only with
mild soap and lukewarm water.
Allow the webbing to dry.
Replacing Seat Belt
System Parts after a
Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the seat belt
system in the vehicle. A damaged
seat belt system may not properly
protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make
sure the seat belt systems are
working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.After a minor crash, replacement of
seat belts may not be necessary.
But the seat belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the seat
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the seat belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the seat belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light 0105.