2004 GMC Savana Owners Manual

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2004 GMC Savana Owner Manual M Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Air Bag System Restraint System Check Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 ............................................... 1-3 ............................................... 1-6 ............................................. 1-10 ....................................... 1-32 ....................................... 1-67 ............................ 1-79 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-2 ....................................... 2-8 ................................................. 2-16 ............................ 2-19 ........... 2-20 .................................................... 2-32 ...................................... 2-35 ......................................... 2-36 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-19 ......... 3-24 ....................................... 3-42 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 ........ 4-2 ................................................... 4-31 Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors OnStar® System Storage Areas Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators Audio System(s) Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-4 Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-47 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-48 Front Axle ............................................... 5-49 Noise Control System ............................... 5-50 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-51 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-56 Tires ...................................................... 5-57 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-92 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ............................... 5-100 Electrical System .................................... 5-101 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-106 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 ........... 7-2 ........................... 7-10 Index .................................................................1 Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Maintenance Schedule Canadian Owners You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, GMC, the GMC Truck Emblem and the name SAVANA are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without further notice. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for GMC whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you will ﬁnd that pictures and words work together to explain things. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual, and the page number where you will ﬁnd it. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. X2414 A First Edition ii ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/18/03 All Rights Reserved Safety Warnings and Symbols You will ﬁnd a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or others could be hurt. You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Don’t,” “Don’t do this” or “Don’t let this happen.” iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will ﬁnd these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice will tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage or indicator. If you need help ﬁguring out a speciﬁc name of a component, gage or indicator, reference the following topics: (cid:127) Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 (cid:127) Climate Controls in Section 3 (cid:127) Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3 (cid:127) Audio System(s) in Section 3 (cid:127) Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv (cid:127) (cid:127) These are some examples of symbols you may ﬁnd on your vehicle: Model Reference This manual covers these models: Cargo Van Passenger Van Cab and Chassis vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-3 Manual Seats ................................................1-3 Power Seat ...................................................1-4 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4 Rear Seats .......................................................1-6 Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-6 Safety Belts ...................................................1-10 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15 Driver Position ..............................................1-15 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-24 Center Passenger Position (2nd Row) ..............1-24 Center Passenger Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row) ...............................1-25 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-26 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults ..........................1-29 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-32 Child Restraints .............................................1-32 Older Children ..............................................1-32 Infants and Young Children ............................1-36 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-42 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-45 Top Strap ....................................................1-49 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-50 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-52 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System (Rear) ..........................1-54 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System (Front) .........................1-54 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position ................................1-57 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat Position (2nd Row) .............................1-59 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row) ...........1-60 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ....................................1-62 Air Bag System ..............................................1-67 Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-70 When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate? ....................1-71 What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate? .....................1-73 How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-73 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inﬂates? .......................................1-74 1-1 Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Air Bag Off Switch ........................................1-75 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-78 Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-79 Restraint System Check ..................................1-79 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-79 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-80 1-2 Front Seats Manual Seats To adjust the seat, pull the lever up to release the seat bottom. Slide the seat to where you want it and then release the lever. Try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. {CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. The bucket seats can be adjusted forward or rearward with the lever located at the front of the seat. 1-3 Power Seat Reclining Seatbacks If your vehicle has a power seat on the driver’s or passenger’s side, you can adjust it with these controls located at the front center of the seat cushion. To raise or lower the seat, move the center knob up or down. To move the seat forward or rearward, move the center knob toward the right or left. To raise or lower the front of the seat cushion, move the right lever up or down. To raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion, move the left lever up or down. To adjust the seatback, lift the front of the lever, which is located on the inboard side of the seat cushion. Move the seatback with your body and release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Lean forward and pull up on the front of the lever and the seatback will go to an upright position. 1-4 But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. {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. 1-5 Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation Removing the Rear Seat 2. Locate the pins. There are two pins located on the inboard sides of the rear seats. If the vehicle has ﬂoor mats, the pins will be located under a ﬂap that has been cut into the mat. The driver’s side pin will have an “L” marked on it and will look like this: 1. Disconnect the quick release latch plates for the lap shoulder belts on the bench seat to be removed. To do this, press the tip of a key into the release hole of the safety belt buckle while pulling up on the safety belt. 1-6 (cid:127) The passenger’s side pin will have an “R” marked on it and will look like this: 5. Pull the seat rearward about two inches (5 cm) and then lift the seat from the ﬂoor rails. 6. Remove the seat from the vehicle. 3. Pull the pin handle up to disengage from the retaining clip, then pull the pin out. 4. Repeat this procedure for the pin on the other seat base. 7. For the ﬁrst row rear seat, stow the safety belt latch by attaching the clip on the safety belt latch to the trim just inside the side door. For the remaining rear seats, stow the safety belt latch plate on the clip at the window trim. 1-7 (cid:127) 1. Position the seat into the open slots in both rails. Push the seat forward in the rail, hooking both seat bases onto the pins inside of the rails. 2. To install the locking pins at the rear of the seat base, locate the hole in the rail for the pin. It is found on the inboard side of the seat. If the vehicle has ﬂoor mats, pull the ﬂap that has been cut into the mat. 3. Insert the locking pin into the seat base and push the seat to line up with the pin with the base. The pin with the handle marked “R” must be installed on the passenger’s side and the pin with the handle marked “L” on the driver’s side. Replacing the Rear Seats {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. {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. 1-8 4. Push the pin with the handle marked “R” down until it is in the retaining clip. 5. Push the pin with the handle marked “L” down until it is in the retaining clip. 6. If the vehicle has a ﬂoor mat, put the ﬂap back to its original position. 7. Repeat this procedure for the other seat base. 8. Connect the quick-release latch plates for the lap-shoulder belts by inserting the latch plates into the buckles attached at the outboard positions of the bench seat. Do not twist the belt. 9. Check that both locking pins are locked into place before operating the vehicle. 1-9 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 allow people 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 3-27. 1-10 Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work. 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! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels. 1-11 Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn’t stop. 1-12 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-13 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I’m wearing a safety belt? A: You could be – whether you’re wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you’re upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why safety belts make such good sense. 1-14 Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone. How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This part is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-32 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-36. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection. First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We’ll start with the driver position. Driver Position This part describes the driver’s restraint system. Lap-Shoulder Belt The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it properly. 1. Close and lock the door. 2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index. 1-15 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t let it get twisted. 5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 4. 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 isn’t long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-32. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-16 Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt adjuster to the height that is right for you. To move it down, pull on the center adjuster control labeled PULL. You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. 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. The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash. After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without pushing in to make sure it has locked into 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. 1-17 Q: What’s wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt against your body. A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly as much protection this way. 1-18 Q: What’s wrong with this? {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 at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you. A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place. 1-19 {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 at the abdomen, not at the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests. Q: What’s wrong with this? A: The belt is over an armrest. 1-20 Q: What’s wrong with this? {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 aren’t as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen. A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times. 1-21 Q: What’s wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you wouldn’t 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 to ﬁx it. A: The belt is twisted across the body. 1-22 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the 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. Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts. 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 safety belt is worn properly, it’s more likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly. 1-23 Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-15. The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt – except for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Center Passenger Position (2nd Row) If your vehicle has a second row bench seat, someone can sit in the center position. When you sit in the center position in the second row bench seat, you have a lap-shoulder belt which works the same way as the rear seat outside passengers’ belts. To learn how to wear a lap-shoulder belt see, “Lap-Shoulder Belt” under Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-26. 1-24 Center Passenger Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row) Lap Belt If your vehicle has third, fourth or ﬁfth row bench seats, someone can sit in the center positions. When you sit in a center seating position in the third, fourth or ﬁfth row, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt. 1-25 Rear Seat Passengers It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug. Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn’t long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-32. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-26 The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder belts. Lap-Shoulder Belt Here’s how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-32. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t let it get twisted. 2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way you will engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. 3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. 1-27 The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash. {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt against your body. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. 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. 1-28 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Rear safety belt comfort guides will provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt away from the neck and head. There is one guide for each outside passenger position in the rear seats. To provide added safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown child restraints and booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on the shoulder belts. 1-29 Here’s how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: 1. Locate the guide on the 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. 1-30 3. Be sure the belt is not twisted and it lies ﬂat. The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top. 4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-26. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. 1-31 Child Restraints Older Children Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. The extender will be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to ﬁt. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety belt. Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. If you have the choice, a child should sit in a seating position that has a lap-shoulder belt to get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. 1-32 Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts? A: If possible, an older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should ﬁt snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear seat. In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety belts properly. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time. 1-33 Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt, but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is very close to the child’s face or neck? A: If the child is seated in a rear outside seat position, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. See Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults on page 1-29. If the child is sitting in the second row center seat position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint that belts provide. If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still very close to the child’s face or neck, you might want to place the child in a seat that has a lap belt, if your vehicle has one. 1-34 Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. 1-35 Cargo Vans with a Passenger Air Bag and an Air Bag Off Switch, Passenger Vans and Cab and Chassis Models 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 the appropriate restraint. Young children should not use the vehicles safety belts without an additional restraint, unless there is no other choice. 1-36 {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby doesn’t 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. 1-37 {CAUTION: Children who are up against, or very close to, any air bag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer outstanding protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag 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. 1-38 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. {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’s unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints. Cargo Vans with a Passenger Air Bag and without an Air Bag Off Switch {CAUTION: Children who are up against, or very close to, an air bag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer outstanding protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. 1-39 {CAUTION: {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 muchcompared 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 restrained in appropriate infant restraints. However, infants, who should be restrained in a rear-facing child restraint, cannot ride safely in this vehicle. 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’s unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints. 1-40 {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby doesn’t 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. 1-41 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. 1-42 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. 1-43 When choosing a 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. These restraints use the belt system or the LATCH system in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury. 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. Q: How do child restraints work? 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. For many years, add-on child restraints have used the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness system holds the child in place within the 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. 1-44 CAUTION: (Continued) If you 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. Wherever you install it, 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. Where to Put the Restraint Passenger Vans without an Air Bag Off Switch Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We, therefore, recommend 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. If your vehicle has a front passenger air bag, never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here is why: {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. If your vehicle has a right front passenger’s air bag, always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-45 Passenger Vans with an Air Bag Off Switch Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We, therefore, recommend 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. If you need to secure a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat, turn off the passenger’s air bag. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75 and Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-62 for more on this, including important safety information. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. Be sure to turn off the air bag before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-46 CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the air bag off switch is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under some 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 secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat always move the seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. Wherever you install it, 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. Cargo Vans and Cab and Chassis Models without an Air Bag Off Switch The child restraint must be secured properly in the right front passenger seat. If your vehicle has a passenger air bag, never use a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle Here is why: {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. Do not use a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the front passenger position, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. 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. 1-47 Cargo Vans and Cab and Chassis Models with an Air Bag Off Switch The child restraint must be secured properly in the right front passenger seat. If you need to secure a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat, turn off the passenger’s air bag. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75 and Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-62 for more on this, including important safety information. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. Be sure to turn off the air bag before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the air bag off switch is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under some 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 secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat always move the seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. 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. 1-48 Top Strap Some child restraints have a top strap, or “top tether.” It can help restrain the child restraint during a collision. For it to work, a top strap must be properly anchored to the vehicle. Some top strap-equipped child restraints are designed for use with or without the top strap being anchored. Others require the top strap always to be anchored. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint. If yours requires that the top strap be anchored, don’t use the restraint unless it is anchored properly. If the child restraint does not have a top strap, one can be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit is available. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be anchored. In the United States, some child restraints also have a top strap. If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be anchored. 1-49 Anchor the top strap to one of the following anchor points. Be sure to use an anchor point located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. Top Strap Anchor Location On vehicles with a front passenger seat, the anchor for a top strap is located at the rear of the seat cushion on the right front passenger’s seat. {CAUTION: Each top tether bracket is designed to anchor only one child restraint. Attaching more than one child restraint to a single bracket could cause the anchor to come loose or even break during a crash. A child or others could be injured if this happens. To help prevent injury to people and damage to your vehicle, attach only one child restraint per bracket. Once you have the top strap anchored, you’ll be ready to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the top strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions say. 1-50 Cargo Van Models If your vehicle is a passenger van with rear seats, an anchor bracket for a top strap is located at the rear of the seat cushion for each three-passenger rear bench seat. Don’t use a child restraint with a top strap in the right front passenger’s position, or in any four-passenger rear bench seat. The top strap is designed for the second row driver side position and the third/fourth row center searing positions in a three-passenger rear bench seat. Passenger Van 3–Passenger Rear Seats Anchor the top strap to this bracket. For the second row only, in the left outboard seating position, use anchor point (A). For the right outboard seating position, use anchor point (B). For a center seating position, use either anchor point (A) or (B). 1-51 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) This system, designed to make installation of child restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts. Instead, it uses vehicle anchors (A, B) and child restraint attachments to secure the restraints. Some restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a top tether strap (C). If you have a passenger van, it may have the LATCH system. If it does, you’ll ﬁnd two sets of anchors (A) in the second row of seats in the driver and passenger side seating positions, where the seatback meets the seat cushion. 1-52 The LATCH system labels are located on the outboard and inboard positions of the seats. {CAUTION: If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to its anchorage points, the restraint will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is properly installed using the anchorage points, 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. 1-53 In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint designed for that system. To assist you in locating the lower anchors for this child restraint system, each seating position with the LATCH system has a label on the seatback at each lower anchor position. Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System (Rear) 1. Find the LATCH anchorages for the seating position you want to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back of the seat cushion. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage. The child restraint instructions will show you how. Also see Top Strap on page 1-49. 5. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top tether from the top tether anchorage and then disconnect the LATCH attachments from the LATCH anchorages. Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System (Front) Unless your vehicle has an air bag off switch and you have used it to turn the passenger’s air bag off, never put a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat. Here’s why: {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. If your vehicle is a passenger van, always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front passenger air bag and an air bag off switch, be sure to turn off the air bag before using a CAUTION: (Continued) 1-54 CAUTION: (Continued) {CAUTION: rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. If your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front passenger air bag but does not have an air bag off switch, do not use a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle. Even though the air bag off switch is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag, no system is fail-safe and no one can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. GM recommends that rear-facing child restraints be transported in vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facng child restraint whenever possible. If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front passenger position, always move the passenger seat as far back as it will go. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-45. If the air bag readiness light ever comes on when you have turned off the air bag, it means that something may be wrong with the air bag system. The right front passenger’s air bag could inﬂate even though the switch is off. If this ever happens, don’t let anyone whom the national government has identiﬁed as a member of a passenger air bag risk group sit in the right front passenger’s position (for example, don’t secure a rear-facing child restraint in your vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced. See ″Air Bag Off Switch″ in the Index. 1. If your vehicle has a passenger air bag and an air bag off switch, and you are using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag is turned off. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75. If your child restraint is forward-facing, always move the seat as far back as it will go before securing it in this seat. See Power Seat on page 1-4 or Manual Seats on page 1-3. 1-55 2. Find the LATCH anchorages for the seating position you want to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back of the seat cushion. 3. Put the child restraint on the seat. 4. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 5. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage. The child restraint instructions will show you how. Also see Top Strap on page 1-49. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top tether from the top tether anchorage and then disconnect the LATCH attachments from the LATCH anchorages. If you were using a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle with an air bag off switch, turn on the right front passenger’s air bag when you remove the rear-facing child restraint from the vehicle unless the person who will be sitting there is a member of a passenger air bag risk group. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75. {CAUTION: If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned off for a person who isn’t in a risk group identiﬁed by the national government, that person won’t have the extra protection of an air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able to inﬂate and help protect the person sitting there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag unless the person sitting there is in a risk group. See ″Air Bag Off Switch″ in the Index for more on this, including important safety information. 1-56 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-52. See Top Strap on page 1-49 if the child restraint has one. For vehicles with a third, fourth or ﬁfth row, there are no top strap anchors in the rear outside seat positions of the third, fourth or ﬁfth row. Do not secure a child seat in these positions if a national or local law requires that the top strap be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. 1. Put the restraint on the seat. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 1-57 3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 1-58 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat Position (2nd Row) 5. To tighten the belt, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-52. See Top Strap on page 1-49 if the child restraint has one. 1-59 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Seat Position (3rd, 4th and 5th Row) There is no top strap anchor in the center seat position of the second row. Do not secure a child seat in this position if a national or local law requires that the top strap be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you’ll be using a lap-shoulder belt which works the same way as the safety belts in the rear outside seat positions. To learn how to secure a child restraint with a lap-shoulder belt, refer to the instructions in Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-57. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-52. See Top Strap on page 1-49 if the child restraint has one. For vehicles with a fourth or ﬁfth row four-passenger bench seat, there are no top strap anchors in the center seating positions of a fourth or ﬁfth row four-passenger bench seat. Do not secure a child seat in these positions if a national or local law requires that the top strap must be anchored. 1-60 If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. 3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch plate and pulling it along the belt. 2. Put the restraint on the seat. 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-61 5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push down on the child restraint. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position 1-62 If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-52. See Top Strap on page 1-49 if the child restraint has one. Unless your vehicle has an air bag off switch and you have used it to turn the passenger’s air bag off, never put a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat. Here’s why: {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. If your vehicle is a passenger van, always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front passenger air bag and an air bag off switch, be sure to turn off the air bag before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. If your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front passenger air bag but does not have an air bag off switch, do not use a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle. Even though the air bag off switch is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag, no system is fail-safe and no one can guarantee CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) that an air bag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. GM recommends that rear-facing child restraints be transported in vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facng child restraint whenever possible. If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front passenger position, always move the passenger seat as far back as it will go. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-45. 1-63 If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. 1. If your vehicle has a passenger air bag and an air bag off switch, and you are using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag is turned off. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75. If your child restraint is forward-facing, always move the seat as far back as it will go before securing it in this seat. See Power Seat on page 1-4 or Manual Seats on page 1-3. 2. Put the restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. {CAUTION: If the air bag readiness light ever comes on when you have turned off the air bag, it means that something may be wrong with the air bag system. The right front passenger’s air bag could inﬂate even though the switch is off. If this ever happens, don’t let anyone whom the national government has identiﬁed as a member of a passenger air bag risk group sit in the right front passenger’s position (for example, don’t secure a rear-facing child restraint in your vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced. See ″Air Bag Off Switch″ in the Index. 1-64 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 1-65 To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. If you were using a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle with an air bag off switch, turn on the right front passenger’s air bag when you remove the rear-facing child restraint from the vehicle unless the person who will be sitting there is a member of a passenger air bag risk group. See Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-75. {CAUTION: If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned off for a person who isn’t in a risk group identiﬁed by the national government, that person won’t have the extra protection of an air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able to inﬂate and help protect the person sitting there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag unless the person sitting there is in a risk group. See ″Air Bag Off Switch″ in the Index for more on this, including important safety information. 6. To tighten the belt, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. You may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-66 Air Bag System This part explains the air bag system. If it says AIR BAG on the middle part of the steering wheel and AIR BAG on the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger’s seat, your vehicle has two air bags — one air bag for the driver and another air bag for the right front passenger. If it says AIR BAG on the middle part of the steering wheel but it doesn’t say AIR BAG on the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger’s seat, your vehicle has an air bag for the driver only. If it says AIR BAG on the middle part of the steering wheel, but there is no right front passenger seat, your vehicle has an air bag for the driver only. Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inﬂating air bag. But these air bags must inﬂate very quickly to do their job and comply with federal regulations. 1-67 Here are the most important things to know about the air bag system: {CAUTION: Air bags inﬂate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inﬂating air bag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with air bags. The driver should sit as far back as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle. {CAUTION: You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you have air bags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Air bags are designed to work with safety belts, but do not replace them. Air bags are designed to deploy only in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inﬂate in rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes, or in many side crashes. And, for some unrestrained occupants, air bags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful air bags have provided in the past. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an air bag for that person. 1-68 If your vehicle has an air bag for the right front passenger read this. {CAUTION: Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any air bag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see Older Children on page 1-32 and Infants and Young Children on page 1-36. There is a air bag readiness light on the instrument panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system checks the air bag electrical system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-28 for more information. 1-69 Where Are the Air Bags? The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel. If your vehicle has one, the right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. 1-70 {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an air bag, the bag might not inﬂate properly or it might force the object into that person causing severe injury or even death. The path of an inﬂating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t put anything between an occupant and an air bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air bag covering. When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate? An air bag is designed to inﬂate in a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inﬂate only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your vehicle is 8600 or above, your vehicle has single stage air bags. If the GVWR is below 8600 then your vehicle has dual stage air bags. You can ﬁnd the GVWR on the certiﬁcation label on the rear edge of the driver’s door. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-31 for more information. 1-71 Single Stage Air Bags If your vehicle has frontal air bags with single stage deployment and your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with speciﬁc vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bag is not designed to inﬂate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inﬂation would not help the occupant. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. Inﬂation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. Dual Stage Air Bags If your vehicle has frontal air bags with dual stage deployment, the amount of restraint will adjust according to the crash severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these air bags inﬂate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 12 to 16 mph (19 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 16 to 25 mph (26 to 40 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with speciﬁc vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal air bags are not designed to inﬂate in rollovers, rear impacts, or many side impacts because inﬂation would not help the occupant. 1-72 Seat Position Sensors Vehicles with dual stage air bags are also equipped with special sensors which enable the sensing system to monitor the position of both the driver and passenger front seats. The seat position sensors provide information which is used to determine if the air bags should deploy at a reduced level or at full depoyment. Air Bag Systems In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. Inﬂation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in front or near-frontal impacts. What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inﬂator, which inﬂates the air bag. The inﬂator, air bag, and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. How Does an Air Bag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. 1-73 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inﬂates? After an air bag inﬂates, it quickly deﬂates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the air bag inﬂated. Some components of the air bag module – the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag – will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deﬂated air bags. Air bag inﬂation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle. {CAUTION: When an air bag inﬂates, there is 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 can’t get out of the vehicle after an air bag inﬂates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an air bag deployment, you should seek medical attention. 1-74 (cid:127) Air bags are designed to inﬂate only once. After they inﬂate, you’ll need some new parts for your air bag system. If you don’t get them, the air bag system won’t be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include air bag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other parts. (cid:127) Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module, which records information about the air bag system. The module records information about the readiness of the system, when the system commands air bag inﬂation and driver’s safety belt usage at deployment. The module also records speed, engine rpm, brake and throttle data. Let only qualiﬁed technicians work on your air bag system. Improper service can mean that your air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service. If you damage the covering for the driver’s Notice: or the right front passenger’s air bag, the bag may not work properly. You may have to replace the air bag module in the steering wheel or both the air bag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s air bag. Do not open or break the air bag coverings. Air Bag Off Switch If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your vehicle is 8600 or above, your vehicle has an air bag off switch. You can ﬁnd the GVWR on the certiﬁcation/tire label on the rear edge of the driver’s door. See Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-31 for more information. You can use the air bag off switch on the instrument panel to turn off the right front passenger’s air bag. 1-75 (cid:127) This switch should only be turned to AIR BAG OFF if the person in the right front passenger’s 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: (cid:127) my vehicle has no rear seat; (cid:127) 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: (cid:127) 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. 1-76 Medical Condition. A passenger has a medical condition which, according to his or her physician: causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger; and (cid:127) makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash greater than the potential harm from turning off the air bag and allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or windshield in a crash. {CAUTION: If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned off for a person who isn’t in a risk group identiﬁed by the national government, that person won’t have the extra protection of an air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able to inﬂate and help protect the person sitting there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag unless the person sitting there is in a risk group. See “Air Bag Off Switch” in the Index. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) To turn off the right front passenger’s air bag, insert your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the switch to AIR BAG OFF. The AIR BAG OFF light will come on to let you know that the right front passenger’s air bag is off. The right front passenger’s air bag will remain off until you turn it back on again, and the AIR BAG OFF light will stay on to remind you that the air bag is off. {CAUTION: If the air bag readiness light ever comes on when you have turned off the air bag, it means that something may be wrong with the air bag system. The right front passenger’s air bag could inﬂate even though the switch is off. If this ever happens, don’t let anyone whom the national government has identiﬁed as a member of a passenger air bag risk group sit in the right front passenger’s position (for example, don’t secure a rear-facing child restraint in your vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced. 1-77 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced. There are parts of the air bag system in several places around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to inﬂate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system. To purchase a service manual, see Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-11. {CAUTION: For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air bag can still inﬂate during improper service. You can be injured if you are close to an air bag when it inﬂates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape or yellow connectors. They are probably part of the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and make sure the person performing work for you is qualiﬁed to do so. The air bag system does not need regular maintenance. To turn the right front passenger’s air bag on again, insert your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the switch to the on position. 1-78 Restraint System Check Checking Your Restraint Systems Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it repaired. Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away. Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.) Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle Q: If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the front of my vehicle, will it keep the air bags from working properly? A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is attached to your vehicle so that the vehicle’s basic structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep the air bags from working properly in a crash. Q: Is there anything I might add to the front of the vehicle that could keep the air bags from working properly? A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or height, they may keep the air bag system from working properly. Also, the air bag system may not work properly if you relocate any of the air bag sensors. If you have any questions about this, you should contact Customer Assistance before you modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2. 1-79 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash {CAUTION: A crash can damage the restraint systems in your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash. To help make sure your restraint systems are working properly after a crash, have them inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible. If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH system parts? After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary. But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if

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2004 GMC Savana Owners Manual