1996 GMC SAVANA instrument panel

or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more
time to stop. YOLI stop over more distance,
and
your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such
good sense.
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If your vehicle has an air bag for the right front
passr
, please read this:
A CAUTION:
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
I
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR
BAG.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light”
in the Index
for more information.
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How the Air Bag System Works
The right front passenger’s air bag is
panel
on the passenger’s side. in
the instrument
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
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A CAUTION:
Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to,
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
Also,
don’t put anything (such as pets or ob,jects)
between any occupant and the steering wheel
or
instrument panel. And don’t hang anything from
the assist handle on the passenger’s side
of the
instrument panel. If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, it could affect the
performance
of the air bag -- or worse, it could
cause injury.
When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag
is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air
bag will inflate
only
if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.“
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move
or deform, the threshold level is
about
1 1 to 16 mph (18 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, side
impacts or rear 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
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is
only one
indication
of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient seventy,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle
is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction
of the sodium azide
sealed
in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules
packed inside
the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel
in front of the right front passenger.
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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. The air bag supplements 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 Inore gradually. But
air bags would not help you
in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
pritnarily because an occupant‘s motion is not toward
the air bag. 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.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components
of the air bag module
in 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 part of the bag that comes
into contact with you may be warm, but it will never be
too hot to touch. There
will be some smoke and dust
corning from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag inflation
will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able
to steer the vehicle, nor will it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
b
A C * UTION:
I
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
door.
0 The 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.
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0 0 . 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 sensors are activated and driver’s safety belt
usage
at deployment.
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.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s
air bag, they 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 covers.
Servicing Yodr 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
GM dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To
purchase a.service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
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.
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To open the driver side rear door, pull the latch release
lever at the inside edge
of the door.
Both rear doors can be opened past
90 degrees by
opening the doors past the first detent (90 degrees open),
then opening fully.
To close the rear doors, close the driver side rear door
first. Then, close
the passenger side rear door. Check to
make sure both doors are completely closed.
A CAUTION: m$i&
It can be dangerous to drive with the rear doors
open because carbon monoxide
(CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the rear doors open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
rear doors:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on
VENT, HEAT, BLEND or DEE
Additionally, on vehicles with heating/air
conditioning systems,
NORM A/C or
BI-LEV A/C can be used. That will force
outside air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
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-
It can be dangerous to drive with the rear
swing-out windows or rear door@) open because
carbon monoxide (CO) gas can come into your
vehicle. You can’t see or smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the rear swing-out
windows or rear door@) open or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections must pass
through the seal between the body and the rear
swing-out windows or rear door(s):
Make sure all windows are shut.
CAUTION: (Continued)
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on VENT, HEAT, BLEND or
DEF.
Additionally, on vehicles with heatingair
conditioning systems, NORM A/C or
BI-LEV
A/C can be used. That will force
outside air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls’’ in the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
Horn
Press one of the horn buttons at each side of the steering
wheel to sound the horn.
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