1998 GMC SAVANA Owners Manual

Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
e.’ 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.
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 in this
manual. See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure”
in the Index.)
1-33
ProCarManuals.com

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
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how
to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
1-34
ProCarManuals.com

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,
it
will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
If the belt is not long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end
of this section.
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
1-35
ProCarManuals.com

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 a crash.
r You can be seriously hurt r 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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
1-36
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort guides.
This feature will provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for small
adults. When installed
on a shoulder belt, the comfort
guide pulls 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 for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here’s how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the side of
the seatback.
1-37
ProCarManuals.com

2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide
over the belt, and insert the two edges
of the belt into
the slots
of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide
on top.
1-38
ProCarManuals.com

4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described
in “Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions”
earlier in this section. 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 from
the guides. Slide
the guide onto the storage clip.
Center Passenger Position
1-39
ProCarManuals.com

Lap Belt
If your vehicle has rear bench seats, someone can sit in
the center positions.
When you sit
in a center seating position, 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.
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” at the end of this section.
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.
1-40
1
ProCarManuals.com