1998 GMC SAVANA belt

I
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be
if worn
during a more severe crash, then
you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean
you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt wasn’t being used
at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier
in this section.
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Door Locks
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash
if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be
far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with remote keyless entry,
see “Keyless Entry System” later
in this section for
more information.
From
the outside, use your key.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide the lever on
your door down.
To unlock the door, slide
the lever up.
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Electronic Road-Speed Governor
(Gasoline Engines) (Option)
This optional system automatically controls vehicle top
speed. The system controller receives
a signal from the
vehicle speed sensor and reduces power when the
vehicle speed reaches the maximum
65 mph (105 kdh)
governed speed.
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details
on the next few pages, some
warning lights come
on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar
with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens. Gages
can indicate when there may be or is
a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and
stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re
a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then it
will flash for about
5 5 seconds.
If the driver’s belt is already buckled, neither the tone
nor the light will come on.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
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. The system
check includes the air bag sensor, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light should go
out. This means
the system
is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The
air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
(CJ
This light should come on
briefly when you turn on the
ignition, before starting the
engine, as a check to show
you it is working.
After the engine starts, the light should
go out. If it stays
on or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with your charging system. It could indicate a
problem with the alternator drive belt, or some other
charging system problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light
on, it
helps
to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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If your vehicle is equipped with the AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette Tape Player and Automatic Tone Control:
1. Turn the ignition to
RUN or ACC.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE AUX button for five
seconds. The tape symbol on the display will flash
for two seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette while
the tape symbol is flashing.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
When the cleaning cassette has been ejected,
the cut tape
detection feature is active again.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt
to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject
on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The
use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended. After
you clean
the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator.
The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject
to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before
you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface
of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth
in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean
it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your Compact Disc Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with
lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
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Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device
in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts’’ in the Index.) Defensive driving really means “be ready
for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving.
You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate
on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the
floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause
a collision, with resulting injury. Ask
a passenger
to help do things like this, or pull off the road
in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
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Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking.
For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child
darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your vehicle
can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better
to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available. An
emergency like this requires close attention
and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is
a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
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