1998 GMC SAVANA Owners Manual

A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children who
are about
40 to 60 lbs. (18 to 27 kg) and about
four to eight years of age. It’s designed to improve
the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Booster
seats with shields use lap-only belts; however,
booster seats without shields use lap-shoulder
belts. Booster seats can
also help a child to see
out the window.
1-49
ProCarManuals.com

w nen cnoosing 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 in
your vehicle, but the child also has to
be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will show you how to
do that. Both the owner’s
manual and the child restraint instructions are important,
so if either one of these is not available, obtain a
replacement copy from
the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint (Except Cargo
Vans and Cab and Chassis Models)
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that you put your
child restraint in
a rear seat. If your vehicle has a front
passenger air bag,
never put a rear-facing child restraint
in the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed
if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates, even if your vehicle
has reduced-force frontal air bags. 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.
You may secure
a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, but before
you do, always
move the front passenger seat
as far back as it
will
go. It’s 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.
1-50
ProCarManuals.com

Where to Put the Restraint (Cargo Vans
and Cab and Chassis Models)
The child restraint must be secured properly in the
passenger seat. If your vehicle has a passenger air bag,
never put a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle.
Here’s why:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed
if the passenger’s
air bag inflates, even if your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal air bags. 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.
If a forward-facing child restraint is suitable for
your child, always move the 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.
Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your GM dealer to put it in for you. If you want
to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell you
how to do
it.
1-51
ProCarManuals.com

Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show
you how.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. 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
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
I
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.
1-52
ProCarManuals.com

4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
If
you’re 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.
directions to be sure it is secure.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
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.
1-53
ProCarManuals.com

Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap belt. 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.
See the earlier part about the top strap
if the child
restraint has
one.
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.
3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
1-54
ProCarManuals.com

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. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you’re 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
1-55
ProCarManuals.com

If your vehicle has a front passenger air bag, never put a
rear-facing child restraint
in this seat. Here’s why:
-
A child in a rearfacing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the front passenger’s
air bag inflates, even if your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal air bags. This is because
the back
of the rearfacing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating air bag.
If your
vehicle is a passenger van, always secure a
rearfacing child restraint in a rear seat.
If your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front
passenger air bag, do not use a rearfacing child
restraint in this vehicle.
If a forward-facing child
restraint is suitable for your child, always move
the passenger seat as far back as it
will go.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. 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 front passenger air bag, always
move the seat as far back as it will
go before
securing a forward-facing child restraint. (See
“Seats” in the Index.)
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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
‘ 1-56 i
ProCarManuals.com