2003 GMC SAVANA child seat

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. SeeAir Bag
Off Switch on page 1-71andSecuring a Child Restraint
in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-58for
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, therefore recommend that
rear-facing child restraints be transported in
vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint, whenever possible.
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.
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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.
{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.
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.
Passenger and Cargo Van Models
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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.
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).Passenger Van 3-Passenger Rear Seats
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Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
If you have a passenger van, it may have the LATCH
system. If it does, you’llfind 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.In order to use the system, you need either a
forward-facing child restraint that has attaching
points (B) at its base and a top tether anchor (C), or a
rear-facing child restraint that has attaching points (B),
as shown here.
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With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle’s safety belts to secure a child restraint.
{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint isn’t attached to
its anchorage points, the restraint won’t 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. See “Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System” or “Securing
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat
Position” in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint in your vehicle.
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Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System
1. Find the anchors 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 the anchor points on the child restraint
to the anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-49. Tighten the top strap according to
the child restraint instructions.
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
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect
the anchor points.
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, SeeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-52.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-49if 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.
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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.
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.
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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 mayfind 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.
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Seat Position (2nd Row)
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 inSecuring
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on
page 1-54.
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