2008 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a
crash, the belt could go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not
at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-5

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Removing the Rear Seat
Disconnect the quick release latch plates for the
lap-shoulder belts on the bench seat to be removed.
1. To do this, press the
tip of a key into the
release hole of
the safety belt buckle
while pulling up on
the safety belt.
2. Locate the pins.
On a three passenger seat there are two pins
located on the inboard sides of the rear seats.The driver’s side pin has a gray cap with a
black “L” marked on it.
Three Passenger Seat Shown
1-6

The passenger’s side pin has a black cap with a
white “R” marked on it.
On a four passenger seat, each half of the seat has
a set of pins. The driver’s side has a set marked
“L”, and the passenger’s side has a set marked “R”.
If the vehicle has floor mats, the pins will be
located under a flap that has been cut into the mat.3. Pull the pin handle up to disengage the pin from
the retaining clip, then pull the pin out.
4. Repeat this procedure for the other pins.
5. Pull the seat rearward about 2 inches (5 cm) and
then lift the seat from the floor rails.
6. Remove the seat from the vehicle.
7. For the first row rear
seat, stow the safety
belt latch by attaching
the clip on the
safety belt latch to the
trim just inside the
side door.
For the remaining rear seats, stow the safety belt
latch plate on the clip at the window trim. Three Passenger Seat Shown
1-7

Replacing the Rear Seats
{CAUTION:
A seat that is not locked into place properly
can move around in a collision or sudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure
to lock the seat into place properly when
installing it.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.1. Position the seat into the open slots in both rails.
Push the seat forward in the rail, hooking both
seat bases onto the pins inside of the rails.
2. To install the locking pins at the rear of the seat
base, locate the hole in the rail for the pin. If the
vehicle has floor mats, pull the flap that has
been cut into the mat.
3. Insert the locking pins into the seat base and push
the seat to line up the pins with the base.
On a three passenger seat, the pin with the black
cap marked “R” must be installed on the
passenger’s side and the pin with the gray cap
marked “L” on the driver’s side.
On a four passenger seat, the pins marked “R” must
be installed on the half of the seat on the passenger’s
side. The pins marked “L” must be installed on the
half of the seat on the driver’s side.
1-8

4. Push the pin(s) marked “R” down until they are in
the retaining clip.5. Push the pin(s) marked “L” down until they are in
the retaining clip.
6. If the vehicle has a floor mat, put the flap back to
its original position.
7. Repeat this procedure for the other seat base.
8. Connect the quick-release latch plates for the
lap-shoulder belts by inserting the latch plates
into the buckles attached at the outboard positions
of the bench seat. Do not twist the belt.
9. Check that all locking pins are locked into place
before operating the vehicle. Three Passenger Seat Shown
Three Passenger Seat Shown
1-9

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected
from it and be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-28.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
1-10

After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.Put someone on it.
1-11

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-12