2008 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER Owners Manual

To return the seatback to an upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to
the seatback and the seatback will return to the
upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure
it is locked.
{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 3-26.
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.
After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter... a lot!
1-10

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