2008 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER Owners Manual

If your vehicle is a cargo or passenger van with
a sliding door and it has a roof-rail airbag for the
driver and right front passenger position, the roof-rail
airbags are in the ceiling above the side window.If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, passengers behind the driver
and right front passenger, and the third row outboard
passengers, the roof-rail airbags are in the ceiling
above the side windows. On the driver’s side of the
vehicle, there is one single roof-rail airbag for either
vehicles with a hinged door or a sliding door. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
1-61

For passenger vans with a sliding door, on the
passenger’s side of the vehicle, you will have a separate
roof-rail airbag for the passenger seated directly behind
the right front passenger and the third row outboard
passenger position.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear.
Do not put anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel hub or on
or near any other airbag covering.
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle
by routing the rope or tie down through any
door or window opening. If you do, the path
of an inating roof-rail airbag will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce
the potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s
or right front passenger’s head and chest. However,
they are only designed to inflate if the impact exceeds
a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash
is likely to be in time for the airbags to inflate and
help restrain the occupants.
Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds.
For example:
•If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inflate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
•If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than
if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
1-62

•If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
•If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage Airbags
Depending on the weight of your vehicle, you will have
either “Single Stage Airbags” or “Dual Stage Airbags.”
Vehicles that have a passenger sensing system
also have dual stage airbags. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-30orPassenger Sensing
System on page 1-69.
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your
vehicle is 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) or above, your vehicle
may have single stage airbags. If the GVWR is
below 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) then your vehicle may
have dual stage airbags. You can find the GVWR on
the certification label on the rear edge of the driver’s
door. SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-20for
more information.In addition, your vehicle may have dual-stage frontal
airbags. Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according
to crash severity. Your vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage
airbags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
Your vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-57. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to inflate
during a rollover. Roof-rail airbags will inflate if the crash
severity is above the system’s designed threshold level.
The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts. All roof-rail
airbags will deploy when either side of the vehicle is
struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag
should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by what the
vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the
vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags, deployment
is determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
1-63

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends
an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
inflator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part
of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the
steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles
with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the
ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows for the first,
second, and third rows (if equipped). SeeWhere Are
the Airbags? on page 1-60for more information.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the first, second, and
third rows, if equipped. The rollover capable roof-rail
airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full
or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system
can prevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-62for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?
After the frontal airbags inflate, they quickly deflate,
so quickly that some people may not even realize
an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at
least partially inflated for some time after they deploy.
Some components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-64.
1-64

The parts of the airbag that come into contact with
you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in
the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be dust
in the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma
or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
everyone in the vehicle should get out as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot get out of
the vehicle after an airbag inates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you should
seek medical attention.Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn
the hazard warning flashers on when the airbags inflate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off,
and turn the hazard warning flashers off by using the
controls for those features.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from
the right front passenger airbag.•Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After
an airbag inflates, you will need some new parts
for the airbag system. If you do not get them,
the airbag system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
•Your vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy on
page 7-16andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-17.
•Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
1-65

Airbag Off Switch
If your instrument panel has one of the switches
pictured in the following illustrations, your vehicle has
an airbag on-off switch that you can use to manually
turn on or off the right front passenger’s airbag.
If your vehicle does not have an airbag on-off switch,
it may have a passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-69.This switch should only be turned to airbag OFF if
the person in the right front passenger’s position is a
member of a passenger risk group identified by the
national government as follows:
Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:
•
My vehicle has no rear seat;
•My vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
•The infant has a medical condition which, according
to the infant’s physician, makes it necessary for
the infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
•
My vehicle has no rear seat;
•Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s)
whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes
must ride in the front because no space is available
in the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
•The child has a medical condition which, according to
the child’s physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can
constantly monitor the child’s condition. United States
Canada
1-66

Medical Condition.A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:
•
Causes the passenger airbag to pose a special
risk for the passenger; and
•Makes the potential harm from the passenger
airbag in a crash greater than the potential
harm from turning off the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard
or windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s airbag is turned
off for a person who is not in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person will not have the extra protection of
an airbag. In a crash, the airbag will not be
able to inate and help protect the person
sitting there. Do not turn off the passenger’s
airbag unless the person sitting there is in
a risk group.To turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag,
insert your ignition key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the off position.United States
Canada
1-67

The airbag off light will come on to let you know that
the right front passenger’s airbag is off. The airbag
off light will stay on to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeeAirbag Off Light on page 3-28. The airbag off
light will stay on to remind you that the airbag is off.
The right front passenger’s airbag will remain off
until you turn it back on again.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the airbag, it means
that something may be wrong with the airbag
system. The right front passenger’s airbag
could inate even though the switch is off.
If this ever happens, do not let anyone whom
the national government has identied as a
member of a passenger airbag risk group
sit in the right front passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger’s seat)
until you have your vehicle serviced. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-27for
additional information.To turn the right front passenger’s airbag on again, insert
your ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the on position. The right front passenger’s
frontal airbag is now enabled (may inflate). SeeAirbag
Off Light on page 3-28or more information. United States
Canada
1-68