2009 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER Owners Manual

Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also,
the belt would apply too much force to the ribs,
which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You
could also severely injure internal organs like your
liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go over
the shoulder and across the chest.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is behind the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would
not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body
could move too far forward increasing the chance
of head and neck injury. You might also slide
under the lap belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across the chest.
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Q:What is wrong with this?
A:The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of the belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make
it straight so it can work properly, or ask your
dealer/retailer to fix it.
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Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder
belt. If you are using a rear seating position with a
detachable safety belt and the safety belt is not
attached, seeRear Seat Operation on page 1-6for
instruction on reconnecting the safety belt to the
mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain how to wear a
lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled
out all the way, the child restraint locking feature
may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt
go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-30.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section for instructions on use and important safety
information.
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5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the
lap belt on smaller occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The
belt should return to its stowed position. Slide the
latch plate up the safety belt webbing when the safety
belt is not in use. The latch plate should rest on the
stitching on the safety belt, near the guide loop on the
side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of
the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt,
damage can occur to both the safety belt and the vehicle.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away from
the face and neck, but not falling off of the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
To move it down, pull on
the center adjuster control
labeled PULL. You can
move the height adjuster
up just by pushing up
on the shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without pushing in to make sure it
has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of the
vehicle is below 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) then the vehicle has
safety belt pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. SeeLoading the Vehicle on page 4-18to
locate the certification label which contains the GVWR.
Although the safety belt pretensioners cannot be
seen, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They
can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages
of a moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear
crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the vehicle has side impact
airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten
the safety belts in a side crash or a rollover event.
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Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners
activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced,
and probably other new parts for the vehicle’s safety
belt system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash on page 1-80.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the shoulder
belt away from the neck and head.There is one guide for each outboard passenger
position in the rear seats. Here is how to install a
comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Locate the guide in a pocket on the side of the
seatback.
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2. Place the guide over the belt, and insert the two
edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the
guide on top.
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