2012 GMC SAVANA Owner's Manual

Black plate (49,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-49
Lower Anchor and Top Tether
Anchor Locations
Second, Third, and Fourth Rowwith Three-Passenger Seat
i(Top Tether Anchor): Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor): Seating
positions with two lower anchors.
See the information following for
installing a child restraint with a top
tether in the second, third, and
fourth row center positions. Do not install three child restraints in
the same row at the same time and
never install two top tethers using
the same top tether anchor.
Front Passenger Position
i(Top Tether Anchor):
Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
The second, third, and fourth row
with three-passenger seats have
exposed metal lower anchors
located in the crease between the
seatback and the seat cushion.
Second, Third, and Fourth Row
with Three-Passenger
Seat —Passenger Van
There are two top tether anchors in
the second‐, third‐, and fourth-row
three-passenger seats. To install a
child restraint in the rear driver-side
seating positions, use anchor
point (A). To install a child restraint
in the rear passenger-side seating
positions, use anchor point (B).
To install a child restraint in the rear
center seating positions, use anchor
point (B). Never install two top
tethers using the same top tether
anchor.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-50 Seats and Restraints
If the vehicle is equipped with a
four-passenger fourth‐or fifth-row
seat, it does not have upper or
lower anchors. If a child restraint is
placed in the four-passenger fourth
or fifth-row seat, it must be secured
using the vehicle safety belts. See
“Rear Seat Position” underSecuring
Child Restraints (Front Seat-Airbag
On/Off Switch) on page 3‑60 or
Securing Child Restraints (Front
Seat-Passenger Sensing System)
on page 3‑56 orSecuring Child
Restraints (Rear Seat) on page 3‑54
for more information.
Front Passenger Position
There is a top tether anchor for the
front passenger position with a front
passenger seat. The anchor is
located at the rear of the seat
cushion on the right front
passenger seat.
Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be attached, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached. According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position. See
Where to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑45 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.

Black plate (51,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-51
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments. Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower
attachments or the desired
seating position does not have
lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and
the safety belts. Refer to your
child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions
in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating
position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child
restraint to the lower
anchors.

Black plate (52,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-52 Seats and Restraints
2. If the child restraint manufacturerrecommends that the top tether
be attached, attach and tighten
the top tether to the top tether
anchor, if equipped. Refer to the
child restraint instructions and
the following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. For the second, third,
and fourth row with
three-passenger seats only,
in the rear driver-side
seating positions, use
anchor point (A). For the
rear passenger-side seating
positions, use anchor
point (B). For the center
seating positions, use
anchor point (B). Never
install two top tethers using
the same top tether anchor. 2.3. Route and tighten the top
tether according to your
child restraint instructions
and the following
instructions:
If the position you are using
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
route the tether over the
seatback.
If the position you are using
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether over the
seatback.

Black plate (53,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-53
If the position you are using
has an integrated headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.If the position you are using
has an integrated headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
route the tether over the
headrest or head restraint.3. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
LATCH path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. There should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement for proper installation.

Black plate (54,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-54 Seats and Restraints
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the LATCH
system in the vehicle. A damaged
LATCH system may not properly
secure the child restraint,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make
sure the LATCH system is
working properly after a crash,
see your dealer to have the
system inspected and any
necessary replacements made as
soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in a
rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with the
child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑47 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured in the vehicle using a
safety belt and it uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑47 for top tether anchor
locations. Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be
using the safety belt to secure the
child restraint in this position.
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.

Black plate (55,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-55
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to readWhere to Put
the Restraint on page 3‑45.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
3. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.4. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.

Black plate (56,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-56 Seats and Restraints
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑47 for more
information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Seat-Passenger
Sensing System)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat
is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑45.
On vehicles with a passenger
sensing system, the system is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑30 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑19 for more information,
including important safety
information.