2012 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER roof

Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/11/11
In Brief 1-9
Passenger Sensing
System
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver airbag
and roof‐rail airbags, if equipped,
are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system, the passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
on the instrument panel when the
vehicle is started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑30 for important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside manual
mirrors can be adjusted by moving
the mirror up and down or left to
right so you can see a little of the
side of the vehicle, and have a clear
view of objects behind you.
Vehicles with outside power mirrors
have controls located on the driver
side door.
Select each mirror by turning the
knob clockwise for the passenger
side mirror or counterclockwise for
the driver side mirror. Adjust the
mirror angle by moving the knob in
the desired direction.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-19
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbag:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
(cargo van).
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger position
(cargo or passenger van
equipped with a sliding door).
If you have a passenger van
with a right front passenger
roof-rail airbag and a sliding
door, you will also have a
separate roof-rail airbag for the
passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger
and the third row outboard
passenger position.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver,
the passenger seated directly
behind the driver, and the third
row outboard passenger position
(passenger van equipped with a
sliding or hinged door).
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger, the passenger
seated directly behind the right
front passenger, and the
third row outboard passenger
position (passenger van
equipped with a hinged door).
All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for the
driver and on the instrument panel
for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim. Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt
—even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑22.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-20 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge
of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in the
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children on page 3‑38 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑40.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑16 for
more information.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-21
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
If the vehicle has one, the right front
passenger airbag is in the
instrument panel on the
passenger side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the 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.

Black plate (22,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-22 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the 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 side of the vehicle, there is
one single roof-rail airbag for either
vehicles with a hinged door or a
sliding door. For passenger vans with a sliding
door, on the passenger 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.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating 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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
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 or right
front passenger 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.

Black plate (23,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-23
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on
how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact, and how
quickly the 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.
.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 the
vehicle, you will have either “Single
Stage Airbags” or“Dual Stage
Airbags.” Vehicles that have a
passenger sensing system also
have dual stage airbags. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑19 orPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑30.
If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) of the vehicle is 3 855 kg
(8,500 lb) or above, the vehicle may
have single stage airbags. If the
GVWR is below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb)
then the vehicle may have dual stage airbags. You can find the
GVWR on the certification label on
the rear edge of the driver door. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑10
for more information.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
The 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.
The vehicle may or may not have
roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System
on page 3‑19. 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.

Black plate (24,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
3-24 Seats and Restraints
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.
In a rollover event, roof‐rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
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 3‑21 for 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.

Black plate (25,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual - 2012 - 2nd - 11/15/11
Seats and Restraints 3-25
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. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑22for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
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, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑24.
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.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, 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 inflates, 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.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors
(if equipped with power door locks),
turn on the interior lamps and
hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags