2014 GMC SAVANA PASSENGER airbag

Black plate (9,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
Seats and Restraints 3-9
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
When you wear a safety belt, you
and the vehicle slow down together.
There is more time to stop because
you stop over a longer distance and,
when worn properly, your strongest
bones take the forces from thesafety belts. That is why wearing
safety belts makes such good
sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle
after a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not.
Your chance of being conscious
during and after a crash, so you
can unbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection. Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing safety belts.
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
There are special things to know
about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller
children and infants. If a child will be
riding in the vehicle, see
Older
Children on page 3-33 orInfants
and Young Children on page 3-35.
Follow those rules for everyone's
protection.
It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
There are important things to know
about wearing a safety belt properly.

Black plate (12,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
3-12 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a safety belt height
adjuster for the driver and right front
passenger positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder
portion of the belt is on the shoulder
and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment
could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. SeeHow
to Wear Safety Belts Properly on
page 3-9.
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
3 855 kg (8,500 lb) then the vehicle
has safety belt pretensioners for the
front outboard occupants. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9-10 to
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 roof-rail airbags, safety
belt pretensioners can help tighten
the safety belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.

Black plate (16,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
3-16 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced. New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5-15.
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 front
outboard passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
on vans with single row seating.
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger on vans
with single row seating.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver on
vans with two row seating.

Black plate (17,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
Seats and Restraints 3-17
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger on vans with two row
seating.
If the van is equipped with a
sliding door, the roof-rail airbag
for the front outboard passenger
is separate from the roof-rail
airbag for the passenger seated
directly behind the front outboard
passenger. If the van is
equipped with a 60/40 swing-out
door, a single roof-rail airbag
covers both seating positions.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the second and third row
passengers seated directly
behind the driver on vans with
three or more seating rows.
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
second and third row
passengers seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger on vans with three or
more seating rows.
If the van is equipped with a
sliding door, the roof-rail airbag
for the front outboard passenger
is separate from the roof-rail
airbag for the second and third
row passengers seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger. If the van is
equipped with a 60/40 swing-out
door, a single roof-rail airbag
covers all three seating
positions.
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on an
attached label near the deployment
opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center of the
steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the front
outboard passenger. For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
inflating airbag, all airbags must
inflate very quickly to do their job.
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
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
See
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 3-20.
(Continued)

Black plate (18,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
3-18 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce the chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints”to the
safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children on
page 3-33 orInfants and Young
Children on page 3-35.
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 5-15.

Black plate (19,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
Seats and Restraints 3-19
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
If the vehicle has one, the front
outboard passenger airbag is in the
instrument panel on the
passenger side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the vehicle has a single seating
row and it has roof-rail airbags for
the driver and front outboard
passenger, the roof-rail airbags are
in the ceiling above the side
windows.

Black plate (20,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
3-20 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If the vehicle has two seating rows,
roof-rail airbags for the driver, front
outboard passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
If the vehicle has three or more
seating rows, roof-rail airbags for
the driver, front outboard passenger,
and second and third row outboard
passengers are in the ceiling above
the side windows.
{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.
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?
This vehicle is equipped with one or
more airbags. See Airbag System
on page 3-16. Airbags are designed
to inflate if the impact exceeds the
specific airbag system's 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. The vehicle has
electronic sensors which help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
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 front
outboard passenger head and
chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.

Black plate (21,1)GMC Savana Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6014682) -
2014 - CRC 2nd Edition - 8/26/13
Seats and Restraints 3-21
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 depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, if the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating) is 3 855 kg
(8,500 lb) or below, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. You can find the GVWR on
the Certification/Tire label on the
rear edge of the driver door. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9-10.
Advanced technology frontal airbags
adjust the restraint according to
crash severity.
The vehicle may or may not be
equipped with roof-rail airbags.
Roof-rail airbags are designed toinflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
frontal, near-frontal, or rear impacts.
All roof-rail airbags will inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck or
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over on
its side.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
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. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? on page 3-19.
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 by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's 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