2005 Buick Rainier Owners Manual

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2005 Buick Rainier Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-5 Safety Belts .............................................. 1-7 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-26 Airbag System ......................................... 1-46 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-61 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-3 ....................................... 2-7 ................................................. 2-14 ............................ 2-16 ........... 2-18 .................................................... 2-30 ...................................... 2-40 ............................. 2-42 ......................................... 2-46 .................................................. 2-50 ............................. 2-51 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-19 ........ 3-25 .................. 3-43 ....................................... 3-56 Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors OnStar® System HomeLink® Transmitter Storage Areas Sunroof Vehicle Personalization Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s) Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 ..... 4-2 ................................................... 4-50 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-46 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-46 Front Axle ............................................... 5-47 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-48 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-51 Tires ...................................................... 5-53 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-83 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ................................. 5-91 Electrical System ...................................... 5-92 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-102 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 ........... 7-2 ........................... 7-10 Index ................................................................ 1 Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Maintenance Schedule Canadian Owners A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK, and the BUICK Emblem are registered trademarks, and the name Rainier is a trademark of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without notice. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual in the vehicle. How to Use This Manual Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If this is done, it can help you learn about the features and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work together in the owner manual to explain things. Index A good place to quickly locate information about the vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 05RAINIER A First Edition ©2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii Safety Warnings and Symbols There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.” iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this manual you will ﬁnd these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage, or indicator. If you need help ﬁguring out a speciﬁc name of a component, gage, or indicator, reference the following topics: (cid:127) Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 (cid:127) Climate Controls in Section 3 (cid:127) Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3 (cid:127) Audio System(s) in Section 3 (cid:127) Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv (cid:127) (cid:127) These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: ✍ NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Power Seats ..................................................1-2 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-2 Heated Seats .................................................1-3 Power Reclining Seatbacks ..............................1-4 Head Restraints .............................................1-5 Rear Seats .......................................................1-5 Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-5 Safety Belts .....................................................1-7 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-7 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-11 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-12 Driver Position ..............................................1-12 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-19 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-20 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-20 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults ..........................1-23 Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-25 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-25 Child Restraints .............................................1-26 Older Children ..............................................1-26 Infants and Young Children ............................1-28 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-32 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-35 Top Strap ....................................................1-36 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-37 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-38 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System ....................................1-40 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position ................................1-40 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Seat Position ............................................1-42 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ....................................1-43 Airbag System ...............................................1-46 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-48 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-51 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-53 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-53 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? .....1-54 Passenger Sensing System ............................1-55 Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-60 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-60 Restraint System Check ..................................1-61 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-61 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-62 1-1 Front Seats Power Seats The power seat controls are located on the outboard side of the front seat cushions. The horizontal control adjusts the seat cushion and the vertical control adjusts the seatback. (cid:127) Move the front of the horizontal seat control up or down to adjust the front portion of the cushion. (cid:127) Move the rear of the seat control up or down to adjust the rear portion of the cushion. Lift up or push down on the center of the seat control to move the entire seat up or down. To move the seat forward or rearward, slide the seat control forward or rearward. To recline the seatback, press the vertical control rearward. To raise the seatback, press the vertical control forward. See Power Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-4 for more information. Power Lumbar The seatback lumbar support can be adjusted by moving a control located on the outboard side of the seat cushions. To increase or decrease support, hold the control forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed. 1-2 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Heated Seats Your vehicle may have heated front seats. The buttons used to control this feature are located on the front door armrests. The engine must be running for the heated seat feature to work. To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with the heated seat symbol. Press the button repeatedly to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium, low and off. The indicator lights will glow to designate the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium and one for low. The low setting warms the seatback and cushion until the seat temperature is near body temperature. The medium and high settings heat the seatback and seat cushion to a slightly higher temperature. You will be able to feel heat in about two minutes. To heat only the seatback, press the button with the words BACK ONLY. An indicator light on the switch will glow to designate that only the seatback is being heated. Additional presses will cycle through the heat levels for the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again to heat the whole seat. The feature will shut off automatically when the ignition is turned off. 1-3 Power Reclining Seatbacks Your vehicle may have this feature. The vertical power seat control described earlier allows the seatback to recline. See Power Seats on page 1-2 for more information. But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-4 {CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can not do their job when you are reclined like this. The shoulder belt can not do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can not do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. Head Restraints Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation Your vehicle has a 60/40 folding rear seat which lets you fold the seatbacks down for more cargo space. Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. The head restraints lock into place when raised. To release the head restraint and lower it, press the tab located on the top of the seatback. Pull up on the loop located where the seat cushion meets the seatback to fold the seat cushion up and out of the way. This will allow the seatback to fold ﬂat and increase the cargo area. 1-5 The rear seatback levers are located on the outboard side of the rear seatbacks. Pull the seatback toward you as you lift up on the lever. The head restraint will automatically fold out of the way when the seatback is folded down. To raise the seatbacks, lift up the seatbacks and push on them until they lock into the upright position. Push and pull on the seatbacks to make sure that they are latched securely. Then fold the bottom seat cushion back into place. To return the head restraint to the upright position, reach behind the seat and pull the restraint up until it locks into place. Push and pull on the head restraint to make sure that it is latched securely. 1-6 {CAUTION: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. Safety Belts Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts. {CAUTION: Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you are not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts are fastened properly too. 1-7 Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-28. Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work. You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter...a lot! 1-8 Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop. 1-9 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-10 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I am wearing a safety belt? A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, 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 in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-11 or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense. Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an accident — even one that is not your fault — you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone. How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This part is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-26 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-28. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection. First, you will want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We will start with the driver position. Driver Position Lap-Shoulder Belt The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear it properly. 1. Close and lock the door. 2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index. 1-12 5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt. 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The 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. 4. 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, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-25. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-13 The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. 1-14 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt against your body. A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as much protection this way. 1-15 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you. A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place. 1-16 Q: What is wrong with this? {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. A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times. 1-17 Q: What is wrong with this? {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 to ﬁx it. A: The belt is twisted across the body. 1-18 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle. Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy. The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly. 1-19 Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-12. The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt — except for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Rear Seat Passengers It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. 1-20 Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear one properly. 1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The 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. 2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-25. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder part. 1-21 {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt against your body. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. 1-22 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Rear shoulder belt comfort guides provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When attached to a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt away from the neck and head. There is one guide for each of the rear outside passenger positions. Here is how to attach the comfort guide to the shoulder belt. 1. Slide the guide off of its storage clip located between the interior body and the seatback. 1-23 2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic cord must be under the belt. Then, 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. 1-24 4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-20. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. Slide the guide back onto its storage clip located between the interior body and the seatback. Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. Although you cannot see them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety belts for the driver and right front passenger. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal, near frontal or side crash or a rollover. Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other new parts for your safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-62. Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to ﬁt. The extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender. 1-25 Child Restraints Older Children Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts? A: If possible, an older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should ﬁt snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear seat. In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety belts properly. Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. 1-26 Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt, but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is very close to the child’s face or neck? A: If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. If the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint the belts provide. If the child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults on page 1-23. 1-27 {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can not properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time. Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. Infants and Young Children Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. 1-28 {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms. A baby should be secured in an appropriate restraint. 1-29 {CAUTION: 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’s 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. Q: What are the different types of add-on child restraints? A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types. Selection of a particular restraint should take into consideration not only the child’s weight, height, and age but also whether or not the restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will be used. 1-30 {CAUTION: The body structure of a young child is quite unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom the safety belts are designed. A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that is unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints. For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come with the restraint state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs. {CAUTION: Newborn infants need complete support, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants always should be secured in appropriate infant restraints. 1-31 Child Restraint Systems An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to restrain or position a child on a continuous ﬂat surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the center of the vehicle. A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint. 1-32 A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields. A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to improve the ﬁt of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some high-back booster seats have a ﬁve-point harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window. 1-33 When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may ﬁnd these instructions on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system or the LATCH system in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the instructions that come with the restraint which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from the manufacturer. Q: How do child restraints work? A: A child restraint system is any device designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position children. A built-in child restraint system is a permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a portable one, which is purchased by the vehicle’s owner. For many years, add-on child restraints have used the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness system holds the child in place within the restraint. One system, the three-point harness, has straps that come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and buckle together at the crotch. The ﬁve-point harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that are attached to a ﬂat pad which rests low against the child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield that swings up or to the side. 1-34 Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. General Motors recommends that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat. Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. General Motors recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child restraint properly. Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child restraint in your vehicle — even when no child is in it. 1-35 Top Strap Some child restraints have a top strap, or “top tether.” It can help restrain the child restraint during a collision. For it to work, a top strap must be properly anchored to the vehicle. Some top strap-equipped child restraints are designed for use with or without the top strap being anchored. Others require the top strap always to be anchored. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint. If yours requires that the top strap be anchored, do not use the restraint unless it is anchored properly. If the child restraint does not have a top strap, one can be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit is available. 1-36 In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be anchored. In the United States, some child restraints also have a top strap. If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be anchored. {CAUTION: Each top tether bracket is designed to anchor only one child restraint. Attaching more than one child restraint to a single bracket could cause the anchor to come loose or even break during a crash. A child or others could be injured if this happens. To help prevent injury to people and damage to your vehicle, attach only one child restraint per bracket. Anchor the top strap to one of the following anchor points. Be sure to use an anchor point located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. Raise the head restraint and route the top strap under it. See Head Restraints on page 1-5. Once you have the top strap anchored, you will be ready to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the top strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions say. Top Strap Anchor Location Anchor brackets for the rear seat positions are located on the ﬂoor in the cargo area of your vehicle. Do not use the rear tie-down brackets near the liftgate for top strap tethers. Do not secure a child restraint in the right front passenger’s position if a national or local law requires that the top strap be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. There is no place to anchor the top strap in this position. 1-37 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) Your vehicle has the LATCH system. You will ﬁnd anchors in the outside seating positions in the second row. This system, designed to make installation of child restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts. Instead, it uses vehicle anchors and child restraint attachments to secure the restraints. Some restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a top tether strap. A. Lower Anchorage B. Lower Anchorage C. Top Tether 1-38 The labels are located above a ﬂap at the base of the seatback in the rear outside seating positions. The anchors are located under the ﬂap. In order to get to the anchors, you will need to pull the strap at the center of the seat, where the seat cushion meets the seatback. This will allow you to fold the seat cushion up and out of the way. Lift the ﬂap to expose the anchors and then lower the seat cushion. Be sure the cushion is locked into place. {CAUTION: If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to its anchorage points, the restraint will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is properly installed using the anchorage points, or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual. 1-39 A. Lower Anchorage B. Lower Anchorage In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint designed for that system. To assist you in locating the lower anchors for this child restraint system, each seating position with the LATCH system has a label on the seatback at each lower anchor position. Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-38. See Top Strap on page 1-36 if the child restraint has one. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap-shoulder 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. 1. Put the child restraint on the seat. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System 1. Find the LATCH anchorages for the seating position you want to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back of the seat cushion. See Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-38. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Attach and tighten the LATCH attachments on the child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage. The child restraint instructions will show you how. Also see Top Strap on page 1-36. 5. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top tether from the top tether anchorage and then disconnect the LATCH attachments from the LATCH anchorages. 1-40 3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 1-41 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Seat Position Many child restraints are too wide to be correctly secured in the center rear seat, although some of them will ﬁt there. If the center seat position is too narrow for your child restraint, secure it in a rear outside seat position. If you secure a child restraint in the center seat position, follow the instructions in Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-40. 5. To tighten the belt, push down on 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. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. 1-42 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position Your vehicle has a right front passenger airbag. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-35. In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing system. The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag when an infant in a rear-facing infant seat or a small child in a forward-facing child restraint or booster seat is detected. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-55 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30 for more information on this including important safety information. A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. General Motors recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat position, move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the forward-facing child restraint. See Power Seats on page 1-2. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-38. 1-43 There is no top strap anchor at the right front seating position. Do not secure a child seat in this position if a national or local law requires that the top strap be anchored or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. See Top Strap on page 1-36 if your child restraint has one. You will be using the lap-shoulder 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. 1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal airbag. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-55. General Motors recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear seat, even if the airbag is off. If your child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the child restraint in this seat. See Power Seats on page 1-2. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator in the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30. 1-44 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 6. To tighten the belt, push down on 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. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. You should not be able to pull more of the belt from the retractor once the lock has been set. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 8. If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the inside rearview mirror will be lit and stay lit when the key is turned to RUN or START. 1-45 If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint. If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the head restraint. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and check with your dealer. To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. Airbag System Your vehicle has a frontal airbag for the driver and another frontal airbag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may also have roof-mounted airbags designed for either side impact or rollover deployment. Roof-mounted airbags are available for the driver and the passenger seated directly behind the driver and for the right front passenger and the passenger seated directly behind that passenger. If your vehicle has roof-mounted airbags, the words AIR BAG will appear on the airbag covering on the sidewall trim near the driver’s and right front passenger’s window. Frontal airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inﬂating frontal airbag. But these airbags must inﬂate very quickly to do their job and comply with federal regulations. 1-46 Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system: CAUTION: (Continued) The roof-mounted airbags are designed to inﬂate only in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle. They are not designed to inﬂate in frontal or in rear crashes. If the vehicle is equipped with rollover capable airbags, it has been designed to deploy the roof-mounted airbags in the event of a vehicle rollover. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. {CAUTION: You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you have airbags. 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. All airbags are designed to work with safety belts but do not replace them. Frontal airbags for the driver and right front passenger are designed to deploy only in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inﬂate in rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes, or in many side crashes. And, for some unrestrained occupants, frontal airbags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful airbags have provided in the past. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-47 Where Are the Airbags? {CAUTION: Both frontal and roof-mounted airbags inﬂate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you are too close to an inﬂating airbag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts helpkeep you in position for airbag inﬂation before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt even with frontal 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. There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol. The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel. 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 3-29 for more information. 1-48 The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. If your vehicle has a roof-mounted airbag for the driver and the person seated directly behind the driver, it is located in the ceiling above the side windows. 1-49 {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an airbag, the bag 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. And, if your vehicle has roof-mounted airbags, never secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope or tiedown through any door or window opening. If you do, the path of an inﬂating side impact airbag will be blocked. The path of an inﬂating airbag must be kept clear. If your vehicle has a roof-mounted airbag for the right front passenger and the person directly behind that passenger, it is located in the ceiling above the side windows. 1-50 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inﬂate only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment events and 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. In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal airbags, which adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inﬂate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 18 to 25 mph (29 to 40 km/h). (The threshold level can vary, however, with speciﬁc vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range.) Airbags may inﬂate at different crash speeds. For example: If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbag could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the object were moving. If the object deforms, the airbag could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the object does not deform. If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the airbag 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 airbag could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle goes straight into the object. The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not intended to inﬂate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inﬂation would not likely help the occupants. 1-51 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Your vehicle may or may not have a roof-mounted airbag. See Airbag System on page 1-46. These “rollover capable” airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe side crashes or during a rollover. A roof-mounted airbag will inﬂate if the crash severity is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary with speciﬁc vehicle design. Roof-mounted airbags are not designed to inﬂate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts, because inﬂation would not likely help the occupant. Your vehicle has seat position sensors which enable the sensing system to monitor the position of the driver’s seat and the right front passenger’s seat. Seat position sensors provide information that is used to determine if the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment. 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 the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For roof-mounted airbags, inﬂation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. The airbag system is designed to work properly under a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on page 4-15 for tips on off-road driving. 1-52 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. In the case of a “rollover capable” roof-mounted airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over. For both frontal and roof-mounted airbags, the sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inﬂator, which inﬂates the airbag. The inﬂator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with roof-mounted airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows. 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. The airbag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the airbag. Roof-mounted airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions or rollovers for the roof-mounted airbags. 1-53 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? After an airbag inﬂates, it quickly deﬂates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag inﬂated. Some components of the airbag module — the steering wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag or the ceiling of your vehicle near the side windows — will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deﬂated airbags. Airbag inﬂation does not prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle. {CAUTION: When an airbag inﬂates, there is 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 can not 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. Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the airbags inﬂate (if battery power is available). You can lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using the door lock and interior lamp controls. 1-54 In many crashes severe enough to inﬂate an airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger airbag. (cid:127) Airbags are designed to inﬂate only once. After an airbag inﬂates, you will need some new parts for your 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. (cid:127) Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module which records information after a crash. See Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data Recorders on page 7-9. Let only qualiﬁed technicians work on your airbag system. Improper service can mean that your airbag system will not work properly. See your dealer for service. If you damage the covering for the driver’s Notice: or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the side impact airbag covering on the ceiling near the side windows, the airbag may not work properly. You may have to replace the airbag module in the steering wheel, both the airbag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s airbag, or side impact airbag module and ceiling covering for the roof-mounted side impact airbag. Do not open or break the airbag coverings. Passenger Sensing System Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the right front passenger’s position. A passenger airbag status indicator in the rearview mirror will be visible when you turn your ignition key to START or RUN. The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off, will be visible on the rearview mirror during the system check. When the system check is complete, either the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or the symbol for off will be visible. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30. 1-55 (cid:127) The passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the right front passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may inﬂate) or not. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. General Motors recommends that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat. Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys. Passenger Airbag Status Indicator – United States Passenger Airbag Status Indicator – Canada The passenger sensing system will turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions. The driver’s airbag and the side airbags are not part of the passenger sensing system. 1-56 {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. General Motors recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off. The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if: the right front passenger seat is unoccupied the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing child restraint the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat a right front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time the right front passenger seat is occupied by a smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown child restraints or if there is a critical problem with the airbag system or the passenger sensing system. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator in the rearview mirror will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off. If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s directions and refer to Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-43. 1-57 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the fully upright position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for about two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person and then enable the passenger’s airbag. If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the head restraint. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and check with your dealer. The passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inﬂate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s seat. When the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is active. For some children who have outgrown child restraints and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, depending upon the person’s seating posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. 1-58 {CAUTION: {CAUTION: Stowing of articles under the passenger’s seat or between the passenger’s seat cushion and seatback may interfere with the proper operation of the passenger sensing system. If the airbag readiness light in the instrument panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it means that something may be wrong with the airbag system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly, because an adult-size person sitting in the right front passenger’s seat may not have the protection of the frontal airbag. See Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-29 for more on this, including important safety information. Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect how well the passenger sensing system operates. You may want to consider not using seat covers or other aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the passenger sensing system. See Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-60 for more information about modiﬁcations that can affect how the system operates. 1-59 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle Q: Is there anything I might add to the front or sides of the vehicle that could keep the airbags from working properly? A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s frame, bumper system, front end or side sheet metal or height, they may keep the airbag system from working properly. Also, the airbag system may not work properly if you relocate any of the airbag sensors. If you have any questions about this, you should contact Customer Assistance before you modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2. Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced. There are airbag system parts in several places around your vehicle. You do not want the system to inﬂate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-11. {CAUTION: For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is turned off and the battery is disconnected, an airbag can still inﬂate during improper service. You can be injured if you are close to an airbag when it inﬂates. Avoid yellow connectors. They are probably part of the airbag system. Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and make sure the person performing work for you is qualiﬁed to do so. The airbag system does not need regular maintenance. 1-60 Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my vehicle modiﬁed. How can I ﬁnd out whether this will affect my airbag system? A: Changing or moving any parts of the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and diagnostic module (located under the driver’s seat), or the inside rearview mirror can affect the operation of the airbag system. If you have questions, call Customer Assistance. The phone numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2. Restraint System Check Checking Your Restraint Systems Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it repaired. Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away. Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers, and have them repaired or replaced. (The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.) 1-61 If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also may mean you will need to have LATCH system, safety belt or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the belt or LATCH system was not being used at the time of the collision. If an airbag inﬂates, you will need to replace airbag system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier in this section. If the airbags inﬂate you will also need to replace the driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assembly. Be sure to do so. Then the new retractor assembly will be there to help protect you in a collision. After a crash you may need to replace the driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies, even if the airbags have not deployed. The driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies contain the safety belt pretensioners. Have your safety belt pretensioners checked if your vehicle has been in a collision, or if your airbag readiness light stays on after you start your vehicle or while you are driving. See Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-29. Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash {CAUTION: A crash can damage the restraint systems in your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash. To help make sure your restraint systems are working properly after a crash, have them inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible. If you have had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH system parts? After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary. But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn during a more severe crash, then you need new parts. If the LATCH system was being used during a more severe crash, you may need new LATCH system parts. 1-62 Section 2 Features and Controls Keys ...............................................................2-3 Remote Keyless Entry System .........................2-4 Remote Keyless Entry System Operation ...........2-5 Doors and Locks .............................................2-7 Door Locks ....................................................2-7 Power Door Locks ..........................................2-8 Delayed Locking .............................................2-9 Programmable Automatic Door Locks ................2-9 Rear Door Security Locks ..............................2-12 Lockout Protection ........................................2-12 Liftgate/Liftglass ............................................2-13 Windows ........................................................2-14 Power Windows ............................................2-15 Sun Visors ...................................................2-16 Theft-Deterrent Systems ..................................2-16 Content Theft-Deterrent .................................2-16 Passlock® ....................................................2-18 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ................2-18 New Vehicle Break-In ....................................2-18 Ignition Positions ..........................................2-19 Retained Accessory Power (RAP) ...................2-19 Starting Your Engine .....................................2-20 Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal ................2-21 Engine Coolant Heater ..................................2-21 Automatic Transmission Operation ...................2-22 All-Wheel Drive ............................................2-25 Parking Brake ..............................................2-25 Shifting Into Park (P) .....................................2-26 Shifting Out of Park (P) .................................2-27 Parking Over Things That Burn .......................2-28 Engine Exhaust ............................................2-28 Running Your Engine While You Are Parked ....2-29 Mirrors ...........................................................2-30 Manual Rearview Mirror .................................2-30 Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar® ..............2-30 Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass ............2-30 Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar® and Compass .................................................2-33 Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass and Temperature .............................................2-35 Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar®, Compass, and Temperature Display .............2-37 Outside Power Mirror ....................................2-39 Outside Curb View Assist Mirror .....................2-39 Outside Convex Mirror ...................................2-40 Outside Heated Mirrors ..................................2-40 2-1 Section 2 Features and Controls OnStar® System .............................................2-40 HomeLink® Transmitter ...................................2-42 Programming the HomeLink® Transmitter .........2-43 Storage Areas ................................................2-46 Glove Box ...................................................2-46 Overhead Console ........................................2-46 Center Console Storage Area .........................2-47 Assist Handles .............................................2-47 Luggage Carrier ...........................................2-47 Rear Floor Storage Lid ..................................2-48 Convenience Net ..........................................2-49 Cargo Cover ................................................2-49 Sunroof .........................................................2-50 Vehicle Personalization ...................................2-51 Memory Seat ...............................................2-51 2-2 Keys {CAUTION: Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key is dangerous for many reasons. They could operate the power windows or other controls or even make the vehicle move. The children or others could be badly injured or even killed. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle with children. 2-3 This vehicle has one double-sided key for the ignition and door lock. It will ﬁt with either side up. When a new vehicle is delivered, the dealer provides the owner with a pair of identical keys and a key code number. The key code number tells your dealer or a qualiﬁed locksmith how to make extra keys. Keep this number in a safe place. If you lose your keys, you’ll be able to have new ones made easily using this number. Your selling dealer should also have this number. Notice: you may have to damage the vehicle to get in. Be sure you have spare keys. If you ever do get locked out of your vehicle, call the GM Roadside Assistance Center. See Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-5. If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle, 2-4 If your vehicle is equipped with the OnStar® system with an active subscription and you lock your keys inside the vehicle, OnStar® may be able to send a command to unlock your vehicle. See OnStar® System on page 2-40 for more information. Remote Keyless Entry System Your keyless entry system operates on a radio frequency subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules and with Industry Canada. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause interference, and 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1. This device may not cause interference, and 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. Changes or modiﬁcations to this system by other than an authorized service facility could void authorization to use this equipment. At times you may notice a decrease in range. This is normal for any remote keyless entry system. If the transmitter does not work or if you have to stand closer to your vehicle for the transmitter to work, try this: (cid:127) Check the distance. You may be too far from your vehicle. You may need to stand closer during rainy or snowy weather. (cid:127) Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be blocking the signal. Take a few steps to the left or right, hold the transmitter higher, and try again. (cid:127) Check to determine if battery replacement is necessary. See “Battery Replacement” under Remote Keyless Entry System Operation on page 2-5. If you are still having trouble, see your dealer or a qualiﬁed technician for service. Remote Keyless Entry System Operation With this system you can lock and unlock your doors from about 3 feet (1 m) up to 30 feet (9 m) away using the remote keyless entry transmitter supplied with your vehicle. K (Unlock): When you press unlock, the driver’s door will unlock automatically, the parking lamps may ﬂash and the interior lights will go on. You can program different feedback settings through the Driver Information Center (DIC). For more information see Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-43. 2-5 (cid:127) Battery Replacement Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless entry transmitter should last about two years. You can tell the battery is weak if the transmitter won’t work at the normal range in any location. If you have to get close to your vehicle before the transmitter works, it’s probably time to change the battery. The Driver Information Center (DIC) will display a KEY FOB # BATTERY LOW message when the transmitter battery is low. Notice: When replacing the battery, use care not to touch any of the circuitry. Static from your body transferred to these surfaces may damage the transmitter. Q (Lock): Press lock to lock all the doors. Press lock again within three seconds and the horn may chirp. L (Panic): Press the horn symbol to make the horn sound. The headlamps and taillamps will also ﬂash for up to 30 seconds. This can be turned off by pressing the horn button again, or by waiting for 30 seconds, or by starting the vehicle. Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle Each remote keyless entry transmitter is coded to prevent another transmitter from unlocking your vehicle. If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can be purchased through your dealer. Remember to bring any remaining transmitters with you when you go to your dealer. When the dealer matches the replacement transmitter to your vehicle, any remaining transmitters must also be matched. Once your dealer has coded the new transmitter, the lost transmitter will not unlock your vehicle. Each vehicle can have a maximum of four transmitters matched to it. 2-6 To replace the battery in the remote keyless entry transmitter do the following: Doors and Locks Door Locks {CAUTION: 1. Insert a thin coin in the slot between the covers of the transmitter housing. Gently pry the transmitter apart. 2. Remove and replace the battery with a three-volt CR2032 or equivalent battery. 3. Align the covers and snap them together. 4. Check the operation of the transmitter. Unlocked doors can be dangerous. (cid:127) Passengers — especially children — can easily open the doors and fall out of a moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle will not open it. You increase the chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear safety belts properly and lock the doors whenever you drive. (cid:127) Young children who get into unlocked vehicles may be unable to get out. A child can be overcome by extreme heat and can suffer permanent injuries or even death from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle whenever you leave it. (cid:127) Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked door when you slow down or stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can help prevent this from happening. 2-7 There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle. You can use the remote keyless entry transmitter or you can use your key to unlock your door from the outside. Power Door Locks The power door lock switches are located on the driver’s and front passenger’s armrests. Remove the ignition key and press the lock symbol to lock all of the doors at once. To unlock the doors, press the other side of the switch. You can lock or unlock the door from the inside by sliding the manual lever forward or rearward. The manual lever on each door works only that door’s lock. 2-8 Delayed Locking This feature delays the locking of the doors and the tailgate when using the power lock or the remote keyless entry system. The ﬁrst time you attempt to lock the doors with the driver’s door open, three chimes will signal that delayed locking is being used. This can be performed by using either the power lock switch or the remote keyless entry transmitter. All doors and the liftgate can be reopened for up to ﬁve seconds from the time the last door is closed. Five seconds after the last door is closed, all the doors will lock. You can lock the doors immediately by using the power door lock switch or by pressing the lock button on the optional remote keyless entry transmitter a second time. If the key is inserted in the ignition, this feature will not lock the doors. The lockout prevention feature will operate instead. You can enable or disable the delayed locking feature. If the feature is disabled, the doors will lock immediately when a power door lock switch or remote keyless entry transmitter lock button is pressed. Programming Delayed Locking To turn the delayed locking feature on or off, do the following: 1. Press and hold the power door lock switch on the driver’s door in the lock position. 2. Press the remote keyless entry transmitter unlock button twice. If the delayed locking feature was on, it will now be off. If the feature was off, it will now be on. Programmable Automatic Door Locks Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic lock/unlock feature which enables you to program your vehicle’s power door locks. You can program this feature through the Driver Information Center (DIC), or by the following method. See DIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-50. 2-9 Programmable Locking Feature Following are the two locking modes that can be programmed: Mode 1: All doors lock when the transmission is shifted out of PARK (P). Mode 2: All doors lock when the vehicle speed is greater than 8 mph (13 km/h). The automatic door locks were pre-programmed at the factory to lock all the doors when the transmission is shifted into gear. The following instructions detail how to program your door locks differently than the factory setting. Choose one of the two programming options listed above before entering the program mode. To enter the program mode, do the following: 1. Begin with the ignition off. Then pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward you and hold it there while you perform the next step. 2. Turn the key to RUN and LOCK twice. Then, with the key in LOCK, release the turn signal/multifunction lever. Once you do this, you will hear the lock switch lock and unlock, the horn will chirp twice, and a 30 second program timer will begin. 3. You are now ready to program the automatic door locks. Select one of the two programming options listed above, and press the lock side of the power door lock switch to cycle through the lock options. You will have 30 seconds to begin programming. If you exceed the 30 second limit, the locks will automatically lock and unlock and the horn will chirp twice to indicate that you have left the program mode. If this occurs, repeat the procedure beginning with Step 1 to re-enter the programming mode. You can exit the program mode any time by turning the ignition to RUN. The locks will automatically lock and unlock and the horn will chirp twice to indicate that you are leaving the program mode. If the lock/unlock switches are not pressed while in the programming mode, the current auto lock/unlock setting will not be modiﬁed.

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2005 Buick Rainier Owners Manual