2006 Buick Rendezvous Owners Manual

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2006 Buick Rendezvous Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-3 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8 Safety Belts ............................................. 1-22 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-45 Airbag System ......................................... 1-72 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-87 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 Keys ........................................................ 2-3 Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8 Windows ................................................. 2-13 Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-15 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-19 Mirrors .................................................... 2-31 OnStar® System ...................................... 2-32 Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-34 Storage Areas ......................................... 2-38 Sunroof .................................................. 2-46 Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-47 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-28 ........ 3-37 ....................................... 3-51 Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Message Center Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s) Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing .................. 3-60 ....................................... 3-74 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 ..... 4-2 ................................................... 4-36 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-4 Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-43 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-44 Windshield Replacement ........................... 5-49 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-49 Tires ...................................................... 5-51 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-91 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ................................. 5-99 Electrical System .................................... 5-100 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-106 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 ........... 7-2 ........................... 7-13 Index ................................................................ 1 Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Maintenance Schedule GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK, the BUICK Emblem, and the name RENDEZVOUS are registered trademarks 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. 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 About Driving Your Vehicle As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an accident. See Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle on page 4-2. 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. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 06RENDEZVOUS A First Printing ©2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii 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. 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 ......................................................1-3 Manual Seats ................................................1-3 Six-Way Power Seats .....................................1-4 Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-5 Heated Seats .................................................1-5 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6 Head Restraints .............................................1-8 Rear Seats .......................................................1-8 Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-8 Split Bench Seats ...........................................1-8 Captain Chairs .............................................1-14 Stowable Seat ..............................................1-18 Safety Belts ...................................................1-22 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-22 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-26 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-27 Driver Position ..............................................1-27 Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-35 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-36 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-36 Rear Outside Passenger Positions ..................1-36 Center Rear Passenger Position .....................1-40 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-42 Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-45 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-45 Child Restraints .............................................1-45 Older Children ..............................................1-45 Infants and Young Children ............................1-48 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-51 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-54 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) ......................................1-55 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position .........................1-65 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Rear Seat Position ..........................1-67 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ............................1-69 1-1 Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-85 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-86 Restraint System Check ..................................1-87 Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-87 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-88 Airbag System ...............................................1-72 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-75 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-77 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-79 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-79 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? .........................................1-80 Passenger Sensing System ............................1-81 1-2 Front Seats Manual Seats {CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Your vehicle may have manual seats. Use the lever located under the front of the seat to adjust the seat forward or rearward. Pull the lever up to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever. To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move the seat back and forth with your body. 1-3 Six-Way Power Seats If your vehicle has this feature, the power seat control is located on the outboard side of the seat(s). (cid:127) Move the front of the control up or down to adjust the front portion of the seat up or down. (cid:127) Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the rear portion of the seat up or down. (cid:127) Slide the control forward or rearward to move the seat forward or rearward. 1-4 Manual Lumbar Heated Seats The knob that controls this feature is located on the outboard sides of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats. Your vehicle may have heated seats. If it does, the heated seat switches are located in the instrument panel switchbank. Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the vehicle to decrease lumbar support. This feature will quickly heat the seat cushions and lower back of the driver’s and front passenger’s seat. The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right switch is for the front passenger’s seat. Press the top of the switch to turn the heater on. Press the bottom of the switch to turn the heater off. The heated seat switch will turn off when the ignition is turned to OFF and will resume operation when the ignition is turned to ON, unless the switch is turned off. 1-5 Reclining Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. Pull up on the lever, and the seat will go to its original upright position. To adjust a seatback, pull up on the lever located on the outboard side of the driver’s or front passenger’s seats. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into position. 1-6 Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. {CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their job when you are reclined like this. The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will not be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt cannot 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. 1-7 Head Restraints Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation The rear seats in your vehicle have seat operating features to adjust, fold, remove and reinstall the seats. By using the seat operating procedures, in the correct order, you can easily remove the seats from your vehicle. When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be sure to follow the label on the back of the seat for proper location. Split Bench Seats If your vehicle has the split bench seat, the seatbacks can be folded forward or reclined individually and the sections can be ﬂipped forward or removed individually. 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 are adjustable. Slide the head restraint up or down to adjust it. 1-8 Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. To recline the seatback on base-level split bench seats, lift up on the recliner lever located on the outboard side of the seatback. Base-Level To recline the seatback on up-level split bench seats, push forward on the recliner lever located on the outboard side of the seatback. Up-Level Move the seatback to the desired position. It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean forward and take the weight off the seatback. The seatbacks on each section also fold forward to put items behind the seats. Lift up or push forward on the recliner lever and fold the seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place when you push it back to the upright position. After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright. 1-9 Removing the Split Bench Seat Each section of the split bench seat can be ﬂipped forward or removed individually. 1. Unlatch the shoulder belt from the lap-belt. 2. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright position. 3. Lift up or push forward on the seatback recliner lever to fold the seatback forward. 1-10 Base-Level 4. For base-level split bench seats, pull the lever at the base of the seat on the outboard side to release the rear latches from the ﬂoor pins and ﬂip the seat forward. For up-level split bench seats, continue pushing forward on the recliner lever to release the rear latches from the ﬂoor pins and ﬂip the seat forward. 5. To release the front latches, squeeze the angled latch release bar toward the straight crossbar. 6. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out. Repeat these steps for the other section of the split bench seat. 1-11 Replacing the Split Bench Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: A seat that is not locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock the seat into place properly when installing it. {CAUTION: A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After installing the seat, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward position and that the safety belts are on the correct section of the seat. Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so that they face rearward because they won’t latch that way. The split bench seat sections have seat position labels, located on the back of each section, showing where the section must go. The seat must be placed in the proper location for the legs to attach correctly. 1-12 1. Squeeze the angled latch release bar toward the straight crossbar while placing the front hooks of the bench seat onto the front two ﬂoor pins. 2. Make sure that the bench seat is angled so that the front hooks clear the ﬂoor pins. If the front legs are not attached correctly, the rear legs will not attach to the rear set of ﬂoor pins. 1-13 Captain Chairs If your vehicle has captain’s chairs, the chairs and seatbacks can be adjusted forward or rearward. Adjusting the Captain’s Chairs (Second Row) To adjust the second row captain’s chairs, use the adjustment bar located below the front of each seat. Lift up the lever to slide the seat forward or rearward. Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place. Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 3. Firmly push the rear hooks onto the rear ﬂoor pins by pushing down on the rear of the seat. 4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down. 5. Lift the seatback recliner lever and raise the seatback until it locks upright. 6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright. 7. Attach the lap belt. 1-14 Removing the Captain’s Chairs 1. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright position. 2. Lift the seatback recliner lever to fold the seatback forward. To recline the seatback, lift up on the recliner lever located on the outboard side of the seatback. Use the recliner lever to move the seatback to the desired position. It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean forward and take the weight off the seatback. After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright. 3. Pull the nylon strap behind the chair to release the rear hooks from the ﬂoor pins. 1-15 Replacing the Captain’s Chairs {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: A seat that is not locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock the seat into place properly when installing it. 4. The seat can then be lifted off the front ﬂoor pins. 5. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out. Repeat these steps for the other captain’s chair. 1-16 {CAUTION: A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After installing the seat, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward position and that the safety belts are on the correct side of the chair. Don’t put the chairs in so that they face rearward because they won’t latch that way. The captain’s chairs have seat position labels, located on the back of each section, showing where the section must go. The seat must be placed in the proper location for the legs to attach correctly. 1. Hook the front latches over the front ﬂoor pins. 1-17 Stowable Seat The stowable seat is a two passenger bench seat and comes with the rear convenience center. See Rear Convenience Center on page 2-43 for more information. The stowable seat can be removed and replaced or, with the seatback folded, it can lie ﬂat with the convenience center. Folding the Seatback {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 2. Push the rear of the seat down to lock the rear latches onto the rear set of ﬂoor pins. 3. Push and pull on the seat to check that it is properly attached. 1-18 To fold the seatback down, pull up on the lever located on the back of the seat. Push down on the seatback until it is locked into place. To raise the seatback, do one of the following: From the rear of the vehicle, pull up on the lever to release the seatback. Then pull the strap, located on the right side of the seat, to pull the seatback up. The seatback has a pocket to stow the strap on the side of the seatback when not in use, or from the passenger’s side door, pull up on the lever to release the seatback. Then push up on the seatback to raise the seat. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that it is locked into the upright position. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that it is locked into place. 1-19 (cid:127) (cid:127) Removing the Stowable Seat 1. Remove the convenience center, if it is in the vehicle. See Rear Convenience Center on page 2-43 for more information. 2. Make sure all items are off the stowable seat. 3. If the seatback is down, put the seatback in its upright position before removing the seat. See “Folding the Seatback” listed previously. 4. From the front of the bench seat, remove the two nuts from the brackets, located on the ﬂoor on each side. 5. From behind the bench seat, fold the seatback down. 6. Remove the rear nuts located on the ﬂoor on each side. 7. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out through the rear of the vehicle. This should be done in one motion. 8. Put the nuts back onto the screws so the nuts do not get misplaced. Replacing the Stowable Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: A seat that is not locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock the seat into place properly when installing it. 1-20 {CAUTION: A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After installing the seat, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. Do not put the stowable seat in so that it faces rearward. The stowable seat has to go in before the rear convenience center. See Rear Convenience Center on page 2-43 for more information. The stowable seat has seat position labels, located on the back of the seat, showing where the seat must go. The seat must be placed in the proper location for the legs to attach correctly. Make sure that the seatback is folded forward before beginning this procedure. 1. Remove the nuts from the screws. 2. Place the stowable seat on the vehicle ﬂoor so that the brackets are placed over the screws. 3. Reinstall the nuts back onto the screws. Torque to approximately 18 lb ft (25 Y). 4. Try to raise the seat to make sure that it is locked down. 5. Raise the seatback to its upright position. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that it is locked into place. 1-21 {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 cannot 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. 1-22 Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-40. 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! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. 1-23 Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop. 1-24 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-25 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. 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. 1-26 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 1-45 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-48. 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. 1-27 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. If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it. 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 1-45. 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. 5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. See Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 1-35. 1-28 6. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 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. 1-29 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. 1-30 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. 1-31 {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over an armrest like this. The belt would be much too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The belt force would then be applied at the abdomen, not at the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests. Q: What is wrong with this? A: The belt is over an armrest. 1-32 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. 1-33 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. 1-34 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. Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder. To move it down, push down on the button (A) and move the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move the height adjuster up by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide. After you move the height adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without pushing the button down to make sure it has locked into position. 1-35 Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-27. 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 Outside Passenger Positions 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. 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. 1-36 Lap-Shoulder Belt The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt 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. If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it. 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 1-45. 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. 1-37 3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. 1-38 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 a crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. {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. To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. 1-39 Center Rear Passenger Position Lap-Shoulder Belt If your vehicle has a bench seat, someone can sit in the center position. When you sit in the center seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. You also have a shoulder belt, which has a retractor. In order to have the protection of the shoulder belt, you must ﬁrst connect it to the lap belt. 1-40 1. Remove the shoulder belt from its stowage location in the roof and pull it all the way down to the lap belt. 2. Insert the metal knob on the shoulder belt into the keyhole on the lap belt buckle as shown. Be sure to slide the shoulder belt part into the keyhole until it locks into place. 3. To make the lap belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt. 1-41 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides Rear safety belt comfort guides may provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for some adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt away from the neck and head. There is a guide available for the center passenger position in the second row rear seat. To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug 4. Buckle, position and release the lap-shoulder belt the same way as the other lap-shoulder belts. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-45. 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. 1-42 Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: Second Row Center Position For second row center position do the following: 1. Remove the elastic cord from under the head restraint of the second row driver’s side position. 2. Attach the elastic cord to the comfort guide on the center passenger shoulder belt. 1-43 {CAUTION: A safety belt that is not properly worn may not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. 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. 3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ﬂat. The guide must be on top of the belt. 4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described in Center Rear Passenger Position on page 1-40. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the elastic cord, remove it from the comfort guide. The elastic cord will go back under the head restraint. 1-44 Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver and right front passenger. Although you cannot see them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash. 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 1-88. 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. Child Restraints Older Children Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. 1-45 Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts? A: 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. 1-46 {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. 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. Also see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on page 1-42. 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 that belts provide. {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. 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. 1-47 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: 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. 1-48 {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. 1-49 {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. 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. 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. 1-50 Child Restraint Systems {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. 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. 1-51 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. 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. 1-52 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. 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. 1-53 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 (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) 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. 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. 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. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-54 CAUTION: (Continued) 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, 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 a child restraint, 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. Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Your vehicle has the LATCH system. The LATCH system holds a child restraint during driving or in a crash. This system is designed to make installation of a child restraint easier. The LATCH system uses anchors in the vehicle and attachments on the child restraint that are made for use with the LATCH system Make sure that a LATCH-compatible child restraint is properly installed using the anchors, 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. When installing a child restraint with a top tether, you must also use either the lower anchors or the safety belts to properly secure the child restraint. A child restraint must never be attached using only the top tether and anchor. 1-55 Lower Anchors In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you need a child restraint equipped with LATCH attachments. The child restraint manufacturer will provide you with instructions on how to use the child restraint and its attachments. The following explains how to attach a child restraint with these attachments in your vehicle. Your vehicle has lower anchors and top tether anchors. Your child restraint may have lower attachments and a top tether. Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints have lower anchors and attachments or top tether anchors and attachments. Lower anchors (A) are metal bars built into the vehicle. There are two lower anchors for each LATCH seating position that will accommodate a child restraint with lower attachments (B). 1-56 Top Tether Anchor A top tether (A, C) anchors the top of the child restraint to the vehicle. A top tether anchor is built into the vehicle. The top tether attachment (B) on the child restraint connects to the top tether anchor in the vehicle in order to reduce the forward movement and rotation of the child restraint during driving or in a crash. Your child restraint may have a single tether (A) or a dual tether (C). Either will have a single attachment (B) to secure the top tether to the anchor. Some top tether-equipped child restraints are designed for use with or without the top tether being attached. Others require the top tether always to be attached. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. In the United States, some child restraints also have a top tether. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for your child restraint. If the child restraint does not have a top tether, one can be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit is available. 1-57 Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor Locations j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors. i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. Second Row — Captains Chairs 1-58 j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors. i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. Second Row — Bench Seat Third Row To assist you in locating the lower anchors, each seating position with lower anchors has two labels, near the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion, showing where the anchors are located. To assist you in locating the top tether anchors, look for this symbol. For the third row, the top tether anchor symbol is located on the ﬂap of carpet behind the seat. Lift the carpet to access the anchor. For the second row center seating position in a vehicle that has the extended rear convenience center, the top tether anchor symbol is located on the cover of the convenience center. Lift the cover to access the top tether anchor. Second Row — Captains Chairs For second row captains chairs, the top tether anchors are exposed and located at the rear of the seat cushions. Be sure to use an anchor located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. 1-59 Second Row Outside Position Bench Seat For second row outboard seating positions, the top tether anchors are exposed and located at the rear of the seat cushions. Be sure to use an anchor located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. Second Row Center Position Bench Seat without Third Row Seat The anchor for the center position bench seat is located on the ﬂoor behind the second row seats. If the vehicle has the extended rear convenience center, you need to lift the cover of the convenience center to access the anchor for the center position bench seat. 1-60 Second Row Center Position Bench Seat with Third Row Seat Second Row Center Position Bench Seat with Third Row Seat Folded Down If the vehicle has a third row seat and the seatback is upright, there is an anchor strap located between the third row seatback and cushion to anchor the child restraint for the second row center position bench seat. If the vehicle has a third row seat and the seatback is folded down, there is an anchor on the back of the third row seat for the second row center position bench seat. 1-61 If you are using a top tether equipped child restraint in the second row center bench seat and need to temporarily transport a ﬂat tire for repair, move the child restraint to a rear seat outboard position. See Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-65 for more information including important safety information. Do not secure a child restraint in the right front passenger’s position or in the third row driver side position, if equipped, if a national or local law requires that the top tether be attached, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be attached. There is no place to attach the top tether in this position. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-54 for additional information. Third Row If the vehicle has a third row, there is a top tether anchor for the third row passenger’s side position. Locate the anchor symbol on the ﬂap of carpet behind the seat. Lift up the carpet to access the anchor. 1-62 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System {CAUTION: {CAUTION: If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to anchors, 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 anchors, 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. Each top tether anchor and lower anchor in the vehicle is designed to hold only one child restraint. Attaching more than one child restraint to a single anchor could cause the anchor or attachment to come loose or even break during a crash. A child or others could be injured if this happens. To help prevent injury to people and damage to your vehicle, attach only one child restraint per anchor. 1. Find the lower anchors, if equipped, for the desired seating position. 2. If the desired seating position does not have lower anchors or the child restraint does not have lower anchorages, see Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-65, Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Rear Seat Position on page 1-67, and Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-69 for instructions on installing the child restraint using the safety belts. 3. Put the child restraint on the seat. 1-63 4. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors, if equipped, in the vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 5. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 5.1. Find the top tether anchor. 5.2. If the vehicle has the extended rear convenience center, you need to lift the cover of the convenience center to access the anchor for the second row center position bench seat. 5.3. For the third row bench seat, lift the carpet to expose the anchor. 5.4. Route and tighten the top tether according to your child restraint instructions and the following instructions: If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether over the seatback. 1-64 If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether over the seatback. If the position you are using has an adjustable head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the head restraint. If the position you are using has an adjustable head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether under the head restraint and in between the head restraint posts. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55. There is no top tether anchor in the 3rd row driver’s-side position. Do not secure a child seat in this position if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55 if the child restraint has a top tether. 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. Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed. 1-65 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. 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. 1-66 5. If your child restraint has a top tether and the position that you are using has a top tether anchor, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and to step 5 under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55. 6. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached to the top tether anchor, disconnect it. 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. Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Rear Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in the center rear seating position. To secure a child restraint in this position, you will use only the lap part of the belt. Disconnect the shoulder part of the belt and store it before securing child restraint. See Center Rear Passenger Position on page 1-40. If you are using a top tether-equipped child restraint in the center rear seat and need to temporarily transport a ﬂat tire for repair, move the child restraint to a rear seat outboard position. See Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-65 for more on this, including important safety information. 1-67 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. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch plate and pulling it along the belt. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 1-68 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. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push down on the child restraint. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 6. If your child restraint has a top tether, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and to step ﬁve under Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached to the top tether anchor, disconnect it. Unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt. When you remove the child restraint, be sure to reconnect the lap and shoulder parts of the belt so they will be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. 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 1-54. In addition, your vehicle has the 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 1-81 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-42 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. We recommend 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 Manual Seats on page 1-3 or Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-4. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55. 1-69 There is no top tether 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 tether be anchored or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top tether must be anchored. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-55 if the child restraint has a top tether. 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 1-81. 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 Manual Seats on page 1-3 or Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-4. 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 ON or START. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-42. 1-70 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. 1-71 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 8. If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and the airbag is off, the off indicator will be lit and stay lit in the inside rearview mirror when the key is turned to ON or START. 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 a frontal airbag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may also have side impact airbags. Side impact airbags are available for the driver and right front passenger. If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the driver and/or the right front passenger, the word AIRBAG will appear on the airbag covering on the side of the seatback closest to the door. 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. Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system: {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 CAUTION: (Continued) 1-72 CAUTION: (Continued) {CAUTION: Both frontal and side impact 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 help keep 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. Front occupants should not lean on or sleep against the door. hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety belts. 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 in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inﬂate in rollover, rear 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. Side impact airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle. They are not designed to inﬂate in frontal, in rollover or in rear crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. 1-73 {CAUTION: Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for adults, 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. Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see Older Children on page 1-45 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-48. There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, 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 3-41 for more information. 1-74 Where Are the Airbags? The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. 1-75 If your vehicle has one, the driver’s side impact airbag is in the side of the driver’s seatback closest to the door. If your vehicle has one, the right front passenger’s side impact airbag is in the side of the passenger’s seatback closest to the door. 1-76 {CAUTION: 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. Do not let seat covers block the inﬂation path of a side impact airbag. 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 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 12 to 20 mph (19 to 33 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 21 to 25 mph (34 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.) 1-77 Frontal airbags may inﬂate at different crash speeds. For example: If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a moving object. If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform. If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall). If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle goes straight into the object. The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not intended to inﬂate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. Your vehicle may or may not have a side impact airbag. See Airbag System on page 1-72 for more information. Side impact airbags are intended to inﬂate in moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will inﬂate if the crash severity is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary with speciﬁc vehicle design. Side impact airbags are not intended to inﬂate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts. A side impact airbag is intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal airbags, inﬂation is determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. For side impact airbags, inﬂation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. 1-78 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inﬂator, which inﬂates the airbag. The inﬂator, the airbag and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules. Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering wheel and instrument panel. For seating positions with side impact airbags, there are also airbag modules in the side of the seatbacks closest to the door. 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. Side impact airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including many 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 for side impact airbags. 1-79 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? After the airbag inﬂates, it quickly deﬂates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag inﬂated. Some components of the airbag module may be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal airbag. For seating positions with side impact airbags, the side of the seatback closest to the door may be hot. The parts of the airbag 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. 1-80 {CAUTION: When an airbag inﬂates, there is dust in the

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2006 Buick Rendezvous Owners Manual