2004 Chevrolet Suburban Owners Manual

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2004 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban Owner Manual M Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Air Bag Systems Restraint System Check Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 ............................................... 1-3 ............................................... 1-9 ............................................. 1-23 ....................................... 1-45 ...................................... 1-72 ............................ 1-87 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-3 ....................................... 2-8 ................................................. 2-15 ............................ 2-18 ........... 2-20 .................................................... 2-42 ...................................... 2-51 ............................. 2-53 ......................................... 2-57 .................................................. 2-60 ............................. 2-61 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-22 ......... 3-39 .................. 3-56 ....................................... 3-76 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 ................................................... 4-55 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-4 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-51 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-52 Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-53 Front Axle ............................................... 5-54 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-55 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-61 Tires ...................................................... 5-62 Appearance Care ................................... 5-102 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ............................... 5-110 Electrical System .................................... 5-110 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-120 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 You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, the name TAHOE and the name SUBURBAN 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 further notice. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you will ﬁnd that pictures and words work together to explain things. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual, and the page number where you will ﬁnd it. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. C2416 A First Edition ii ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/23/03 All Rights Reserved Safety Warnings and Symbols You will ﬁnd a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you 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 don’t, you or others could be hurt. You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Don’t,” “Don’t do this” or “Don’t let this happen.” iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will ﬁnd these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice will tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you 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. You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle, 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 you may ﬁnd on your vehicle: Model Reference This manual covers these models: Tahoe Suburban (Extended Model) vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-3 Manual Seats ................................................1-3 Power Seats ..................................................1-4 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-5 Heated Seats .................................................1-5 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6 Head Restraints .............................................1-8 Rear Seats .......................................................1-9 Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-9 60/40 Split Bench Seat ..................................1-10 50/50 Split Bench Seat ..................................1-12 Bench Seat ..................................................1-16 Bucket Seats ...............................................1-21 Safety Belts ...................................................1-23 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-23 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts .........1-27 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-28 Driver Position ..............................................1-28 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-36 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-37 Center Passenger Position .............................1-37 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-39 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults ..........................1-42 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-44 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 Top Strap ....................................................1-56 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-57 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-60 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System (Rear) ...............................1-62 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position .........................1-62 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear Seat Position ....................................1-65 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position ....................................1-67 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ....................................1-68 1-1 Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-86 Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ...........................1-86 Restraint System Check ..................................1-87 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-87 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-88 Air Bag Systems ............................................1-72 Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-75 When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate? ....................1-77 What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate? .....................1-79 How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-79 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inﬂates? .......................................1-80 Passenger Sensing System ............................1-82 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 don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. If your vehicle has a manual bucket or a split bench seat, you can adjust it with this lever located at the front of the seat. Lift the lever to unlock the seat. Using your body, slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever. Try to move the seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-3 Power Seats (cid:127) Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by raising or lowering the forward edge of the horizontal control. (cid:127) Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole horizontal control forward or rearward. (cid:127) Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by raising or lowering the rear edge of the horizontal control. (cid:127) Moving the whole horizontal control up or down raises or lowers the entire seat cushion. If your vehicle has power reclining seats, you can use the vertical control to adjust the angle of the seatback. Move the reclining front seatback rearward or forward by moving the control toward the rear or the front of the vehicle. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6. If your vehicle has a power seat, you can adjust it with these controls located on the outboard sides of the seats. 1-4 Power Lumbar You can increase or decrease lumbar support in an area of the lower seatback. To increase support, press and hold the front of the control. To decrease support, press and hold the rear of the control. Let go of the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of support. You can also reshape the side wing area of the lower seatback for more lateral support. To increase support, press and hold the top of the control. To decrease support, press and hold the bottom of the control. Let go of the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of support. Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat on page 2-61 for more information. Heated Seats The buttons used to control this feature are located on the front doors. 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 to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium and low and to turn the heated seat off. 1-5 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 vertical button with the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the seatback button will glow to designate that only the seatback is being heated. Additional presses of the seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again to heat the whole seat. The heated front seats will shut off automatically when the ignition is turned off. 1-6 Reclining Seatbacks To adjust the front seatback, lift the manual lever located on the outboard side of the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. Lift the lever again without pushing on the seatback and the seatback will go to an upright position. If your vehicle has power seats with a power recliner, see Power Seats on page 1-4 for further information on how to operate the reclining seatback feature. But don’t 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 can’t do their job when you’re reclined like this. The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can’t 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 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. To raise the head restraint pull up on the head restraint. On some models the head restraints tilt forward and rearward also. The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be adjustable. They work the same as the front seat head restraints, except they do not tilt forward and rearward. 1-8 Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation Entering or Exiting the Third Row Seats {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. Extended models: The passenger’s side of the second row 60/40 or rear bucket seats has an easy entry feature. This makes it easy to get in and out of the third seat, if your vehicle has one. To operate the easy entry seat turn the release lever, located on the back of the seat upward. Tilt the seatback toward the front of the vehicle by pulling the top of the seat forward. When you do the seat bottom will release. Pull the seat forward until it stops. Be sure to return the seat to the passenger position when ﬁnished. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked in place. 1-9 60/40 Split Bench Seat Tahoe models: The rear seat may have a 60/40 split seat which may be folded down to give you more cargo space. Extended models: The second row rear seat of extended models may have a 60/40 split seat. Either side of the rear seat may be folded down to provide more cargo space. Folding the Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat and that the head restraints are completely lowered. 1-10 On Tahoe models the rear seatbacks may be equipped with rearward folding head restraints. When the seatback is being folded down, the head restraint will automatically fold rearward to allow a ﬂat load ﬂoor for cargo or entry to the third row seat (if equipped). To fold, pull up on the strap loop at the rear of the seat cushion. Then, pull the seat cushion up and fold it forward. After folding the seat cushion fully forward, pull the seatback forward and fold the seatback down until it is ﬂat. If the seatback cannot fold ﬂat because it interferes with the cushion, try moving the seat forward and/or bring the front seatback more upright. On the passenger side of the extended models, the lever at the base of the seat must be turned rearward to release the seatback. To create a load ﬂoor release the panels from the seatback by pushing forward on the latch. Then fold the panels back to cover the rear seat footwell area. To return the seat to the passenger position on a extended model do the following: 1. Lift the ﬂoor load panels and latch them into the seatback. 2. Lift the seatback up and push rearward all the way. 3. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position. 4. Pull forward on the seatback and up on the seat cushion to make sure the seat is securely in place. Make sure that the buckles on the driver’s side seatback are accessible to the outboard and center occupant and are not under the seat cushions. On regular models make sure the head restraints are returned to the upright position. 1-11 50/50 Split Bench Seat If your vehicle has a 50/50 split bench, the seatback(s) can be folded and the entire seat(s) tilted or removed from the vehicles. Folding the Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. To fold the seatbacks do the following: (cid:127) Pull up on the release lever, labeled 1, located on the rear of the seatback, and push the seatback forward. To return the seat to the passenger position, pull up on the release lever labeled 1 and then pull up on the seatback until the seatback locks into the upright position. Push forward on the seatback to make sure it is locked into position. 1-12 Tilting the 50/50 Split Bench Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: If the support rod isn’t properly engaged, the folded third row seat could come loose in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to people and damage to your vehicle. Always be sure the support rod is properly engaged when the third row seat is folded forward. (cid:127) Once the third seatback has been folded down, the entire seat can be tilted forward to create a ﬂat load ﬂoor. To do this, do the following: 1. Enter the rear cargo area of the vehicle. 2. Make sure the head restraints have been lowered completely. 3. With the seat folded, unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor by pulling up on the lever located under the carrying handle at the rear of the seat labeled 2. 4. Lift the rear of the seat up, off the ﬂoor. You will not be able to unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor unless the seatback is folded down. 5. Tilt the seat fully forward and secure it in place using the support rod located on the underside of the seat on the passenger’s side. Make sure the rod pin is fully engaged in the lock. 6. Push and pull on the seat. Make sure the support rod is holding it ﬁrmly in place. Use the seat in this position only when necessary for additional cargo space. To return the seat to the seating position do the following: 1. Push forward on the seat and release the support lock rod. 2. Secure the support rod in its stored position on the underside of the seat. 3. Lower the seat to the ﬂoor and let the seat drop into place. 4. Lift up on the carrying handle to make sure the seat is locked in place. 5. Return the seatback to the upright position by pulling up on the release lever labeled 1 before the back can be folded upright. 6. Pull the seatback forward to make sure it is locked in place. 1-13 Removing the 50/50 Split Bench Seat To remove the 50/50 split bench seat, do the following: 1. Open the rear doors and enter the rear of the vehicle. 2. Fold the seatback forward onto the seat cushion by using the lever labeled 1. The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback is folded. 3. To unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor, pull up on the release lever labeled 2, located at the rear of the seat, and lift the rear of the seat up off the ﬂoor. 4. Squeeze the release lever, located in the lower middle to unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor, while pulling the seat out. 5. While holding the rear of the seat up, roll the seat out of the vehicle. 1-14 Replacing the 50/50 Split Bench Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: A seat that isn’t 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 won’t provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. To reinstall the 50/50 split bench, do the following: 1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front wheels into the slots on the ﬂoor. The front latches should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try tilting the rear of the seats upwards. 2. Once the latches are engaged, let the seat drop into place. Release the lever labeled 1 to return the seat to its upright position. 3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the upright position unless the seat is secured to the ﬂoor. 1-15 Bench Seat If your vehicle has a full bench seat, the seatback can be folded and the seat can be tilted or removed from the vehicle. Folding the Seatback {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. To fold the seatback on the bench seat, do the following: 1. Pull up on the release lever, labeled 1, located on the rear of the seatback and push the seatback forward. 2. To return the seat to an upright position, pull up on the release lever labeled 1 and then pull up on the seatback until the seatback locks into the upright position. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is locked into place. 1-16 Once the third seatback has been folded down, the entire seat can be tilted forward to create a ﬂat load ﬂoor. To do this, do the following: 1. Enter the rear cargo area of the vehicle. 2. Make sure the head restraints have been lowered completely. 3. With the seat folded, unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor by pulling up on the lever located under the carrying handle at the rear of the seat labeled 2. Tilting the Bench Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: If the support rod isn’t properly engaged, the folded third row seat could come loose in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to people and damage to your vehicle. Always be sure the support rod is properly engaged when the third row seat is folded forward. 1-17 4. Lift the rear of the seat up, off the ﬂoor. You will not be able to unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor unless the seatback is folded down. 5. Tilt the seat fully forward and secure it in place using the support rod located on the underside of the seat on the passenger’s side. Make sure the rod pin is fully engaged in the lock. 6. Push and pull on the seat. Make sure the support rod is holding it ﬁrmly in place. Use the seat in this position only when necessary for additional cargo space. To return the seat to the seating position do the following: 1. Push forward on the seat and release the support lock rod. 2. Secure the support rod in its stored position on the underside of the seat. 3. Lower the seat to the ﬂoor and let the seat drop into place. 4. Lift up on the carrying handle to make sure the seat is locked in place. 5. Return the seatback to the upright position by pulling up on the release lever labeled 1 before the back can be folded upright. 6. Pull the seatback forward to make sure it is locked in place. 1-18 Removing the Bench Seat To remove the full bench seat, do the following: 1. Open the rear doors and enter the rear of the vehicle. 2. Fold the seatback forward onto the seat cushion by using the lever labeled 1. The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback is folded. 3. To unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor, pull up on the release lever labeled 2, located at the rear of the seat, and lift the rear of the seat up off the ﬂoor. 4. Squeeze the release lever, located in the lower middle to unlatch the seat from the ﬂoor while pulling the seat out. 5. While holding the rear of the seat up, roll the seat out of the vehicle. 1-19 Replacing the Bench Seat {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. {CAUTION: A seat that isn’t 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 won’t provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. To reinstall the full bench seat, do the following: 1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front wheels into the slots on the ﬂoor. The front latches should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try tilting the rear of the seats upwards. 2. Once the latches are engaged, let the seat drop into place. Release the lever labeled 1 to return the seat to its upright position. 3. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the upright position unless the seat is secured to the ﬂoor. 1-20 Bucket Seats If your vehicle has bucket seats, the seatbacks can be reclined and the seats can be folded to give you more cargo room. Reclining the Seatbacks On the extended models with bucket seats, the seatbacks can be reclined. To adjust the seatback do the following: 1. Pull forward the lever located at the base of the seat. 2. Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want it. If you pull the lever without pushing on the seatback, the seatback will go to an upright position. Folding the Seatbacks {CAUTION: If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. The seatbacks on the bucket seats may be folded forward to give you more cargo space. On extended models with rear bucket seats, the head restraints need to be removed in order to fold the rear seats. To do this follow these directions: 1. Lift the head restraints up until they stop. 2. Press in the button on the side of the head restraint guide cap and lift up on the head restraint. 3. Do the same for the other cap. The head restraint can be removed and stored in the space provided in the folded up seat cushion. To fold the seatbacks on the bucket seats, do the following: 1. Pull up on the strap loop located at the rear of the seat cushion and pull the seat cushion up. Then fold it forward. 1-21 2. Pull the seatback release lever up and pull the seatback forward. Then fold it until it is ﬂat. If the seatback cannot fold ﬂat because it interferes with the cushion, try moving the front seat forward and/or bringing the front seatback more upright. Once the seatbacks are folded down, the rear seat footwell area will be exposed and will have to be covered by the load ﬂoor panel. To create a load ﬂoor, do the following: 1. Release the panels from the seatbacks by pushing forward on the latches. 2. Then fold the panels back to cover the rear seat footwell area. If you have removed the head restraints to fold the rear bucket seat, be sure to reinstall them on the seatback after it has been returned to the normal seating position. 1-22 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: Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you’re 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. {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. Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-41. 1-23 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’s why: They work. You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you don’t 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 wouldn’t 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’s just a seat on wheels. 1-24 Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn’t stop. 1-25 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-26 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I’m wearing a safety belt? A: You could be – whether you’re wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you’re 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 air bags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Air bags 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 air bag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-27 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’s why safety belts make such good sense. Q: If I’m 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’re in an accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver doesn’t 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’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We’ll start with the driver position. Driver Position This part describes the driver’s restraint system. Lap-Shoulder Belt The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s 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. 1-28 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 isn’t long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-44. 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. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Don’t 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. 5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. 1-29 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’d 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’s a sudden stop or a crash. 1-30 Q: What’s 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 won’t give nearly as much protection this way. 1-31 Q: What’s 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. 1-32 Q: What’s wrong with this? A: The belt is over an armrest. {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. 1-33 Q: What’s 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 aren’t 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. 1-34 Q: What’s wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you wouldn’t 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. 1-35 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 don’t wear safety belts. 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. 1-36 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’s more likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly. Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-28. 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 which may turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag. If this happens unintentionally, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Center Passenger Position If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone can sit in the center positions. When you sit in the center seating position in the second row you have a lap-shoulder belt which is similar to the belt in the rear outside seating positions. To learn how to wear this belt see “Lap-Shoulder Belt” under Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-39. 1-37 Lap Belt When you sit in a center seating position other than in the second row you have a lap belt. To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug. Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-44. 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. A lap safety belt does not have a retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt. 1-38 Lap-Shoulder Belt Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly. 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. Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder belts. 1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. 1-39 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 1-44. 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. 1-40 3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. {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. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash. To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. 1-41 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt away from the neck and head. There is one guide for each outside passenger position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: 1. For the second row, remove the guide from its storage clip on the trim panel near the side of the seatback or from the side of the center seat. For the third row, remove the guide from its storage clip on the side of the seatback. 1-42 2. 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 guide must be on top of the belt. Second Row Seat 1-43 Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. The extender will be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to ﬁt. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety belt. Third Row Seat 4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-39. 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. Make sure you remove the comfort guide from the belt before you fold a rear seat down or use an easy-entry seat, if your vehicle has one. 1-44 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. If you have the choice, a child should sit in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. 1-45 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 rear seat outside position, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. If the child is sitting in the second row center 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 that belts provide. See Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults on page 1-42. If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still very close to the child’s face or neck, you might want to place the child a seat that has a lap belt, if your vehicle has one. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can’t 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. 1-46 {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. 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. 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. 1-48 {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby doesn’t weigh much -- until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) {CAUTION: 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. Children who are up against, or very close to, any air bag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer outstanding protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag 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’s 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 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 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. 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. 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 air bag deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-54 Do not use child restraints in the center front seat position. The restraints will not work properly. 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. CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an air bag 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 air bag is off. If you 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. 1-55 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. 1-56 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. 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. If you have an adjustable head restraint, route the top strap under it. Top Strap Anchor Location Tahoe/Suburban models without rear seats: Top strap anchor loops are located at the bottom rear of the front seat cushion for the right front passenger’s position. {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. 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. Suburban without Rear Seats Anchor the top strap to this bracket. Once you have the top strap anchored, you’ll be ready to secure the child restraint itself. 1-57 Tahoe/Suburban models with rear seats: A child restraint with a top strap should only be used in the second or third row. Don’t use a child restraint with a top strap in the front seat because there’s no place to anchor the top strap. An anchor loop bracket for a top strap is located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion for each seating position in the second row, and for the center seating position in the third row. Suburban Second Row Seat, Bucket Seats Similar 1-58 Third Row Bench Seat Tahoe models: A child restraint with a top strap should only be used in the second or third row. Don’t use a child restraint with a top strap in the right front passenger’s position, because there’s no place to anchor the top strap. An anchor loop bracket for a top strap is located at the bottom rear of the seat cushion for the center seating position in the third row. Third Row 50/50 Split Bench Seat Tahoe Second Row Seat 1-59 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) This system, designed to make installation of child restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts. Instead, it uses vehicle anchors (A, B) and child restraint attachments to secure the restraints. Some restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a top tether strap (C). Your vehicle has the LATCH system. You will ﬁnd anchors (A) in the center and right side passenger second row seating positions for bench seats, and the outboard passenger positions for bucket seats. 1-60 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 visible metal anchorage point in the seat where the seatback meets the seat cushion. {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. 1-61 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 1-60. See Top Strap on page 1-56 if the child restraint has one. 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. 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 1-56. 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. 1-62 There is no top strap anchor at the third row driver side 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. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you’ll 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 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. 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. 1-63 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor while you push down on the child restraint. If you’re 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. 1-64 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear Seat Position Second Row The center seat position in the second row has a lap-shoulder belt which works the same way as the safety belt in the rear outside seat positions. For instructions on how to secure a child restraint using a lap-shoulder belt see Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-62. Third Row The center seat position in the third row has a lap belt. 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. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-60. See Top Strap on page 1-56 if the child restraint has one. 1-65 1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch plate and pulling it along the belt. 2. Put the restraint on the seat. 3. Run 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. 1-66 5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push down on the child restraint. If you’re 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. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position Don’t use child restraints in this position. The restraints won’t work properly. 1-67 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-54. 1-68 In addition, your vehicle may have the passenger sensing system. The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal air bag 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 1-82 and Passenger Air Bag 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 air bag deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating air bag. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an air bag 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 air bag 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 1-4 or Manual Seats on page 1-3. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) on page 1-60. You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. See Top Strap on page 1-56 if your child restraint has one. 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 air bag. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-82. General Motors recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear seat, even if the air bag 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 1-4 or Manual Seats on page 1-3. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal air bag, the off indicator in the passenger air bag status indicator should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-42. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 1-69 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. 5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 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. 1-70 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 air bag is off, the off indicator will be lit and stay lit in the inside rearview mirror when the key is turned to RUN 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. 1-71 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. Air Bag Systems This part explains the frontal and side impact air bag systems. Your vehicle has air bags – a frontal air bag for the driver and another frontal air bag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may also have side impact air bags. Side impact air bags are available for the driver and right front passenger. If your vehicle has a side impact air bag for the driver and/or the right front passenger, the words AIR BAG will appear on the air bag covering on the side of the seatback closest to the door. Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inﬂating frontal air bag. But these air bags must inﬂate very quickly to do their job and comply with federal regulations. Here are the most important things to know about the air bag systems: {CAUTION: You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt – even if you have air bags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Air bags are designed to work with safety belts but do not replace them. Frontal air bags for the driver and right front passenger are designed to deploy only in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal CAUTION: (Continued) 1-72 CAUTION: (Continued) {CAUTION: 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 air bags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful air bags have provided in the past. The side impact air bags for the driver and right front passenger 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, in rollover or in rear crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly – whether or not there is an air bag for that person. Both frontal and side impact air bags inﬂate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inﬂating air bag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for air bag inﬂation before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with frontal air bags. 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. 1-73 {CAUTION: Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any air bag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags 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 air bag 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 the part of this manual called “Older Children” or “Infants and Young Children.” There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, which shows the air bag symbol. The system checks the air bag electrical system for malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-42 for more information. 1-74 Where Are the Air Bags? The driver’s frontal air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The right front passernger’s frontal air bag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. 1-75 If your vehicle has one, the driver’s side impact air bag 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 air bag is in the side of the passenger’s seatback closest to the door. 1-76 {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an air bag, 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 air bag must be kept clear. Don’t put anything between an occupant and an air bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air bag covering. Don’t let seat covers block the inﬂation path of a side impact air bag. When Should an Air Bag Inﬂate? Frontal Air Bags The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal air bags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inﬂate only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal air bags, which adjust the amount of restraint according to crash severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these air bags 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 doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 10 to 16 mph (16 to 25 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 20 to 25 mph (32 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. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal air bags are not designed to inﬂate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inﬂation would not help the occupant. 1-77 Seat Position Sensors Vehicles with dual stage air bags are also equipped with special sensors which enable the sensing system to monitor the position of both the driver and passenger front seats. The seat position sensor provides information which is used to determine if the air bags should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment. Side Impact Air Bags Your vehicle may or may not have a side impact air bag. See Air Bag Systems on page 1-72. Side impact air bags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact air bag 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 air bags are not designed to inﬂate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts, because inﬂation would not help the occupant. A side impact air bag will only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. Air Bag Systems In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air bag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal air bags, inﬂation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact air bags, inﬂation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. The air bag 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 Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle in the Index for tips on off-road driving. 1-78 What Makes an Air Bag Inﬂate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inﬂator, which inﬂates the air bag. The inﬂator, the air bag and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules. Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with side impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right front passenger’s door. How Does an Air Bag 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 air bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal air bags 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 air bag. Side impact air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags 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 air bags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for vehicles with a driver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air bag. 1-79 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inﬂates? After the air bag inﬂates, it quickly deﬂates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the air bag inﬂated. Some components of the air bag module will be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal air bag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal air bag. For vehicles with side impact air bags, the side of the seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right front passenger’s door will be hot. 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 air bags. Air bag inﬂation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle. {CAUTION: When an air bag 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’t get out of the vehicle after an air bag inﬂates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an air bag deployment, you should seek medical attention. 1-80 Let only qualiﬁed technicians work on your air bag systems. Improper service can mean that an air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service. If you damage the covering for the driver’s Notice: or the right front passenger’s air bag, or the air bag covering on the driver’s and right front passenger’s seatback, the bag may not work properly. You may have to replace the air bag module in the steering wheel, both the air bag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s air bag, or both the air bag module and seatback for the driver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air bag. Do not open or break the air bag coverings. In many crashes severe enough to inﬂate an air bag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.

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2004 Chevrolet Suburban Owners Manual