2006 GMC Sierra Owners Manual

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2006 GMC Sierra Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-3 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8 Safety Belts ............................................. 1-11 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-31 Airbag System ......................................... 1-70 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-87 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-3 ....................................... 2-8 ................................................. 2-16 ............................ 2-19 ........... 2-21 .................................................... 2-59 ...................................... 2-73 Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors OnStar® System Universal Home Storage Areas Sunroof Vehicle Personalization Remote System .................................... 2-75 ......................................... 2-79 .................................................. 2-82 ............................. 2-82 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-21 ........ 3-31 .................. 3-52 ....................................... 3-70 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 ................................................... 4-62 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 ..................................................... 5-4 ......................................................... 5-5 Service Fuel Checking Things Under the Hood ............................................. 5-12 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-58 Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-59 Front Axle ............................................... 5-60 Noise Control System ............................... 5-62 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-63 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-71 Tires ...................................................... 5-72 Appearance Care ................................... 5-113 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ............................... 5-122 Electrical System .................................... 5-123 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-133 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, GMC, the GMC Truck Emblem, and the name SIERRA 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 GMC whenever it appears in this manual. Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is ever needed. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. 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 How to Use This Manual Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If this is done, it can help you learn about the features and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work together in the owner manual to explain things. Index A good place to quickly locate information about the vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 06SIERRA A First Printing ©2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii Safety Warnings and Symbols There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.” iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this manual you will ﬁnd these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage, or indicator. If you need help ﬁguring out a speciﬁc name of a component, gage, or indicator, reference the following topics: (cid:127) Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 (cid:127) Climate Controls in Section 3 (cid:127) Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3 (cid:127) Audio System(s) in Section 3 (cid:127) Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv (cid:127) (cid:127) These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: ✍ NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-3 Manual Seats ................................................1-3 Power Seats ..................................................1-4 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4 Heated Seats .................................................1-5 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6 Head Restraints .............................................1-7 Seatback Latches ...........................................1-8 Rear Seats .......................................................1-8 Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) ................1-8 Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) ......................1-9 Safety Belts ...................................................1-11 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-11 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-15 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-16 Driver Position ..............................................1-16 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-24 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-25 Center Front Passenger Position .....................1-25 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-26 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-29 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-30 Child Restraints .............................................1-31 Older Children ..............................................1-31 Infants and Young Children ............................1-33 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-37 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) ......................................1-42 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ....................................1-54 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position ..........................1-56 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Crew Cab) .............1-57 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Airbag Off Switch) .............................1-59 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Passenger Sensing System) ...............1-65 1-1 Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-86 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 ...............................................1-70 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-72 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-74 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-76 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-76 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? .....1-76 Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-78 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. If your vehicle has a manual bucket or a split bench seat, you can adjust the seat forward or rearward with the bar located under the front of the seat cushion. Lift the bar to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-3 Power Seats If your vehicle has power seats, the controls are located on the outboard side of the seats. (cid:127) Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by raising or lowering the front of the horizontal control. (cid:127) Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by raising or lowering the rear of the horizontal control. (cid:127) Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by raising or lowering the whole horizontal control. (cid:127) Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the horizontal control forward or rearward. 1-4 If your vehicle has power reclining seatbacks, the control is located rear of the power seat control on the outboard side of the seats. Adjust the angle of the seatback by pressing the vertical control forward or rearward. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6. If your vehicle has manual reclining seatbacks, see Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6. Power Lumbar Your vehicle may have this feature. The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion. To increase or decrease support, hold the control forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed. Heated Seats If your vehicle has this feature, the buttons are located on the front doors. The engine must be running for the heated seats to work. To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the seatback button will be lit 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 seats will be canceled after the ignition is turned off. If you still want to use the heated seat feature after you restart your vehicle, you will need to press the heated seat button again. To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with the heated seat and seatback symbol. Press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium and low and to turn the heated seat off. Indicator lights will be lit to designate the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium, and one for low. 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. To adjust the seatback, lift the manual lever located on the outboard side of the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback in the desired position. 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. 1-6 {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. 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. Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 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. Pull the head restraint up to raise it. Push the head restraint down to lower it. Your rear seats may have head restraints that can be adjusted up and down. 1-7 Seatback Latches The front seatbacks fold forward to allow access to the rear of the cab. To fold the seatback forward, lift the lever located on the outboard side of the seat cushion. {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 return the seatback to the upright position, push the seatback rearward until it latches. After returning the seatback to its upright position, push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) Folding the Rear Seat The rear seat in the extended cab can be folded up to provide more cargo space. To fold the seat up, do the following: 1. Push down on the front of the seat cushion while pulling down on the release strap which is located under the seat cushion. 1-8 2. Pull the seat cushion up until it latches with the seatback. 3. After latching the seat cushion up, pull forward on it to make sure it is locked. The seat can also be folded down for more seating space. To fold the seat down, do the following: 1. Push the seat cushion while pulling the release strap which is located under the seat cushion. Pull the seat cushion down until it latches. 2. After latching the seat cushion, pull up on it to make sure it is locked. Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) The second row seat is a 60/40 split seat. Either side of the rear seat may be ﬂipped and folded for added cargo space. Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat and that the head restraints are completely lowered. To ﬂip and fold the seat, do the following: 1. Pull up on the strap loop at the rear of the seat cushion. Then, pull the seat cushion up and ﬂip it forward. 2. After folding the seat cushion fully forward, pull the seatback forward 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 seat more upright. The lever at the base of the seat must be turned rearward to release the seatback. 1-9 To return the seat to the normal seating position, do the following: 1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all the way. {CAUTION: {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 and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked into place. 3. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position. Pull up on the cushion to make sure it is locked into place. 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 raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. Make sure that the safety belt buckles on the driver’s side seatback are accessible to the outboard and center occupant and are not under the seat cushions. 1-10 {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. 1-11 Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-34. Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work. You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter...a lot! 1-12 Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop. 1-13 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-14 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I am wearing a safety belt? A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-15 or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense. Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an accident — even one that is not your fault — you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone. How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This part is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-31 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. 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. 1-16 5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt. 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly. 4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-30. 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. 1-17 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. 1-18 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. 1-19 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. 1-20 Q: What is 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. 1-21 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. 1-22 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. 1-23 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. 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. 1-24 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. Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-16. 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 airbag. If this happens unintentionally, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Center Front Passenger Position Lap Belt If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit in the center position. When you sit in the center front seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt. 1-25 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. 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 1-30. 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. 1-26 Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear one properly. 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 1-30. 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. 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. 3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder part. 1-27 {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, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. 1-28 To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides Rear seat 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 one guide for each outside passenger in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: 1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the interior body. 3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ﬂat. The guide must be on top of the belt. 2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. 1-29 4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-26. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. Slide the guide onto the storage clip. 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. {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. 1-30 Child Restraints Older Children Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. 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. 1-31 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. Also see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on page 1-29. If the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint the belts provide. {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. 1-32 Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. Infants and Young Children Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint. 1-33 {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. {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. 1-34 {CAUTION: Children who are up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. Q: What are the different types of add-on child restraints? A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types. Selection of a particular restraint should take into consideration not only the child’s weight, height and age but also whether or not the restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will be used. 1-35 {CAUTION: The body structure of a young child is quite unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom the safety belts are designed. A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that is unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints. For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come with the restraint, state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs. {CAUTION: Newborn infants need complete support, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants always should be secured in appropriate infant restraints. 1-36 Child Restraint Systems An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to restrain or position a child on a continuous ﬂat surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the center of the vehicle. A rear-facing infant seat (B) provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint. 1-37 A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields. A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to improve the ﬁt of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some high-back booster seats have a ﬁve-point harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window. 1-38 Q: How Should I Use a Child Restraint? 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. To help reduce injuries, an add-on child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child restraints, the child has to be secured within the child restraint. When choosing an add-on 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. Securing an Add-on Child Restraint in the Vehicle {CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child restraint is properly installed in the vehicle using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH system, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42 for more information. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. 1-39 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. Securing the Child Within the Child Restraint There are several systems for securing the child within the child 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. 1-40 {CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Make sure the child is properly secured, following the instructions that came with that restraint. Because there are different systems, it is important to refer to the instructions that come with the restraint. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We recommend 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 may have a label on your sun visor that 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. Never put a child in a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger seat unless your vehicle has the passenger sensing system or an airbag off switch and the passenger airbag status indicator or the airbag off light shows off. Never put a rear facing child restraint in the right front passenger seat unless the airbag is off. Here is why: {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. Be sure the airbag is off before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. Even though the passenger sensing system or airbag off switch are designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions, 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 CAUTION: (Continued) recommends that rear-facing child restraints be transported in vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, whenever possible. 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. {CAUTION: A child in a child restraint in the center front seat can be badly injured or killed by the right front passenger’s airbag if it inﬂates. Never secure a child restraint in the center front seat. It is always better to secure a child restraint in the rear seat. CAUTION: (Continued) Do not use child restraints in the center front seat position. The restraints will not work properly. 1-41 There is limited space in the rear seating area of an extended cab model. If you want to secure a child restraint in a rear seating position of an extended cab model, especially in the rear center position, be sure to study the instructions that came with your child restraint to see if there is enough room to secure your seat properly. If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system or the airbag off switch and you need to secure a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat, the passenger’s frontal airbag must be off. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-81, Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78,Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Airbag Off Switch) on page 1-59 or Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Passenger Sensing System) on page 1-65 for more on this including important safety information. 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. 1-42 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 installed using only the top tether and anchor. 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, except for regular cab models, 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 Top Tether Anchor 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). 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. 1-43 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. Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor Locations i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. Do not install a child restraint in the center seat position. See Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position on page 1-56 for more information. i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors. Regular Cab — Bench Extended Cab Regular Cab — Bucket 1-44 i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. For extended cab models, the rear outboard seating positions have exposed metal lower anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion. j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors. Crew Cab For crew cab models, the rear passenger side and center seating positions have exposed metal lower anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion. For regular and crew cab models, there is an anchor symbol on the trim covers to assist you in locating the top tether anchors. 1-45 Extended Cab For extended cab models, the top tether anchors are located near the top of the seatback for each rear seating position. In addition to the top tether anchors, each seating position has a fabric loop at the top of the seatback that you will use to route the top tether through. 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. Regular Cab For regular cab models with a bench seat, the top tether anchors are located under trim covers on the back panel behind the center and passenger seats. Do not install a child restraint in the center seat position. See Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position on page 1-56 for more information. For regular cab models with bucket seats, the top tether anchor is located under a trim covers on the back panel behind the passenger seat. Remove the trim plug to access the anchor. 1-46 Do not secure a child restraint in the front passenger’s position if your vehicle has rear seats, 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 1-40 for additional information. 1-47 Crew Cab For crew cab models, there are covered top tether anchors for each seating position located on the back panel of your vehicle, behind the rear seat. Remove the trim covers to access the anchors. 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, except the center top tether anchor in an extended cab model, and lower anchors in the vehicle are 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. 1-48 Regular Cab Models 1. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 1.1. Pull the passenger seatback forward by pulling the recliner handle upward to access the top tether anchor. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6 for additional information. 1.2. Find the top tether anchor. 1.3. Remove the trim cover to expose the anchor. 1.4. Route, attach 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. 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, raise the head restraint and route the tether under the head restraint and in between the head restraint posts. 1-49 2. See Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Airbag Off Switch) on page 1-59 or Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Passenger Sensing System) on page 1-65 for instructions on installing the child restraint using the safety belts. 3. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. Extended Cab Models 1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have lower attachments or the desired seating position does not have lower anchors, secure the child restraint with the top tether and the safety belts. Refer to your child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual. 1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position. 1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors. 1-50 2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 2.1. When using a child restraint with a top tether in the rear driver’s side position, raise the head restraint and route the top tether through the fabric loop and under the center shoulder belt. Then, attach the top tether to the metal anchor point at the center rear seating position. 2.2. When using a child restraint with a top tether in the rear passenger position, raise the head restraint and route the top tether through the fabric loop. Then, attach the top tether to the metal anchor point at the center rear seating position. 2.3. When using a child restraint with a top tether in the rear center position, route the top tether through the fabric loop. Then, raise the head restraint on the passenger side and attach the top tether to the metal anchor point located at the rear passenger position. 2.4. Tighten the top tether when and as the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions say. 3. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-51 Crew Cab Models 1. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 1.1. To access the top tether anchors, raise the seat cushion by pulling up on the strap loop at the rear of the seat cushion and fold the seat cushion forward. Then fold the seatback forward. See Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) on page 1-8 or Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) on page 1-9 for additional information. 1.2. Place the child restraint in the vehicle, near the seating position that you are using. 1.3. Route 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. 1-52 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, raise the head restraint and route the tether under the head restraint and in between the head restraint posts. 1.4. Remove the trim cover to expose the top tether anchor. 1.5. Attach the top tether attachment to the top tether anchor. {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. 1.6. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward. Then lower the seat cushion until the seatback and the seat cushion lock into position. 2. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have lower attachments or the desired seating position does not have lower anchors, secure the child restraint with the top tether and the safety belts. Refer to your child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual. 2.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position. 2.2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 2.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors. 3. Tighten the top tether. 4. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-53 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position Extended Cab and Crew Cab There is limited space in the rear seating of an extended cab model. If you want to secure a child restraint in a rear seating position, be sure to study the instructions that came with your child restraint to see if there is enough room to secure your seat properly. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. 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. 1-54 3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 5. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 1-55 6. If your child restraint manufacturer recommends using 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 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. 7. Push and pull the restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached to a 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 Front Seat Position {CAUTION: A child in a child restraint in the center front seat can be badly injured or killed by the right front passenger’s airbag if it inﬂates. Never secure a child restraint in the center front seat. It is always better to secure a child restraint in the rear seat. Do not use child restraints in this position. 1-56 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Crew Cab) Your vehicle has a right front passenger airbag. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat. Here is why: {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. Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat position, see Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-40. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. There is no top tether anchor in the right front passenger’s 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 1-42 if your child restraint has a top tether. You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the 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. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal airbag, always move the seat as far back as it will go before securing a forward-facing child restraint. See Manual Seats on page 1-3 or Power Seats on page 1-4. 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. 1-57 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. 1-58 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. Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Airbag Off Switch) Your vehicle has a right front passenger airbag. If your instrument panel has one of the switches pictured in the following illustrations, your vehicle has an airbag off switch that you can use to turn off the right front passenger’s airbag. 1-59 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 out of the retractor once the lock has been set. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle unless the passenger’s airbag has been turned off. Even though the airbag off switch is designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag, 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 transported in vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, whenever possible. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front static seat or the right front bench seat, always move the passenger seat as far back as it will go. United States Canada Your switch may vary slightly. See Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78 for more on this, including important safety information and illustrations of alternate switch designs. 1-60 Never put a rear facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat unless the airbag is off. Here is why: {CAUTION: {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. Be sure the airbag is off before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, always move the right front passenger seat as far back as it will go. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-40. 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 a forward-facing child restraint. See Manual Seats on page 1-3 or Power Seats on page 1-4. If the airbag readiness light in the instrument panel cluster ever comes on when you have turned off the airbag, it means that something may be wrong with the airbag system. The right front passenger’s airbag could inﬂate even though the switch is off. If this ever happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly. Until you have the vehicle serviced, do not let anyone whom the national government has identiﬁed as a member of a passenger airbag risk group sit in the right front passenger’s position (for example, do not secure a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger’s seat). See Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78. If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. 1-61 If your vehicle has a rear seat, 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 1-42 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 Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78. If your child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the restraint in this seat. See Manual Seats on page 1-3 or Power Seats on page 1-4. If you need to use a rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make sure the airbag is off once the child restraint has been installed. When the airbag off switch has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator in the airbag off light should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See Airbag Off Light on page 3-35. 1-62 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 belt to tighten the lap belt portion 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 out of the retractor once the lock has been set. 1-63 7. If your child restraint manufacturer recommends using a top tether, and the position 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 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. 8. 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. If you had turned the airbag off with the switch, remember to be sure to use the airbag off switch to turn on the right front passenger’s airbag when you remove the child restraint from the vehicle unless the person who will be sitting there is a member of a passenger airbag risk group. See Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78. {CAUTION: If the right front passenger’s airbag is turned off for a person who is not in a risk group identiﬁed by the national government, that person will not have the extra protection of an airbag. In a crash, the airbag will not be able to inﬂate and help protect the person sitting there. Do not turn off the passenger’s airbag unless the person sitting there is in a risk group. See Airbag Off Switch on page 1-78 for more on this, including important safety information. 1-64 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position (Regular and Extended Cab) (With Passenger Sensing System) 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 1-40. If your rearview mirror has one of the indicators pictured in the following illustrations, your vehicle has a passenger sensing system. United States Canada 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 3-37 for more information on this including important safety information. 1-65 Your vehicle may have a label on your sun visor that 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. Never put a child in a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger seat the unless passenger airbag status indicator shows off. Never put a rear facing child restraint in the right front passenger seat unless the airbag is off. Here is why: {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. {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. Be sure the airbag is off before using a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat position. 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 CAUTION: (Continued) 1-66 CAUTION: (Continued) 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 transported in vehicles with a rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, whenever possible. 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 Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. If your vehicle has a rear seat, 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 1-42 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 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 airbag, the off indicator in the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-37. 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. 1-67 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. 1-68 8. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 9. If your vehicle has a passenger sensing system and the airbag is off, the off indicator in the inside rearview mirror will be lit and stay lit when the key is turned to RUN or START. 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 if one is available and check with your dealer. 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. 1-69 6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. You should not be able to pull more of the belt from the retractor once the lock has been set. 7. If your child restraint manufacturer recommends using a top tether, and the position 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 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. CAUTION: (Continued) designed to work with safety belts, but do not replace them. Airbags 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, airbags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful airbags have provided in the past. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. Airbag System Your vehicle has an airbag for the driver and an airbag for the right front passenger. 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 hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety belts. Airbags are CAUTION: (Continued) 1-70 {CAUTION: {CAUTION: 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 before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle. 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 1-31 and Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. 1-71 There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol. Where Are the Airbags? 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 3-35 for more information. The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel. 1-72 The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an airbag, the bag might not inﬂate properly or it might force the object into that person causing severe injury or even death. The path of an inﬂating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put anything between an occupant and an airbag, and do not attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other airbag covering. 1-73 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. 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

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2006 GMC Sierra Owners Manual