
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Manual Lumbar Support
The lumbar controls are
located on the outboard side
of each front seat. They
provide additional support
to your lower back and
work independently
of
other seat controls.
To raise the seat cushion up or down, press one of the
rocker switch buttons located on the outboard side
of the
passenger’s seat. The top button raises the seat cushion
and the bottom button lowers the seat cushion. Use manual
or power seat controls first to get the proper
seating position. Then proceed with the lumbar adjustment.
The upper and lower seatback can be adjusted using the
two small hand-wheel controls. The top hand-wheel
control adjusts the upper seatback and the bottom
control adjusts the lower seatback. Turn the controls
forward to increase support and rearward to
decrease support.
Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it
may during long trips,
so should the position of the
lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
1-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle is in PARK (P), you can recall mirror and
seating positions by pressing and holding one of the
three memory buttons. This will adjust the seat and
mirrors
to where you have previously programmed
them. Seat and mirror movement is immediately stopped
if the memory button is released or if a seat or mirror
control is moved.
Note that the exterior mirrors will only adjust when the
ignition is turned on.
Heated Front Seat (Option)
The controls are located
next to the radio on the
center console. Press this
button to
turn on the
heating element
in the
seat. The seatback and
cushion are warmed
until they approximate
body temperature.
A telltale light in the button reminds you that the heating
system is in use. The heated seats can only be used when
the ignition is turned on.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
This feature is found on
the passenger’s seat only.
The manual recliner
control is located on the
outboard side of the
passenger’s seat below the
lumbar controls. See “Manual Lumbar Support”
earlier in this section.
To move the seatback forward, turn the hand-wheel
control forward. Note that this seatback folds forward all
the way down,
if needed, to provide extra storage.
Turn the control rearward to recline the seatback.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
c 1
Put someone on it.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on
wheels.
1-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel,
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” in the Index
for more information. How the Air Bag Systems Work
Where are the air bags?
The driver’s frontal air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I a 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. 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 and don’t let seat covers block the
inflation path of a side impact air bag.
When should an air bag inflate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal air bags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. The frontal air bags are designed to
inflate only if the impact speed is above the system’s
designed “threshold
level.” If your vehicle goes straight
into a wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold
level is about
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 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,
side impacts,
or rear impacts, because inflation would
not help the occupant.
The driver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air
bags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes involving
a front door. 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.
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.
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 of the impact and how
quickly the side of the vehicle deforms.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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, air bag and related hardware
are all part
of the air bag modules inside the steering
wheel, instrument panel and the side of the front
seatbacks closest to the 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 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 the
driver’s and right front passenger’s side impact air bags.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an 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
-- the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, the
side of the seatback closest to the door for the driver and
right front passenger’s side impact air bags
-- will be
hot for a short time. The parts
of the bag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
There will be some smoke and dust coming from the
vents in the deflated 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.
1-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I U I
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.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After an
air bag inflates, you’ll need some new parts for your
air bag system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag
system won’t be there to help protect you in another
crash.
A new system will include air bag modules
and possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
0
e
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information about
the frontal air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness
of the system, when
the sensors are activated and driver’s safety belt
usage at deployment.
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.
NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s 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.
1-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ,== -a .
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Catera, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2-2
2-
3
2-6
2- 10
2-1 1 2-12
2-
13
2- 14
2-15
2-16
2-
17
2-19
2-24 2-25
2-27
Keys
Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry System (RKE)
Trunk
Theft
Theft-Deterrent (System)
Immobilizer
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions Starting Your Engine
.Engine Coolant Heater
Automatic Transmission Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK
(P)
Shifting Out of PARK (P) 2-28
2-29
2-29
2-30
2-32
2-32
2-39
2-46
2-48
2-50
2-5
1
2-52
2-55
2-5 8
2-6
1
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
Windows Tilt Wheel
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Lamps Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
Cellular Telephone
Sunroof
Universal Transmitter
Instrument Panel
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators