Page 83 of 455
1-76
5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on the 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.
Page 84 of 455
1-77
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: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.
Page 85 of 455
1-78
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.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
If the child is sitting in the center rear seat
passenger position, move the child toward the
safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the
shoulder belt still is on the child's shoulder, so that
in a crash the child's upper body would have the
restraint that belts provide. If the child is sitting in
a rear seat, see ªRear Safety Belt Comfort Guidesº
in the Index.
Page 86 of 455
1-79
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap
-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child. If the child wears the belt in this way,
in a crash the child might slide under the belt.
The belt's force would then be applied right on
the child's abdomen. That could cause serious
or fatal injuries.
The lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching the child's thighs. This applies
belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash.
Page 87 of 455

1-80
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.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you
in a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers,
and have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Page 88 of 455

1-81
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in your
vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not
properly protect the person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a crash. To help
make sure your restraint systems are working
properly after a crash, have them inspected
and any necessary replacements made as soon
as possible.
If you've had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH
system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a more
severe crash, you may need new LATCH system parts.
If you ever see a label on the driver's or right front
passenger's safety belt that says to replace the belt, be
sure to do so. Then the new belt will be there to help
protect you in a collision. You would see this label on
the belt near the door opening.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage
also may mean you will need to have LATCH system, safety
belt or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt or LATCH system wasn't
being used at the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you'll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
Page 94 of 455

2-6
Door Locks
CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers -- especially children -- can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a crash if the doors aren't locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or stop
your vehicle. Locking your doors can help
prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or press UNLOCK
on the optional remote keyless entry transmitter.
See ªRemote Keyless Entryº in the Index for
more information.
To unlock either front door from the outside with
the key, insert the key and turn it toward the front
of the vehicle.
To lock either front door from the outside with the key,
insert the key and turn it toward the rear of the vehicle.
To lock any door from the
inside, push the manual
locking lever forward.
To unlock any door from the inside, pull back on the
manual locking lever.
Page 141 of 455

2-53 Interior Lamps Control
Turn the interior lamps control to one of the
following positions:
OFF: Use OFF to turn the interior lamps off.
DOOR: Use DOOR to turn on the interior lamps
when any door is opened and when the key is
removed from the ignition.
ON: Use ON to turn the interior lamps on.
Illuminated Entry
With illuminated entry, the interior of your vehicle will
illuminate for 25 seconds so you can see inside your
vehicle before you enter. To activate illuminated entry,
do the following:
Unlock a door using the key when the interior lamp
control is in the DOOR position, and when the
ignition is in OFF, or
press UNLOCK on the optional remote keyless entry
transmitter when the interior lamp control is in the
DOOR position, and when the ignition is in OFF.
After 25 seconds have passed, the interior lamps will
slowly fade out.The lamps will turn off before 25 seconds if you do one
of the following:
Press LOCK on the optional remote keyless entry
transmitter, or
press the front of the power door lock switch, or
turn the ignition to ON.
When any door is opened, illuminated entry is cancelled.
The interior lamps will stay on while any door or the
liftgate is open, and slowly fade out when all doors and
the liftgate are closed.Delayed Lighting
The delayed lighting feature will continue to illuminate
the interior for 25 seconds after all doors have been
closed so that you can find the ignition and buckle your
safety belt when it is too dark. The lamps will continue
to illuminate when the following conditions are met:
When a door is opened then closed,
when the interior lamp control is in the DOOR
position, and
when the ignition is in OFF.
After 25 seconds have passed, the interior lamps will
slowly fade out.