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Once you have the top strap anchored, you'll be ready
to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the top
strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer's
instructions say.
Top Strap Anchor Location
An anchor loop bracket for a top strap is located on the
back of the rear seat frame above the ¯oor for each
rear seating position. In order to get to the brackets,
you'll have to fold the rear seatback(s).
See
Rear Seat Operation on page 1-8for information on
folding the rear seatbacks.
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
Your vehicle has the LATCH system. You will ®nd
anchors (A) in the center and right side passenger
second row seating positions.
60/40 Split Rear Seat Folded
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This system, designed to make installation of child
restraints easier, does not use the vehicle's safety belts.
Instead, it uses vehicle anchors (A, B) and child
restraint attachements to secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure
a top tether strap (C).
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you
need a child restraint designed for that system.
To assist you in locating the lower anchors for this child
restraint system, each seating position with the
LATCH system has a visible metal anchorage point in
the seat where the seatback meets the seat cushion.
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{CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint isn't attached to
its anchorage points, the restraint won't be
able to protect the child correctly. In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed.
Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is
properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint. See ªSecuring a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH Systemº, ªSecuring a
Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Positionº, or
ªSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Positionºin the Index for information on
how to secure a child restraint in your vehicle.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-43. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-42if the child restraint has one.
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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 restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. If you are using a forward-facing child
restraint, you may ®nd 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.
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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
Center Front Seat Position
Don't use child restraints in this position. The restraints
won't work properly.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child
restraint. Unless your vehicle has the passenger sensing
system,
neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this
seat. Here's why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag in¯ates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the in¯ating air bag. Always
secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat
unless the air bag is off.
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If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and
you need to secure a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger's seat, the passenger's air bag
must be off. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 1-62orPassenger Air Bag Status Indicator on
page 3-34for more information on this including
important safety information.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag in¯ates. This is because
the back of the rear facing child restraint
would be very close to the in¯ating air bag. Be
sure the air bag 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 air
bag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. General Motors
therefore recommends that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in the rear seat whenever
possible, even if the air bag is off.
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You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-42if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a child restraint, if you need
to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right
front seat position. See
Power Seats on page 1-2orManual Passenger Seat on page 1-2.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system
and you are using a rear-facing child restraint in this
seat, make sure the frontal air bag is off. See
Passenger Sensing System on page 1-62.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger's frontal air bag, the off
indicator on the inside rearview mirror will light and
stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or
START.
2. Put the 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.
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