2003 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN Owners Manual

Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
If you have a passenger van, it may have the LATCH
system. If it does, you'll ®nd two sets of anchors (A)
in the second row of seats in the driver and passenger
side seating positions, where the seatback meets
the seat cushion.In order to use the system, you need either a
forward-facing child restraint that has attaching
points (B) at its base and a top tether anchor (C), or a
rear-facing child restraint that has attaching points (B),
as shown here.
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With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle's safety belts to secure a child restraint.
{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 or ªSecuring
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat
Positionº in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint in your vehicle.
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Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System
1. Find the anchors for the seating position you want
to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the
back of the seat cushion.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach the anchor points on the child restraint to the
anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. See
Top Strap on
page 1-48. Tighten the top strap according to
the child restraint instructions.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect the
anchor points.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-51. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-48if the child restraint has one.
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There are no top strap anchors in the rear outside seat
positions. Do not secure a child seat in these positions
if a national or local law requires that the top strap
be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH
system, you'll be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure
the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow
the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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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're 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.
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.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Seat Position (2nd Row)
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-51. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-48if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you'll be using a lap-shoulder belt which works the
same way as the safety belts in the rear outside seat
positions. To learn how to secure a child restraint with a
lap-shoulder belt, refer to the instructions in
Securing
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position
on page 1-53
.
Securing a Child Restraint
in a Center Seat Position
(3rd, 4th and 5th Row)
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-51. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-48if the child restraint has one.
For vehicles with fourth and/or ®fth rows, there are no
top strap anchors at the fourth and ®fth row center
seating positions. Do not secure a child seat in these
positions if a national or local law requires that the
top strap must be anchored.
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If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you'll be using the lap 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. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle's safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you're using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may ®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.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
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