Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-20
Airbag Systems
........................................1-40
Restraint System Check
............................1-52
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-10
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-12
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-14
Mirrors
....................................................2-24
HomeLink
®Transmitter
.............................2-26
Storage Areas
.........................................2-31
Convertible Top
.......................................2-37
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-44
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-41
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-58Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-30
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-42
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-42
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-43
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-48
Tires
......................................................5-51
Appearance Care
.....................................5-72
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-80
Electrical System
......................................5-81
Capacities and Speci cations
.....................5-90
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-91
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Chevrolet SSR Owner ManualM
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Power Seats..................................................1-2
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Seatback Latches...........................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-6
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-12
Driver Position..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-18
Passenger Position.......................................1-19
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-19
Child Restraints.............................................1-20
Older Children..............................................1-20
Infants and Young Children............................1-22
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-25
Top Strap....................................................1-29
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-31Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System.........................................1-33
Securing a Child Restraint in the Passenger
Seat Position............................................1-36
Airbag Systems..............................................1-40
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-42
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-45
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-46
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-46
What Will You See After an Airbag In ates?.....1-47
Airbag Off Switch..........................................1-48
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-52
Restraint System Check..................................1-52
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-52
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-53
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
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, seeOlder Children on page 1-20
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-22. 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.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
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, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-19.
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.
1-12
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.
Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the passenger’s safety belt
properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-12.
The 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. If this happens, just let the belt go back all
the way and start again.
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 t. 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.
1-19
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: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 t 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.
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.
1-20
{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.
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.
1-22
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.
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.
1-24
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.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.
1-26