Page 15 of 436

CAUTION: (Continued)
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers' belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-38.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here's why:
They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
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Page 20 of 436

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, see
Older Children on page 1-28orInfants and Young Children on page 1-31. Follow
those rules for everyone's protection.
First, you'll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We'll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here's 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 ªSeatsº in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't 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 isn't long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-27.
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.
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Page 30 of 436
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may already have this feature. If not, you
can get it from your GM dealer.
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When attached to a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the
belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each of the rear outside
passenger positions. Here's how to attach the comfort
guide to the shoulder belt.
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Page 34 of 436
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.
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.
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Page 42 of 436

A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the ®t of the vehicle's safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ®ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
Q:How do child restraints work?
A:A child restraint system is any device designed for
use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle's owner.
For many years, add-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help
reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be
secured within the restraint. The vehicle's belt
system secures the add-on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add-on child restraint's harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three-point harness, has straps that
come down over each of the infant's shoulders and
buckle together at the crotch. The ®ve-point harness
system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a
crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip
straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that
are attached to a ¯at pad which rests low against the
child's body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has
straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield
that swings up or to the side.
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Page 53 of 436

Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag.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.
Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See
Top Strap on
page 1-38if 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's
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
See
Power Seats on page 1-2orManual Seats
on page 1-2.2. 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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Page 142 of 436

Operation Tips
·
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
·When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan knob all the way to the right for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts
of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your window.
·Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
·Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air de¯ectors, may affect the
performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System
Your vehicle may have the optional dual automatic
climate control system. With this system you can control
the heating, cooling and ventilation for your vehicle.
When your vehicle is ®rst started and the climate control
system is on, or if the climate control system has
been turned on, the display will show the driver's
temperature setting for ®ve seconds. Then it will show
the outside temperature.
OFF:Press this button to turn off the entire climate
control system. Outside air will still enter the vehicle, and
will be directed to the ¯oor. Press the AUTO button,
the mode button, the fan arrows, or either temperature
knob to turn the system on.
3-24
Page 147 of 436

Outlet Adjustment
Use the air outlets located in the center and on the side
of your instrument panel to direct the air¯ow.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use the vent setting to direct outside
air through your vehicle.
Your vehicle's ventilation system supplies outside air to
the inside of your vehicle when it is moving. With the
side windows closed, air will ¯ow into the front air inlet
grilles, through the vehicle and out the air exhaust
valves.
Outside air will also enter the vehicle when the heater
or the air conditioning compressor is running, unless you
have pressed the recirculation button.
Operation Tips
·
Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
·When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan knob all the way to the right for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts
of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your window.
·Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
·Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air de¯ectors, may affect the
performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
3-29