2003 CHEVROLET VENTURE ECU

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.
1-63

When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it
will have a label saying that it meets federal
motor vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You
may ®nd these instructions on the restraint itself or
in a booklet, or both. These restraints use the
belt system in your vehicle, but the child also has to
be secured within the restraint to help reduce the
chance of personal injury. When securing an add-on
child restraint, refer to the instructions that come
with the restraint which may be on the restraint itself
or in a booklet, or both, and to this manual. The
child restraint instructions are important, so if they
are not available, obtain a replacement copy
from the manufacturer.Q:When securing an aftermarket child seat in a
bucket seat, I am unable to get the seat
fastened in snugly enough. What should I do?
A:With some child seats, it may be difficult to tighten
the vehicle belts so that there is less side-to-side
or front-to-back movement of the child seat. A
replacement buckle, which makes it easier
to secure your child seat, is available from your
dealer at no charge to you.
1-64

Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, recommends that child
restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a
booster seat.
Neverput a rear-facing child restraint
in the front passenger 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
You may secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, but before you
do, always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It's better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle ± even when no child
is in it.
1-65

In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be
anchored. In the United States, some child restraints
also have a top strap. If your child restraint has a
top strap, it should be anchored.
Don't use a child restraint that requires a top strap in
the right front passenger's position because there's
no place to anchor the top strap.
Anchor the top strap to one of the following anchor
points. Be sure to use an anchor point located on the
same side of the vehicle as the seating position
where the child restraint will be placed.
If you have an adjustable head restraint, route the top
strap under it.
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
Second Row
1-67

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.
1-70

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 1-66. 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 1-69. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-66if the child restraint has a top strap or
top tether.
1-71

For vehicles with a full bench seat in the third row, there
is no top strap anchor in the driver's side position. Do
not secure a child seat in this position 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. 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.
In the third row, tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt
if needed.Third Row Outside Passenger Position
1-72

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.
1-74