2003 GMC ENVOY And

An anchor bracket for a top strap is located at the
bottom rear of the seat cushion for each seating position
in the second row (Envoy XL only). Don't use a child
restraint with a top strap in the right front passenger's
position or in the third row, because there's no place to
anchor the top strap.
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
Your vehicle has the LATCH system. You'll ®nd
anchors (A) in the rear outside seat positions.
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 attachments to secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a
top tether strap (C). Envoy XL
1-42

To assist you in locating
the lower anchors for this
child restraint system,
each seating position with
the LATCH system has
a label on the seatback at
each lower anchor
position.
The labels are located near the base of the rear outside
seat positions.
{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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat
Positionº in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint in your vehicle.
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 1-40. 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.
1-44

Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat PositionIf your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-42. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-40if the child restraint has one.
There are no top strap anchors at the third row seating
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.
You will be using the lap-shoulder belt. 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.
1-45

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.
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.
1-47

Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Seat Position
Many child restraints are too wide to be correctly
secured in the center rear seat, although some of them
will ®t there. If the center seat position is too narrow
for your child restraint, secure it in a rear outside seat
position.
If you secure a child restraint in the center seat position,
follow the instructions in
Securing a Child Restraint in
a Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-45.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-42.
1-48

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 1-40if 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 1-2.2. 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.
1-49

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. You may ®nd it helpful to use your knee to
push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
7. 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.
1-50

Air Bag Systems
This part explains the frontal and side impact air bag
systems.
Your vehicle has air bags ± a frontal air bag for the
driver and another frontal air bag for the right front
passenger. Your vehicle may also have a side impact
air bag. Side impact air bags are available for the driver
and right front passenger.
If your vehicle has a side impact air bag for the driver
and/or the right front passenger, the words AIR BAG will
appear on the air bag covering on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an in¯ating frontal air bag.
But these air bags must in¯ate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
1-51