2003 GMC SIERRA child seat

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on when you have
turned off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger’s air bag could inflate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until you have the vehicle serviced, don’t let
anyone whom the national government has
identified as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the right front passenger’s
position (for example, don’t secure a
rear-facing child restraint in your vehicle).
See″Air Bag Off Switch″in the Index.
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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If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and
you’re using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat,
check to be sure the right front passenger’s frontal air
bag is off before you begin to drive. If the air bag
has been turned off, the off indicator will light and stay
lit in the rearview mirror.
If the on indicator is lit, the passenger’s frontal air bag
has not been turned off by the passenger sensing
system. If this ever happens, turn the vehicle off,
unbuckle the safety belt and perform the steps to install
the rear-facing restraint again. After restarting the
vehicle, if the air bag still doesn’t turn off, install the
infant restraint in a rear seat position of the vehicle or
check to make sure the AIR BAG OFF switch has been
turned to off. SeeAir Bag Off Switch on page 1-61
andPassenger Sensing System on page 1-66.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag ON indicator comes on when you
have a rear-facing child restraint installed in
the right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not turned
off the passenger’s frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger’s
air bag inflates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inflating air bag. Don’t use a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the air bag is off.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will remove freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
If you were using a rear-facing child restraint and had
turned the air bag off with the switch, remember to turn
on the right front passenger’s air bag when you
remove the rear-facing child restraint from the vehicle
unless the person who will be sitting there is a member
of a passenger air bag risk group. SeeAir Bag Off
Switch on page 1-61.
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Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:
•
my vehicle has no rear seat;
•my vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
•the infant has a medical condition which, according
to the infant’s physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
•
my vehicle has no rear seat;
•although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear
seat(s) whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12
sometimes must ride in the front because no space
is available in the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
•the child has a medical condition which, according
to the child’s physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Medical Condition. A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:
•
causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk
for the passenger; and
•makes the potential harm from the passenger air
bag in a crash greater than the potential harm
from turning off the air bag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an
air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able
to inate and help protect the person sitting
there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag
unless the person sitting there is in a risk
group. See″Air Bag Off Switch″in the Index
for more on this, including important safety
information.
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Passenger Sensing System
If your rearview mirror has one of the indicators pictured
in the following illustrations, your vehicle has a
passenger sensing system. The indicator will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to RUN or START.
The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible on the rearview mirror during the system
check. When the system check is complete, either
the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off will be visible. SeePassenger Air
Bag Status Indicator on page 3-31. If your rearview
mirror does not have either of the indicators pictured
below, then your vehicle does not have the passenger
sensing system.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal air bag under certain
conditions. The driver’s air bag and the side air bags
are not part of the passenger sensing system. In
addition to the passenger sensing system, your vehicle
also has an air bag off switch located on the instrument
panel as required by the government.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger’s seat and safety
belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of
a properly seated occupant and determine if the
passenger’s frontal air bag should be enabled (may
inflate) or not.
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. Never put a child in rear-facing child Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator–United States
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator−Canada
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restraint in the right front passenger seat unless your
vehicle has the passenger sensing system and the
passenger air bag status indicator shows off. Never put
a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger
seat unless the air bag is off.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s air bag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating air bag.
Be sure the air bag is off before using a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat
position.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air
bag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
though it is turned off. General Motors,
therefore, recommends that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in the rear seat whenever
possible, even if the air bag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag if:
•the right front passenger seat is unoccupied
•the system determines that an infant is present in a
rear-facing infant seat
•the system determines that a small child is present
in a forward-facing child restraint
•the system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat
•a right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time
•the right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints
•the air bag off switch is in the off position
•or if there is a critical problem with the air bag
system or the passenger sensing system
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When the passenger’s frontal air bag has been turned
off either by the passenger sensing system or by the air
bag off switch, the off indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the air bag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the passenger’s frontal air bag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint or a booster seat
is detected. If the child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off, remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on page 1-49of this manual.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle
and check with your dealer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inflate) the right front passenger’s frontal air
bag anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
air bag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the air bag is active.For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal air bag, depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly—whether or not there is an air bag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person isn’t sitting properly in the seat
or the air bag off switch is in the off position. If this
happens and the switch is in the proper position, turn
the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback
in the full upright position, then sit upright in the seat,
centered on the seat cushion, with the person’s
legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle and have
the person remain in this position for about two
minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and then enable the passenger’s air bag.
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the status indicator will light either ON or OFF, or either
the on or off symbol to let you know the status of the
right front passenger’s frontal air bag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
air bag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger’s frontal air bag is enabled (may inflate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have a
rear-facing child restraint installed in the right
front passenger’s seat, it means that the
passenger sensing system has not turned off
the passenger’s frontal air bag. A child in a
rear-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger’s
air bag inates. This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inating air bag. Don’t use a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the air bag has been
turned off.If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the passenger
air bag status indicator, it means that the passenger
sensing system or the air bag off switch has turned off
the right front passenger’s air bag. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-66orAir Bag Off Switch on
page 1-61for more on this, including important safety
information.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s air bag is turned
off for a person who isn’t in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person won’t have the extra protection of an
air bag. In a crash, the air bag wouldn’t be able
to inate and help protect the person sitting
there. Don’t turn off the passenger’s air bag
unless the person sitting there is in a risk
group. See″Air Bag Off Switch″in the Index
for more on this, including important safety
information.
If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
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{CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them
are above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
There’s also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See“Loading Your Vehicle
for Off-Road Driving“underOperating Your
All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on page 4-18.
Payload
Payload capacity is the maximum load capacity that
your vehicle can carry. Be sure to include the weight of
the occupants as part of your load. If you added any
accessories or equipment after your vehicle leftthe factory, remember to subtract the weight of these
things from the payload. Your dealer can help you
with this.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) of the front or rear axle.
Two-Tiered Loading
By positioning four 2”x6”wooden planks across the
width of the pickup box, you can create an upper
load platform. The planks must be inserted in the pickup
box depressions. The length of the planks must allow
for at least a 3/4 inch (2 cm) bearing surface on
each end of the plank.
When using this upper load platform, be sure the load is
securely tied down to prevent it from shifting. The
load’s center of gravity should be positioned in a zone
over the rear axle. The zone is located in the area
between the front of each wheel well and the rear of
each wheel well. The center of gravity height must not
extend above the top of the pickup boxareboard.
Any load that extends beyond the vehicle’s taillamp area
must be properly marked according to local laws and
regulations.
Remember not to exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) of the front or rear axle.
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