2004 BUICK CENTURY ECU

Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System)
The vehicle has the LATCH system. You will nd
anchors (A) in all three rear seating positions.
This system, designed to make installation of child
restraints easier, does not use the vehicle’s safety belts.
Instead it uses vehicles 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).
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In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you
need a child restraint designed for that system.
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 all three rear
seating 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 “Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System” or “Securing
a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position” in
the Index for information on how to secure a
child restraint in your vehicle.
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Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System (Rear)
1. Find the LATCH anchorages 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 and tighten the LATCH attachments on the
child restraint to the LATCH anchorages in the
vehicle. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and
tighten the top tether to the top tether anchorage.
The child restraint instructions will show you
how. Also seeTop Strap on page 1-38.
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
tether from the top tether anchorage and then
disconnect the LATCH attachments from the LATCH
anchorages.
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 1-40. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-38if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. 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.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
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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.
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the latch system,
seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 1-40. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-38if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you’ll be using the lap belt to secure the child restraint
in this position.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
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{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front
seat can be badly injured or killed by the right
front passenger’s air bag if it inates. Never
secure a child restraint in the center front seat.
It is always better to secure a child restraint in
the rear seat.
If you secure a forward-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back as it will
go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
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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.
5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end 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 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. It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.
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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 1-40. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-38if the child restraint has one.
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag.
Neverput a rear-facing child restraint in this seat.
Here is why:
{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.
Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a
rear seat.
A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing
child restraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat, you will 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. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
See “Seats” in the Index.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
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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.
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 for the driver.
If your vehicle has a
side impact air bag for
the driver it will say
AIR BAG on the air bag
covering on the side of the
driver’s seatback closest
to the door.
Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an inating frontal air bag.
But these air bags must inate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
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