2004 BUICK RANDEZVOUS Owner's Manual

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 1-62. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-57if 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 the center rear seating position.
To secure a child restraint in this position, you’ll use
only the lap part of the belt. Disconnect the shoulder part
of the belt and store it before securing child restraint.
SeeCenter Rear Passenger Position on page 1-42.
If you’re using a top strap-equipped child restraint in the
center rear seat and need to temporarily transport a at
tire for repair, move the child restraint to a rear seat
outboard position. SeeSecuring a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position on page 1-64for more on
this, including important safety information.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. 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. When you remove the child restraint, be
sure to reconnect the lap and shoulder parts of the belt
so they 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 1-62. SeeTop Strap on
page 1-57if the child restraint has one.
Your vehicle has a 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 front
passenger’s air bag inates. This is because
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. 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.
SeeManual Passenger Seat on page 1-3.
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.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
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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.
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5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt
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.
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.
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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 inating frontal air bag.
But these air bags must inate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag systems:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you aren’t wearing your safety belt – even if
you have air bags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Air bags are designed to work
with safety belts but don’t replace them.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
Frontal air bags for the driver and right front
passenger are designed to deploy only in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They aren’t designed to inate at all in
rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes, or in
many side crashes. And, for some unrestrained
occupants, frontal air bags may provide less
protection in frontal crashes than more forceful
air bags have provided in the past.
The side impact air bags for the driver and right
front passenger are designed to inate only in
moderate to severe crashes where something
hits the side of your vehicle. They aren’t
designed to inate in frontal, in rollover or in
rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly – whether or not there’s an air bag
for that person.
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact air bags inate
with great force, faster than the blink of an
eye. If you’re too close to an inating air bag,
as you would be if you were leaning forward, it
could seriously injure you. Safety belts help
keep you in position for air bag ination before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with frontal air bags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle. Front
occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door.
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{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see the part of this manual called “Older
Children” or “Infants and Young Children.”There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAir Bag Readiness Light on page 3-43
for more information.
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