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{CAUTION:
Using the vehicle’s regular safety belts on a
child seated on the built-in child restraint
cushion can cause serious injury to the child
in a sudden stop or crash. Secure the child
using the built-in child restraint’s harness.
WARNING:FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE
MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE
OF THIS CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM CAN RESULT
IN YOUR CHILD STRIKING THE VEHICLE’S
INTERIOR DURING A SUDDEN STOP OR CRASH.
SNUGLY ADJUST THE BELTS PROVIDED WITH THIS
CHILD RESTRAINT AROUND YOUR CHILD.
4. Before placing the child in the child restraint, add
slack to the shoulder harness. Pull the black
shoulder harness release strap rmly. At the same
time pull both shoulder harness straps through
the slots in the seatback as shown.
5. Place the child on the child restraint cushion.
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Storing the Built-In Child Restraint
Always properly store the built-in child restraint before
using the vehicle’s lap-shoulder belt.
1. Move both latch plates and both sides of the
shoulder harness clip to the bottom of the harness
straps.2. Fold the child restraint cushion and leg rest up into
the seatback.
3. Press the child restraint cushion rmly into the
seatback.
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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 are not 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 do not replace them.
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 are not designed to in ate 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
The side impact air bags for the driver and
right front passenger are designed to in ate
only in moderate to severe crashes where
something hits the side of your vehicle. They
are not designed to in ate in frontal, in rollover
or in rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly – whether or not there is an air
bag for that person.
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{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact air bags in ate
with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you are too close to an in ating 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 in ation 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.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in ates 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.”
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What Makes an Air Bag In ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the in ator, which
in ates the air bag. The in ator, the air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules.
Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with side
impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the
seatback closest to the driver’s and/or right front
passenger’s door.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal air bags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag. Side impact air bags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal air bags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for vehicles with a driver’s and right front
passenger’s side impact air bag.
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In many crashes severe enough to in ate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to in ate only once. After an
air bag in ates, you’ll need some new parts for
your air bag system. If you do not get them, the air
bag system will not be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include air bag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with two electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. Your vehicle is also equipped
with a crash sensing and diagnostic module,
which records information about the frontal air bag
system. The module records information about
the readiness of the system, when the system
commands air bag in ation and driver’s safety belt
usage at deployment. The module also records
speed, engine rpm, brake and throttle data.
Let only quali ed technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an air
bag system will not work properly. See your dealer
for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s air bag, or the air
bag covering on the driver’s and right front
passenger’s seatback, the air bag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the air bag
module in the steering wheel, both the air bag
module and the instrument panel for the right front
passenger’s air bag, or both the air bag module
and seatback for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s side impact air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
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Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service
manual have information about servicing your vehicle
and the air bag systems. To purchase a service manual,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-13.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still in ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it in ates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the air
bag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is quali ed to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. If your vehicle
has a built-in child restraint, also periodically make sure
the harness straps, latch plates, buckle, clip, child
head restraint and anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged safety belt system
parts. If you see anything that might keep a safety
belt system from doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
If your vehicle has the built-in child restraint, torn or
frayed harness straps can rip apart under impact forces
just like torn or frayed safety belts can. They may not
protect a child in a crash. If a harness strap is torn
or frayed, get a new harness right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in
your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may
not properly protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure your restraint
systems are working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If you have had a crash, do you need new safety belts or
built-in child restraint parts or LATCH system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the safety belts or built-in child restraint harness
straps were stretched, as they would be if worn during a
more severe crash, then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a more
severe crash, then you may need new LATCH
system parts.If safety belts or built-in child restraint harness straps are
cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also
may mean you will need to have safety belt, built-in child
restraint, LATCH system or seat parts repaired or
replaced. New parts and repairs may be necessary even
if the safety belt, built-in child restraint or LATCH system
was not being used at the time of the collision.
If an air bag in ates, you will need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier
in this section.
If the frontal air bags in ate, you will also need to replace
the driver’s and right front passenger’s safety belt buckle
assembly. Be sure to do so. Then the new buckle
assembly will be there to help protect you in a collision.
After a crash you may need to replace the driver and
front passenger’s safety belt buckle assemblies, even if
the frontal air bags have not deployed. The driver
and front passenger’s safety belt buckle assemblies
contain the safety belt pretensioners. Have your safety
belt pretensioners checked if your vehicle has been
in a collision, or if your air bag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle or while you are driving.
SeeAir Bag Readiness Light on page 3-41.
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