2005 CHEVROLET SSR Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the passenger’s
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in this vehicle unless the
passenger’s airbag has been turned off.
Even though the airbag off switch is designed
to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is turned
off. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be transported in vehicles with a
rear seat that will accommodate a rear-facing
child restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the passenger seat, always move
the passenger seat as far back as it will go.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the passenger’s
frontal airbag, it means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system. The passenger’s
frontal airbag could inate even though the
switch is off. If this ever happens, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identied as a member of a passenger airbag
risk group sit in the passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing
child restraint in your vehicle) until you have
your vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off Switch
on page 1-47.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-30. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-28if the child restraint has one.
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If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
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. Your vehicle has a passenger’s airbag. If you are
using a rear-facing child restraint in this seat, make
sure the airbag is turned off. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-47. If your child restraint is
forward-facing, always move the seat as far back
as it will go before securing it in this seat. See
Power Seats on page 1-2.
2. Put the child 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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5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. 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.
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If you were using a rear-facing child restraint, turn on
the passenger’s airbag 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
airbag risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-47.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal airbag is turned
off for a person who is not in a risk group
identied by the national government, that
person will not have the extra protection of a
frontal airbag. In a crash, the airbag would not
be able to inate and help protect the person
sitting there. Do not turn off the passenger’s
frontal airbag unless the person sitting there
is in a risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on
page 1-47for more on this, including important
safety information.
Airbag System
Your vehicle has four airbags — a frontal airbag for
the driver, another frontal airbag for the passenger,
a side impact airbag for the driver, and another
side impact airbag for the passenger.
Frontal airbags are designed to help reduce the risk
of injury from the force of an inating frontal airbag.
But these airbags must inate very quickly to do their
job and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you are not wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected
from it. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts but do not replace them.
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-38

CAUTION: (Continued)
Frontal airbags for the driver and passenger are
designed to deploy only in moderate to severe
frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not
designed to inate in rollover, rear or low-speed
frontal crashes, or in many side crashes. And,
for some unrestrained occupants, frontal
airbags may provide less protection in frontal
crashes than more forceful airbags have
provided in the past.
The side impact airbags for the driver and
passenger are designed to inate only in
moderate to severe crashes where something
hits the side of your vehicle. They are not
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 is an
airbag for that person.
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact airbags inate
with great force, faster than the blink of an
eye. If you are too close to an inating airbag,
as you would be if you were leaning forward,
it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help
keep you in position for airbag ination before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with frontal airbags. 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.
1-39

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags 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 airbag
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,
seeOlder Children on page 1-19orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-22.There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-27
for more information.
1-40

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s side.
1-41

The driver’s side impact airbag is in the side of the
driver’s seatback closest to the door.The passenger’s side impact airbag is in the side of the
passenger’s seatback closest to the door.
1-42