Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-11
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Airbag System
.........................................1-54
Restraint System Check
............................1-68
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-38
Storage Areas
.........................................2-40
Sunroof
..................................................2-41
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-25
Message Center
.......................................3-43
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-48Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-36
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-48
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-56
Tires
......................................................5-57
Appearance Care
.....................................5-90
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-99
Electrical System
......................................5-99
Capacities and Speci cations
...................5-109
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2006 Saturn ION Owner ManualM
ProCarManuals.com
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Driver Seat Height Adjuster..............................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Passenger Folding Seatback............................1-7
Rear Seats.......................................................1-9
Split Folding Rear Seat...................................1-9
Safety Belts...................................................1-11
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-11
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-15
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-16
Driver Position..............................................1-16
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment (Sedan).........1-23
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-24
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-24
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides....................1-28
Safety Belt Pretensioners...............................1-31
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-31
Child Restraints.............................................1-32
Older Children..............................................1-32
Infants and Young Children............................1-34Child Restraint Systems.................................1-38
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH)..................................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position....................................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-51
Airbag System...............................................1-54
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-56
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-59
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-60
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-60
What Will You See After an
Airbag In ates?.........................................1-61
Passenger Sensing System............................1-62
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-66
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-67
Restraint System Check..................................1-68
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-68
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-69
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
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{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash,
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
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Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
2. Once the handle is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open
from the inside of the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
pull forward on the top of the seatback at the
area of the latch to be sure it is locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To raise the rear seatback, lift it up and rearward until
you hear a click. Push and pull on the seatback to
be sure it is locked into place.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has indicators to remind you and your
passengers to buckle your safety belts. SeeSafety Belt
Reminder Light on page 3-29andPassenger Safety
Belt Reminder Light on page 3-29.
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In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter...a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
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or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
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Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond
your control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less
than 40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-32
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-34. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems
your vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
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