7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
8. If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the
overhead console will be lit and stay lit
when the vehicle is running.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.A thick layer of additional material such as a
blanket, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers heaters or massagers, located between the
seat cushion and the child restraint or small
occupant, can affect how the passenger sensing
system operates. Remove any additional material
from the seat cushion before reinstalling/securing
the child restraint or small occupant.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the
vehicle and check with your dealer.
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.
63
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes on
and stays on, it means that something may
be wrong with the airbag system.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
If this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the
protection of the frontal airbag. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 244for
more on this, including important safety
information.
A thick layer of additional material such as a
blanket, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters and seat massagers
can affect how well the passenger sensing system
operates. Remove any additional material from
the seat cushion before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint or small occupant. You may want
to consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the
passenger sensing system. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 79for
more information about modi cations that can
affect how the system operates.
77
Keys.............................................................. 85
Keyless Access System.............................. 87
Keyless Access System Operation.............. 88
Doors and Locks.......................................... 98
Door Locks................................................. 98
Power Door Locks....................................... 99
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.......... 99
Rear Door Security Locks......................... 100
Lockout Protection..................................... 101
Trunk........................................................ 101
Windows...................................................... 104
Power Windows........................................ 105
Sun Visors................................................ 107
Theft-Deterrent Systems............................. 107
Theft-Deterrent System.............................. 108
Valet Lockout Switch................................. 110
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle......... 111
New Vehicle Break-In................................ 111
Ignition Positions....................................... 111
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)............. 112
Starting the Engine.................................... 113Engine Coolant Heater.............................. 115
Automatic Transmission Operation............. 116
Parking Brake........................................... 121
Shifting Into Park (P) ................................. 122
Shifting Out of Park (P)............................. 124
Parking Over Things That Burn................. 124
Engine Exhaust......................................... 125
Running the Engine While Parked............. 126
Mirrors......................................................... 127
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with Intellibeam™ and OnStar
®.............. 127
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror.......... 127
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with OnStar
®.......................................... 127
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with OnStar
®and Compass................... 128
Outside Power Heated Mirrors................... 130
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror............. 131
Outside Convex Mirror............................... 131
Outside Parallel Park Assist Mirror............ 131
OnStar
®System.......................................... 132
Section 2 Features and Controls
83
Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine
coolant heater.
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the
engine coolant heater can help. You will get easier
starting and better fuel economy during engine
warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your
vehicle. At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of
the coolant heater is not required. Your vehicle
may also have an internal thermostat in the
plug end of the cord. This will prevent operation of
the engine coolant heater when the temperature
is at or above 0°F (−18°C) as noted on the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
For the 3.6L V6 engine, the cord is located in
the engine compartment on the passenger’s
side of the vehicle in front of the fuse block.
For the 4.6L V8 engine, the cord is located in
the engine compartment on the driver’s
side of the vehicle near the inner fender and
above the strut.
For the 4.4L V8 engine, the cord is located in
the front of the engine compartment, on
the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The plug
will be inside the upper grille cutout.
3. You must remove the plastic cap to access
the plug.
115
4. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt
AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded
outlet could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong kind of extension cord
could overheat and cause a re. You
could be seriously injured. Plug the cord
into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will not
reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
5. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts. If you do
not, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater
plugged in? The answer depends on the outside
temperature, the kind of oil you have, and
some other things. Instead of trying to listeverything here, we ask that you contact your
dealer in the area where you will be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.Automatic Transmission Operation
The shift lever is located on the center console
between the front seats.
There are several
different positions for
the shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks the rear wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start
the engine because your vehicle cannot move
easily.
116
You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as
little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck,
you need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin the wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment re or other damage. When
you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting the
transmission back and forth, you can destroy
the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 447.
348