Page 1 of 422

Seats and Restraint Systems
....................... 7
Front Seats
.............................................. 9
Rear Seats
............................................. 16
Safety Belts
............................................ 18
Child Restraints
...................................... 38
Airbag System
........................................ 66
Restraint System Check
......................... 84
Features and Controls
................................ 87
Keys
....................................................... 89
Doors and Locks
.................................... 95
Windows
............................................... 100
Theft-Deterrent Systems
....................... 103
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
....... 105Mirrors
.................................................. 123
Storage Areas
...................................... 126
Sunroof
................................................ 131
Instrument Panel
....................................... 133
Instrument Panel Overview
................... 136
Climate Controls
................................... 155
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
.......................................... 161
Audio System(s)
................................... 178
Driving Your Vehicle
................................. 205
Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
..................................... 206
Towing
................................................. 241
2007 Chevrolet Optra Owner ManualM
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Front Seats..................................................... 9
Manual Seats
(With Sliding Storage Tray)........................ 9
Manual Seats
(Without Sliding Storage Tray)................. 10
Driver Seat Tilt Adjuster.............................. 11
Manual Lumbar........................................... 12
Reclining Seatbacks.................................... 12
Head Restraints.......................................... 15
Rear Seats.................................................... 16
Rear Seat Operation................................... 16
Safety Belts.................................................. 18
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone........... 18
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts............................................. 22
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly............. 23
Driver Position............................................. 23
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment................. 31Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy.............. 32
Right Front Passenger Position................... 32
Rear Seat Passengers................................ 33
Center Rear Passenger Position
(Hatchback Only)..................................... 36
Safety Belt Pretensioners............................ 37
Safety Belt Extender................................... 37
Child Restraints............................................ 38
Older Children............................................. 38
Infants and Young Children......................... 41
Child Restraint Systems.............................. 45
Where to Put the Restraint.......................... 50
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH).................................... 51
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position................................... 59
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position......................... 62
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
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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, see
Older Children on page 38orInfants and Young
Children on page 41. 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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Page 37 of 422

4. Push the latch plate into the red buckle
marked CENTER.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle,
tilt the latch plate and keep pulling until
you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle
the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down the
buckle end of the belt as you pull up on
the shoulder part.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the
driver and right front passenger. Although you
cannot see them, they are part of the safety belt
assembly. They help tighten the safety belts during
the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal
or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions for
pretensioner activation are met.Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and
probably other new parts for your safety belt
system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 85.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you,
you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer
will order you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. To help
avoid personal injury, do not let someone else
use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to fit.
The extender has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it,
just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more
information see the instruction sheet that comes
with the extender.
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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear
safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional
restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
The shoulder belt should not cross the face
or neck. The lap belt should fit snugly
below the hips, just touching the top of the
thighs. It should never be worn over the
abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can
strike other people who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use safety belts properly.
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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same
belt. The belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two children
can be crushed together and seriously
injured. A belt must be used by only
one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder
belt, but the child is so small that the
shoulder belt is very close to the child’s
face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a
window, move the child toward the center
of the vehicle. If the child is sitting in the center
rear seat passenger position, move the child
toward the safety belt buckle. In either case,
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on
the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the
child’s upper body would have the restraint
that belts provide.
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{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the
belt in this way, in a crash the child might
slide under the belt. The belt’s force
would then be applied right on the child’s
abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just
touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force
to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash.
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Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should
take into consideration not only the child’s
weight, height, and age but also whether or not
the restraint will be compatible with the motor
vehicle in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there
are many different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is
designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is,
the restraint will have a label saying that it
meets federal motor vehicle safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that
come with the restraint state the weight and
height limitations for a particular child restraint.
In addition, there are many kinds of restraints
available for children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn
infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs
so much compared with the rest of its
body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing
seat settles into the restraint, so the crash
forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant’s body, the back
and shoulders. Infants always should be
secured in appropriate infant restraints.
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