2008 CHEVROLET AVEO child restraint

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. If you are using a forward-facing
child restraint, you may find 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.If the airbag or airbags are off, the off indicator in the
passenger airbag status indicator will come on and stay
on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and the off symbol is
not 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 off symbol is still not 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.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat
massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint.
If the off symbol is still not lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and
check with your dealer/retailer.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way.
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{CAUTION:
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, see
Older Children on page 1-32orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-34.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 3-30
for more information.
1-58

If you have a hatchback, the airbag off symbol will be
visible in the Secondary Information Center (SIC) during
the system check. SeeSecondary Information Center
(SIC) (Hatchback Only) on page 3-43. When the system
check is complete, the airbag off symbol will be visible
under certain conditions.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped) under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbags are not part of the passenger
sensing system.The passenger sensing system works with a sensor that
is part of the right front passenger’s seat. The sensor
is designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear
seat, including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys. United States –
Hatchback
Canada – Hatchback
1-66

{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) if the system detects a rear-facing
child restraint, 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 secured in
a rear seat, even if the airbag(s) are off.
If you secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) if:
•The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
•The system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat.
•The system determines that a small child is present
in a child restraint.
•The system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat.
•A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
•The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
•Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag (if equipped), the off symbol will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag or airbags
are off. SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator
(Sedan) on page 3-31.
1-67

If a child restraint has been installed and the off
symbol is not lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the
child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-52.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the off symbol is still not 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. SeeHead
Restraints on page 1-6.
Remove any additional material from the seat such
as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint.
If the off symbol is still not lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle
and check with your dealer/retailer.The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inflate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) anytime
the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front passenger’s seat. When the
passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag or
airbags to be enabled, the off symbol will not light.
For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped), depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off symbol is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off, remove any additional
material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions,
seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers and ask
the person to place the seatback in the fully upright
position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
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Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this
position for two to three minutes. This will allow the
system to detect that person and then enable the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped).
Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger
airbag status. See “Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints” in
the Index for additional information about the importance
of proper restraint use.
{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. 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 airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-30for more on this, including
important safety information.
1-69

When you start the vehicle, the passenger airbag status
indicator will light for several seconds as a system check.
Then, after several more seconds, if the off symbol is lit
on the passenger airbag status indicator, it means that
the passenger sensing system has turned off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped).
{CAUTION:
If the off symbol in the passenger airbag
status indicator does not come on when you
have a rear-facing child restraint installed in
the right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not turned
off the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
airbag (if equipped). A child in a rear-facing
child restraint can be seriously injured or killed
if the right front passenger’s airbag or airbags
inate. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag or airbags. Do not use
a rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the airbag or airbags
have been turned off.If the off symbol is not lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) are enabled (may inflate).
{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. 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 airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-30for more on this, including
important safety information.
3-32

Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
(Hatchback)
Your vehicle has the passenger sensing system.
If you have a hatchback, the airbag off symbol will be
visible in the Secondary Information Center (SIC) during
the system check.
When you start the vehicle, the passenger airbag status
indicator will light for several seconds as a system check.
Then, after several more seconds, if the off symbol is lit
on the passenger airbag status indicator, it means that
the passenger sensing system has turned off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped).
{CAUTION:
If the off symbol in the passenger airbag
status indicator does not come on when you
have a rear-facing child restraint installed in
the right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not turned
off the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
airbag (if equipped). A child in a rear-facing
child restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger’s airbag or
airbags inate. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inating airbag or airbags. Do not use
a rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger’s seat unless the airbag or airbags
have been turned off.
If the off symbol is not lit on the passenger airbag
status indicator, it means that the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) are enabled (may inflate). United
States – Hatchback
Canada – Hatchback
3-46