2008 CHEVROLET EQUINOX Owners Manual

Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
{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
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outboard
side of the seat and move the seatback to the desired
position. Then release the lever to lock the seatback
in place. If your front passenger’s seat is a at folding
seat, you must fully raise the lever to disengage
the seatback.Driver’s Seat shown, Passenger Seat similar
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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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Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s
head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury
in a crash.Pull the head restraint
up to raise it. To lower
the head restraint,
press the button,
located on the top of
the seatback, and push
the restraint down.
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Passenger Folding Seatback
The front passenger’s seatback may fold at.
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inating
airbag might force that object toward a person.
This could cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area in which
an airbag would inate. For more information,
seeWhere Are the Airbags? on page 1-59and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-22.
{CAUTION:
Things you put on this seatback can strike and
injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash. Remove or secure all items before
driving.To fold the seatback, do the following:
1. Lower the head restraint all the way.
2. Lift the bar under the front of the seat to unlock it.
Slide the seat as far back as it will go and release
the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to
make sure it is locked into place.
3. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side
of the seat, up fully and fold the seatback forward
until it disengages.
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4. Continue to fold the seat forward until it locks in the
folded position.
5. Pull up on the seatback to be sure it is locked.To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side
of the seat, up fully and push up on the seatback.
2. Continue raising the seatback until the seatback
re-engages.
{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
push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked in place.
The recliner lever is also used to recline the seatback
while a passenger is seated. SeeManual Reclining
Seatbacks on page 1-5.
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Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
The rear split bench seatbacks have three available
positions — folded forward, upright, or partially reclined.
Both of the seatbacks can be moved to any of the
three positions independent of the other seatback
position. The rear bench seat can also be moved
forward and rearward.
{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
push and pull on the seatback 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.
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To fold the seatback down, do the following:
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.
1. Ensure all three of the safety belts are unbuckled
and the front seatbacks are not reclined.
2. Lift the lever located on the top of the seatback to
release the seatback.
3. Fold the seatback forward to the desired position.To recline the seatback, do the following:
1. Lift and hold the lever located on top of the
seatback.
2. Tilt the seatback rearward, then release the lever
when the seatback is in the desired position.
To slide the entire seat forward or rearward, do the
following:
1. Lift and hold the release bar located under the front
of the seat cushion to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position.
3. Release the bar.
4. Try to move the seat back and forth to ensure the
seat is locked in 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 harder or be ejected
from it and 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 passenger(s) are
restrained 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 as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. SeeSafety Belt Reminders on page 3-27.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
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 serious 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 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter... a lot!
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