
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 a crash if I
am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
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.
1-14

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. You increase the chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key in the driver’s door or
use the remote keyless entry transmitter. From the
inside, use the manual or power door locks.
To unlock the driver’s side door from the outside with
the key, insert the key and turn it counterclockwise.
To lock the driver’s side door from the outside with your
key, insert the key and turn it clockwise.
To lock the door from
the inside, push the
manual lock knob down.
To unlock the door,
pull the knob up.
2-10

Trunk Release
To open the trunk from the outside, press the open
trunk button on the remote keyless entry transmitter,
if equipped.
Remote Trunk Release
You can also open the trunk from inside the vehicle.
G(Remote Trunk Release):Press the button with
the open trunk symbol on it. The button is located
next to the exterior lamps control on the left side of the
instrument panel. The shift lever must be in PARK (P)
for the remote trunk release button to work.
If your vehicle ever loses power, you can open the trunk
by lowering the rear seat and pulling the emergency
trunk release handle located inside the trunk. SeeSplit
Folding Rear Seat on page 1-8and “Emergency
Trunk Release Handle” following.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release handle is only
intended to aid a person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk from the inside.
There is a glow-in-the-dark trunk release handle located
on the latch inside the trunk. This handle will glow
following exposure to light. Pull the release handle to
open the trunk from the inside.
2-14

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
2-15

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may have the optional content
theft-deterrent alarm system.
To activate the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the power door lock switch or
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
If you are using the RKE transmitter, the door does
not need to be open.
3. Close all doors.
Once armed, the alarm will go off if someone tries to
enter the vehicle without using the RKE transmitter or a
key or turns the ignition on with an incorrect key.
The horn will sound and the turn signal lamps will ash
for about two minutes.When the alarm is armed, the trunk may be opened
with the RKE transmitter. The power door lock switches
are disabled and the doors remain locked. You must
use your RKE transmitter or your key to unlock the doors
when the system is armed.
Arming with the Power Lock Switch
The alarm system will arm when you use either power
lock switch to lock the doors while any door or the trunk
is open and the key is removed from the ignition.
Arming with the RKE Transmitter
The alarm system will arm when you use your RKE
transmitter to lock the doors, if the key is not in
the ignition.
2-18

Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate the engine and
transmission gently to allow the oil to warm up
and lubricate all moving parts.
Your vehicle has a Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in starting the
engine and protects components. If the ignition key
is turned to the START position, and then
released when the engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for a few seconds or
until the vehicle starts. If the engine does not
start and the key is held in START for many
seconds, cranking will be stopped after 15 seconds
to prevent cranking motor damage. To prevent
gear damage, this system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running. Engine cranking
can be stopped by turning the ignition switch to the
ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF position.
Notice:Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by returning the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has ended, can overheat
and damage the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds between each try,
to let the cranking motor cool down.2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F or−18°C),
it could be ooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing the accelerator pedal all the way to the oor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START
for up to a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow the cranking
motor to cool down. When the engine starts, let go of
the key and accelerator. If the vehicle starts brie y
but then stops again, do the same thing. This clears
the extra gasoline from the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently until the oil warms up
and lubricates all moving parts.
Notice:The engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer/retailer. If you do not, your
engine might not perform properly. Any resulting
damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranty.
2-24

Your vehicle must have a working electrical system
(including adequate battery power) for the OnStar
equipment to operate. There are other problems OnStar
cannot control that may prevent OnStar from providing
OnStar service to you at any particular time or place.
Some examples are damage to important parts of your
vehicle in an accident, hills, tall buildings, tunnels,
weather or wireless phone network congestion.
Your Responsibility
You may need to increase the volume of your radio
to hear the OnStar advisor. If the light next to the OnStar
buttons is red, this means that your system is not
functioning properly and should be checked by your
dealer/retailer. If the light appears clear (no light
is appearing), your OnStar subscription has expired.
You can always press the OnStar button to con rm that
your OnStar equipment is active.
Universal Home Remote System
The Universal Home Remote System provides a way to
replace up to three hand-held Radio-Frequency (RF)
transmitters used to activate devices such as garage
door openers, security systems, and home lighting.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Changes or modi cations to this system by other than
an authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
2-41

Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open the glove box, lift up on the lever.
Cupholder(s)
Your vehicle may have cupholders built into the front
center console, front portion of the front center seat and
rear armrest.
The front cupholders, on
the ve-passenger model,
have a divider.
To use the divider, push the passenger side of the
divider in and pull the remainder of the divider out.
To access the front cupholders, on the six-passenger
model, fold the front portion of the front center seat
forward.
Sunglasses Storage Compartment
Your vehicle may have a sunglass storage
compartment located above the rearview mirror.
To open, push on cover.
Center Console Storage
Your vehicle may have a front center console storage
area. To open the front center console storage area,
pull up on the latch located in the front of the console lid.
Inside is a removable tray and an accessory power
outlet.
Rear Storage Area
If your vehicle has the split folding rear seat, there will
be two storage areas underneath. To access these
storage areas, pull the tab(s) located by the seatbelt
buckle on the passenger side and the center of the rear
seat on the driver side. SeeSplit Folding Rear Seat
on page 1-8for more information.
Rear Seat Armrest
Your vehicle may have a rear seat armrest. To access,
pull the tab on the armrest forward.
2-48