2008 GMC ACADIA child seat

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-11
Safety Belts
.............................................1-16
Child Restraints
.......................................1-36
Airbag System
.........................................1-61
Restraint System Check
............................1-77
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-18
Theft-Deterrent Systems............................2-21
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-25
Mirrors
....................................................2-40
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-45
OnStar
®System
......................................2-47
Universal Home Remote System
................2-50
Storage Areas
.........................................2-55
Sunroof
..................................................2-60
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-26
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-39
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-57
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-84Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-26
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-6
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-43
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-47
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-89
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-98
Electrical System
......................................5-99
Capacities and Specications
...................5-107
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-13
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-15
Index................................................................ 1
2008 GMC Acadia Owner ManualM

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster.......................................1-3
Power Seats..................................................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-4
Power Lumbar...............................................1-5
Heated Seats.................................................1-5
Memory Seat and Mirrors................................1-6
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-8
Head Restraints............................................1-10
Rear Seats.....................................................1-11
Rear Seat Operation.....................................1-11
Third Row Seats...........................................1-13
Safety Belts...................................................1-16
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-16
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-22
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-30
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-35
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-36
Child Restraints.............................................1-36
Older Children..............................................1-36
Infants and Young Children............................1-39Child Restraint Systems.................................1-43
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-46
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH)..................................................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-55
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-58
Airbag System...............................................1-61
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-64
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-67
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-68
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-68
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....
.1-69
Passenger Sensing System............................1-70
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-75
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-76
Restraint System Check..................................1-77
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-77
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-78
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating position with a detachable
safety belt and the safety belt is not attached, see
Third Row Seats on page 1-13for instruction on
reconnecting the safety belt to the mini-buckle.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the
Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the
belt go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
4. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-36.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
5. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See
“Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this
section.
1-30

Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help
tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash if
the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation
are met. And, for vehicles that have side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety
belts in a side crash or a rollover event.
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 1-78.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.There is a guide for each outboard passenger position
in the second row seat and all passenger positions
in the third row. Here is how to install a comfort guide to
the safety belt:
1. For the outboard positions, remove the guide from
its storage clip on the interior body.Outboard Positions
1-32

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/retailer 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 t. The
extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child seats. To wear it, attach it to the
regular safety belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
1-36

The manufacturer’s instructions that come with the
booster seat, state the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder
belt until the child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees bend
at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt
rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try
using the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear
Safety Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder
Belt on page 1-30for more information. If the
shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder,
then return to the booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t be maintained for the
length of the trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A: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 t snugly below the
hips, just touching the top of the thighs. This applies
belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. It
should never be worn over the abdomen, which
could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in
a crash.
Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-30.
According to accident statistics, children and infants 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.
1-37

{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.
{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. In a crash, the child would
not be restrained by the shoulder belt. The
child might slide under the lap belt. The belt
force would then be applied right on the
abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The child could also move too far
forward increasing the chance of head and
neck injury. The shoulder belt should go over
the shoulder and across the chest.
1-38

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
should always be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
1-42