
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag 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, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-30.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator
is 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 1-51.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still 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 1-7.
1-64

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 on indicator is still 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 in ate) the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag 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 to be enabled, the on indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is active.
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, depending upon the person’s seatingposture 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 indicator 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. 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.
1-65

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts of
the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, overhead console, front sensors, side
impact sensors, rollover sensor module, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger’s position, which
includes sensors that are part of the passenger’s
seat. The passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery or trim designed for a different
vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat fabric, couldalso interfere with the operation of the passenger
sensing system. This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent
the passenger sensing system from properly turning
off the passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-62.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the
Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
If your vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags, see
Different Size Tires and Wheels on page 5-73
for additional important information.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modi ed. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and the service manual
have information about the location of the airbag sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module and airbag wiring.
1-68

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-5
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks................................2-9
Lockout Protection..........................................2-9
Swing-gate..................................................2-10
Windows........................................................2-11
Power Windows............................................2-12
Sun Visors...................................................2-13
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-14
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-14
Passlock
®(U. S. Only)..................................2-15
PASS-Key®III+............................................2-16
PASS-Key®III+ Operation (Canada Only).........2-16Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-18
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-18
Ignition Positions..........................................2-18
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-20
Starting the Engine.......................................2-20
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-22
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-23
Manual Transmission Operation......................2-26
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive............................2-27
Parking Brake..............................................2-32
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)............................2-33
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)............................2-35
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission).....2-35
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-36
Engine Exhaust............................................2-36
Running the Engine While Parked...................2-37
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Rear Door Security Locks
With this feature, you can lock the rear doors so they
cannot be opened from the inside.
The rear door security lock
is located on the inside
edge of each rear door.
To engage the security locks, do the following:
1. Open one of the rear doors.
2. Using your ignition key, turn the lock toward the
front of the vehicle.
3. Close the door.
4. Repeat these steps on the other rear door.If you want to open a rear door when the security lock
is on, unlock the door and open the door from the
outside.
To disengage the security locks, do the following:
1. Open one of the rear doors.
2. Using your ignition key, turn the lock to the vertical
position.
3. Close the door.
4. Repeat these steps on the other rear door.
Lockout Protection
This feature protects you from locking your key in the
vehicle when the key is in the ignition and a door
is open.
If the power door lock switch is pressed when a door is
open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors
will lock and then the driver’s door will unlock. A chime
will sound to indicate that the key has been left in
the ignition.
2-9

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 has a
content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
To activate the content theft-deterrent system:
1. Close all the doors.
2. Lock the doors with the remote keyless entry
transmitter. The security light, located on the
instrument panel cluster, will ash.
If the lock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter
is pressed, but a door is open, the doors will lock,
the lights may ash and the horn may sound. Close
the open door and the alarm system will arm.If a locked door is not opened using the remote keyless
entry transmitter, or by OnStar
®, the alarm will go off.
First, a pre-alarm will sound the horn at reduced
intensity for 10 seconds. Then, the front turn signal
lamps will ash for two minutes, and the horn will sound
for two minutes. The alarm will then turn off to save
battery power.
Starting the engine with the correct key will shut off the
pre-alarm or alarm at any time.
Remember, the theft-deterrent system will not activate
if you lock the doors with the key, the manual door lock,
or power door lock switch. The system can only be
activated using the remote keyless entry transmitter, or
by OnStar
®. SeeOnStar®System on page 2-48for
additional information. You should also remember that
you can start your vehicle with the correct key if the
alarm has been set off.
Here is how to avoid setting off the alarm by accident:
If you do not want to arm the theft-deterrent
system, the vehicle should be locked with the
manual door lock lever, the power door lock switch,
or the key, after the doors are closed.
If the content theft-deterrent system is armed,
unlock the doors by pressing the unlock button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter or by
OnStar
®. Unlocking a door any other way will
activate the alarm.
2-14

If you set off the alarm by accident, you can turn it off
by pressing unlock on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, starting the vehicle with the correct key, or
by having OnStar
®unlock the doors. The alarm will
not stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.
Testing the Alarm
To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, activate the system by
locking the doors with the remote keyless entry
transmitter.
2. Unlock the door with the manual door lock and
open the door. This should set off the pre-alarm.
Wait 10 seconds for the full alarm to activate.
3. To turn the alarm off, press the unlock button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter or start
the engine.
If the alarm does not sound when it should but the
lights ash, check to see if the horn works. The horn
fuse may be blown. To replace the fuse, seeFuses
and Circuit Breakers on page 5-102.
If the alarm does not sound or the front turn signal
lamps do not ash, see your dealer/retailer for service.
Passlock®(U. S. Only)
Your vehicle has the Passlock®theft-deterrent system.
Passlock®is a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlock®enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key. If an incorrect key is used or the
ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, the fuel system
is disabled and the vehicle will not start.
During normal operation, the security light will turn off
approximately ve seconds after the engine is started.
SeeSecurity Light on page 3-39.
If the engine stalls and the security light ashes, wait
about 10 minutes until the light stops ashing before
trying to restart the engine. Remember to release
the key from START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine does not start after three tries, the vehicle
needs service.
If the engine is running and the security light comes on,
you will be able to restart the engine if you turn the engine
off. However, your Passlock
®system is not working
properly and must be serviced by your dealer/retailer.
Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock
®at this time.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
In an emergency, call the Roadside Assistance Center.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
Do not leave the key or device that disarms or
deactivates the theft deterrent system in the vehicle.
2-15

PASS-Key®III+
The PASS-Key®III+ system operates on a radio
frequency subject to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and with Industry Canada.
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.
PASS-Key
®III+ uses a radio frequency transponder in
the key that matches a decoder in your vehicle.
PASS-Key®III+ Operation
(Canada Only)
Your vehicle has a passive theft-deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed when the key
is removed from the ignition.
The system is automatically disarmed when the key is
turned to ON/RUN.
You do not have to manually arm or disarm the system.
The security light will come on if there is a problem
with arming or disarming the theft-deterrent system.
The key uses a transponder that matches an immobilizer
control unit in your vehicle. Only the correct key will
start the vehicle. If the key is ever damaged, you may
not be able to start your vehicle.
When trying to start the vehicle, if the engine does not
start and the security light comes on, there may be
a problem with your theft-deterrent system. Turn
the ignition off and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and the key appears
to be undamaged, try another ignition key. At this
time, you may also want to check the fuse.
SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-102.
2-16