2008 SATURN ASTRA height

Seats and
Restraints
Front Seats
Manual Seats.....................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster...........1-2
Lumbar Seat Adjustment. . . .1-3
Reclining Seatbacks...........1-3
Head Restraints..................1-5
Heated Seats.....................1-6
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation...........1-7
Safety Belts
Safety Belts........................1-8
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly..........................1-12
Lap-Shoulder Belt.............1-17
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy.......................1-21
Safety Belt Extender.........1-22
Safety Belt Check.............1-22
Care of Safety Belts.........1-22
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After
a Crash
...........................1-23
Airbag System
Airbag System..................1-23
Where Are the Airbags?. . .1-25
When Should an Airbag
Inate?............................1-27
What Makes an Airbag
Inate?............................1-28
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?........................1-28
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?..........1-29
Passenger Sensing
System............................1-30
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-34
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-35
Airbag System Check.......1-36
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash.........1-36
Child Restraints
Older Children..................1-37
Infants and Young
Children..........................1-38
Child Restraint Systems. . . .1-41
Where to Put the
Restraint.........................1-43
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH)
..........................1-45
Replacing LATCH
System Parts After
a Crash
...........................1-50
Securing Child
Restraints (Rear Seat).....1-50
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat)...........1-53
Seats and Restraints 1-1
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Front Seats
Manual Seats
{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.To move a manual seat forward or
rearward:
1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body
to be sure the seat is locked in place.
Seat Height Adjuster
To raise and lower the manual
seat, move the lever up or down
repeatedly until the seat is at
the desired height.
1-2 Seats and Restraints
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Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have
adjustable head restraints.
{CAUTION
With head restraints that are
not installed and adjusted
properly, there is a greater
chance that occupants will
suffer a neck/spinal injury
in a crash. Do not drive until
the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.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.To adjust the head restraint, press
the button located on the side of the
head restraint. Pull up or push down
on the restraint to adjust it.
Try to move the head restraint after
the button is released to make
sure that it is locked in place.
The vehicle’s front seat head
restraints are not designed to
be removed.
Seats and Restraints 1-5
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4. 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.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should go
back out of the way. When the safety
belt is not in use, slide the latch plate
up the safety belt webbing. The latch
plate should rest on the stitching on
the safety belt, near the guide loop
on the side wall.Before you close a door, be sure
the belt is out of the way. If you slam
the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver
and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so that the
shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt
should be away from the face and
neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Incorrect positioning of the shoulder
belt can reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt.
1-18 Seats and Restraints
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To move it, push the button on the
front of the height adjuster and
move the height adjuster to
the desired position.
After you move the adjuster to
where you want it, try to move it
down without pushing the button
to make sure it has locked into
position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
The vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for the 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 and
near frontal crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner activation
are met. And, if the vehicle has
side impact airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten
the safety belts in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If
they activate in a crash, you will need
to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for the safety belt system.
SeeReplacing Safety Belt System
Parts After a Crash on page 1-23.
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 one guide for each
outboard passenger position in the
rear seat. Here is how to install
a comfort guide to the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from the
side of the seatback to remove
the guide from its storage pocket.
Seats and Restraints 1-19
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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 the 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, front sensors,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger 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, could also 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). See
Passenger Sensing System
on page 1-30.
If you have any questions about
this, you should contact Customer
Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbersand addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 11-1.
Q:Because I have a disability,
I have to get my vehicle
modied. 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.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction
Procedure on page 11-1.
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.
Seats and Restraints 1-35
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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s safety belts.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,
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.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint system
secured in a rear seating position.
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.
Seats and Restraints 1-37
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{CAUTION
Never do this.
Children who are up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it
inates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front
seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also
better to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in a rear seat.
If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, always
move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
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.
1-40 Seats and Restraints
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