2009 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN child restraint

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-2
Front Seats
............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats
..............................................1-14
Safety Belts
.............................................1-32
Child Restraints
.......................................1-54
Airbag System
.........................................1-81
Restraint System Check
............................1-98
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-19
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-22
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-26
Mirrors
....................................................2-52
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-56
OnStar
®System
......................................2-68
Universal Home Remote System
................2-71
Storage Areas
.........................................2-78
Sunroof
..................................................2-81Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-22
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-34
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-51
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-83
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-43
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Rear Axle
...............................................5-49
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-51
Front Axle
...............................................5-52
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-53
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-59
Tires
......................................................5-61
2009 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban Owner ManualM

Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the index.
0:Adjustable Pedals
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway Mirrors
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_:Tow/Haul Mode
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
v

Head Restraints...............................................1-2
Front Seats......................................................1-4
Manual Seats................................................1-4
Power Seats..................................................1-5
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-6
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-6
Heated Seats.................................................1-7
Heated and Cooled Seats................................1-8
Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals....................1-8
Reclining Seatbacks......................................1-10
Center Seat.................................................1-13
Rear Seats.....................................................1-14
Heated Seats...............................................1-14
60/40 Split Bench Seat (Second Row).............1-14
Bucket Seats (Second Row)...........................1-20
Third Row Seat............................................1-27
Safety Belts...................................................1-32
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-32
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-37
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-45
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-52
Lap Belt......................................................1-52
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-53
Child Restraints.............................................1-54
Older Children..............................................1-54
Infants and Young Children............................1-57Child Restraint Systems.................................1-61
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-63
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-65
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position....................................1-73
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position..........................1-77
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position............................1-77
Airbag System..............................................
.1-81
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-83
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-86
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-87
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-88
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?.....1-88
Passenger Sensing System............................1-90
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-96
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-96
Restraint System Check..................................1-98
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-98
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-99
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-1

If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt with a
free-falling latch plate is pulled out all the way, the
child restraint locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the
right front seating position may affect the passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 1-90for more information.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, for
lap-shoulder belts with cinching latch plates, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling the safety belt until
it can be buckled.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If
you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into the
buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-53.
Position the release button on the buckle so that
the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
1-46

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger positions.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt
is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away
from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
Squeeze the buttons (A)
on the sides of the height
adjuster and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position.
The adjuster can be moved up just by pushing up on
the shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without squeezing the buttons to
make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, 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, if the vehicle has
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 the pretensioners
activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the vehicle’s safety
belt system. SeeReplacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash on page 1-99.
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.
1-48

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, try
using the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear
Safety Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder
Belt on page 1-45for 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
length of trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the
booster seat.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a position
with a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide.
1-54

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 1-45.
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.{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Never allow two children to wear the same safety
belt. The safety belt can not properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A safety
belt must be used by only one person at a time.
1-55

Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor
its airbag system is designed for them. Every time
infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should
have the protection provided by appropriate child
restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
1-57