2009 PONTIAC G8 Owners Manual

{CAUTION
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment to
come loose or even break during a
crash. A child or others could be
injured. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, attach only one child
restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if your vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice:Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to avoid
rubbing the LATCH attachments.Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position.
1. Attach and tighten the lower
attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower attachments
or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the
top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint
manufacturer instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for
the desired seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the
lower attachments on
the child restraint to the
lower anchors.
Seats and Restraints 1-45

2. If the child restraint manufacturer
recommends that the top tether
be attached, attach and tighten
the top tether to the top tether
anchor, if equipped. Refer to the
child restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. Route, attach, and tighten
the top tether according to
your child restraint
instructions and the
following instructions:If the position you are using
does not have a headrest or
head restraint and you are
using a single tether, route
the tether over the seatback.If the position you are using
does not have a headrest or
head restraint and you are
using a dual tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
1-46 Seats and Restraints

If the position you are using
has a xed headrest or head
restraint and you are using a
dual tether, route the tether
around the headrest or head
restraint.If the position you are using
has a xed headrest or head
restraint and you are using a
single tether, route the tether
over the head restraint.
3. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{CAUTION
A crash can damage the LATCH
system in the vehicle. A damaged
LATCH system may not properly
secure the child restraint, resulting
in serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
LATCH system is working properly
after a crash, see your dealer/
retailer to have the system
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a crash,
new LATCH system parts may be
needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Seats and Restraints 1-47

Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in a
rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with your child
restraint to make sure it is compatible
with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for how and where to
install your child restraint using
LATCH. If a child restraint is secured
in the vehicle using a safety belt
and it uses a top tether, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 1-42for top tether
anchor locations.Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether
anchor if a national or local law
requires that the top tether be
anchored, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say
that the top strap must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether
be attached.
If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be using
the safety belt to secure the child
restraint in this position. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came
with the child restraint. Secure the
child in the child restraint when
and as the instructions say.If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the
rear seat, be sure to readWhere to
Put the Restraint on page 1-40.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and
run the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
1-48 Seats and Restraints

Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to
set the lock.5. To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt
to tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to use
your knee to push down on the
child restraint as you tighten
the belt.6. If your child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for more
information.
7. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.
Seats and Restraints 1-49

Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure
a forward-facing child restraint.
SeeWhere to Put the Restraint
on page 1-40.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which
is designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-27
andPassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-14for more
information, including important
safety information.A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
right front passenger airbag
inates and the passenger seat
is in a forward position.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag is
off. If you secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go. It is
better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 1-27for additional
information.
1-50 Seats and Restraints

If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for how and where to
install the child restraint using
LATCH. If a child restraint is secured
using a safety belt and it uses a
top tether, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-42for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with
the child restraint say that the top
strap must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have a
top tether, and that the tether be
attached.You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it
will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal
airbag, the off indicator on
the passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay lit
when the vehicle is started.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-14.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.3. Pick up the latch plate, and run
the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle’s safety belt
through or around the restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button, on
the buckle so that the safety belt,
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
Seats and Restraints 1-51

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to
set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, push down
on the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint
in different directions to be sure
it is secure.If the airbag is off, the off indicator
in the passenger airbag status
indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint” underPassenger
Sensing System on page 1-27
for more information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
1-52 Seats and Restraints