2009 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.............1-18
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy.......................1-22
Safety Belt Extender.........1-22
Safety Belt Check.............1-22
Care of Safety Belts.........1-23
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash
..............................1-23
Airbag System
Airbag System..................1-24
Where Are the Airbags?. . .1-26
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
............................1-35
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-36
Airbag System Check.......1-37
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash.........1-37
Child Restraints
Older Children..................1-38
Infants and Young
Children..........................1-40
Child Restraint Systems. . . .1-43
Where to Put the
Restraint.........................1-44
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH)
..........................1-46
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash...........1-50
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat).....................1-51
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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Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
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 the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt 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.
3. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.Pull up on the latch plate to
make sure it is secure. If the belt
is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-22.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt
height adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you.
See “Shoulder Belt Height
Adjustment” later in this section
for instructions on use and
important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight,
pull up on the shoulder belt.
1-18 Seats and Restraints
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To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should return
to its stowed position. When the
safety belt is not in use, slide the
latch plate up the safety belt
webbing.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt
height adjuster for the driver and
right front passenger seating
position.
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.To move it, squeeze the button on
the front of the height adjuster to
release the locking feature and move
the height adjuster to the desired
position.
After the adjuster is set to the
desired position, try to move it
down without squeezing the
release button to make sure it
has locked into position.
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).
SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-30.
If you have any 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 12-1.
1-36 Seats and Restraints
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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,
try using the rear safety belt
comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-18
for 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.
1-38 Seats and Restraints
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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
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury during a crash, infants
need complete support. This is
because an infant’s neck is not
fully developed and its head
weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing child
restraint 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 rear-facing
child restraints.
{CAUTION
A young child’s hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle’s regular
safety belt may not remain low
on the hip bones, as it should.
Instead, it may settle up around
the child’s abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by
any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should
always be secured in appropriate
child restraints.
1-42 Seats and Restraints
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