Head Restraints
The vehicle’s front seats have adjustable head restraints
in the outboard seating positions.
{WARNING:
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.
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4. 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 2-35.
Position the release button on the buckle so that the
safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.
5. 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.6. 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.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
(Sedan Only)
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger seating 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.
Push down the release
button (A) and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position. The
adjuster can be moved up
by pushing the release
button up.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without pushing the release button
to make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
The 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 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 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 2-75.
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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 fit 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 2-28for more information. If the
shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder,
then return to the booster seat.
•Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
•Can proper safety belt fit be maintained for the
length of the 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.
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{WARNING:
Never do this.
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates 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.
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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.
{WARNING:
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.
{WARNING:
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.
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Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the airbag system in several places
around the vehicle. Your dealer/retailer and the
service manual have information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications Ordering Information
on page 8-15.
{WARNING:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition is turned off
and the battery is disconnected, an airbag can still
inflate during improper service. You can be injured
if you are close to an airbag when it inflates. Avoid
yellow connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
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.
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Brake Wear
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc brake pads have
built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads
are needed. The sound can come and go or be heard
all the time the vehicle is moving, except when applying
the brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to an
accident. When the brake wear warning sound is
heard, have the vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly applied.
This does not mean something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque specifications inCapacities
and Speci cations on page 6-125.Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer if the brake pedal does not
return to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a sign that brake service
might be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied, with or without the
vehicle moving, the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. The vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality brake parts.
When parts of the braking system are replaced — for
example, when the brake linings wear down and new
ones are installed — be sure to get new approved
replacement parts. If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for the vehicle, the balance
between the front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance expected can change in
many other ways if the wrong replacement brake parts
are installed.
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