2011 CHEVROLET HHR warning light

Black plate (60,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver should sit as far
back as possible while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
roof-rail airbags.
{WARNING:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
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. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child restraint system
can provide. Always secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, seeOlder Children
on
page 2‑34
or Infants and Young Childrenon
page 2‑36
.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26for
more information.
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Black plate (68,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
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.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
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 the airbag 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,
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
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.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear‐facing child restraint, a rear‐facing
child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger frontal airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines that an infant is present in
a child restraint.
.A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
.Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑27.
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Black plate (69,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
The passenger sensing system is designed turn on
(may inflate) the right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the right front passenger seat. When
the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag
to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is active.
For some children, including children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt
properly—whether or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{WARNING:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26
for more information, including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters,
or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and
refer to Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 2‑54.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the
vehicle off. Then slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat cushion, if adjustable,
to make sure that the vehicle seatback is not
pushing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. See Head Restraints
on
page 2‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
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Black plate (71,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Additional Factors Affecting System
Operation
Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger
airbag status. See“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket or
cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers,
seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system operates. We
recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when approved by GM
for your specific vehicle. See Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 2‑72for more
information about modifications that can affect how the
system operates.
A wet seat can affect the performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
.The passenger sensing system may turn off the
passenger airbag when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off indicator will be lit,
and the airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
.Liquid pooled on the seat that has not soaked in
may make it more likely that the passenger
sensing system will enable (turn on) the passenger
airbag while a child restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag is turned on, the
on indicator will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry the seat
immediately. If the airbag readiness light is lit, do not
install a child restraint or allow anyone to occupy the
seat. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26for
important safety information.
The on indicator may be lit if an object, such as a
briefcase, handbag, grocery bag, laptop or other
electronic device, is put on an unoccupied seat. If this is
not desired, remove the object from the seat.
{WARNING:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat or
between the passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper operation
of the passenger sensing system.
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Black plate (74,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Airbags
The airbag system does not need regularly scheduled
maintenance or replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑26for more information.
Notice: If an airbag covering is damaged, opened,
or broken, the airbag may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag covers, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules, see What Makes an
Airbag Inflate?
on page 2‑64. See your dealer for
service.
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{WARNING:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in your
vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not
properly protect the person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a crash. To help
make sure your restraint systems are working
properly after a crash, have them inspected and
any necessary replacements made as soon as
possible. If the vehicle has been in a crash, do you need new
safety belts or LATCH system (if equipped) parts?
After a very minor crash, nothing may be necessary. But
the safety belt assemblies that were used during any
crash may have been stressed or damaged. See your
dealer to have the safety belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system and it was being
used during a crash, you may need new LATCH system
parts.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the
safety belt or LATCH system (if equipped), was not
being used at the time of the crash.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to replace airbag
system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier
in this section.
Have the safety belt pretensioners checked if the
vehicle has been in a crash, if the airbag readiness light
stays on after the vehicle is started, or while you are
driving. See
Airbag Readiness Lighton page 4‑26.
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Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Open the liftgate by pressing the touchpad located in
the handle above the license plate. Once slightly
opened, the liftgate will rise by itself. Lamps in the rear
of the vehicle will come on, illuminating the rear cargo
area, unless the dome lamp lever is in the off position.
For more information, seeDome Lamp on page 4‑14.
Notice: If you open the liftgate without checking for
overhead obstructions such as a garage door, you
could damage the liftgate or the liftgate glass.
Always check to make sure the area above and
behind the liftgate is clear before opening it.
{WARNING:
Exhaust gases can enter the vehicle if it is driven
with the liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with any
objects that pass through the seal between the
body and the trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
If the vehicle must be driven with the liftgate,
or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air and set the fan
speed to the highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with a power liftgate,
disable the power liftgate function.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑34.
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Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), andturn the ignition to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift lever must be in
P (Park) to turn the ignition switch to the LOCK/
OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on
page 3‑30.
The steering can bind with the wheel turned off center.
If this happens, move it from right to left while turning
the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service.
{WARNING:
If you have a manual transmission removing the
key from the ignition switch will lock the steering
column and result in a loss of ability to steer the
vehicle. This could cause a collision. If you need
to turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving,
turn the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):
This position operates
some of the electrical accessories. It unlocks the
steering wheel and ignition.
R (ON/RUN): This is the position in which you can
operate the electrical accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning and indicator lights.
The switch stays in this position when the engine is
running.
If you leave the key in the ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/
RUN position with the engine off, the battery could be
drained. You may not be able to start the vehicle if the
battery is allowed to drain for an extended period
of time.
/ (START): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to ON/RUN for driving.
A warning tone will sound when the driver door is
opened, the ignition is in LOCK/OFF or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the key is in the ignition.
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Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Shift Speeds
{WARNING:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift down more than
one gear at a time when you downshift.
Up-Shift Light
If the vehicle has a
manual transmission,
there may be an up-shift
light. This light will show
you when to shift to the
next higher gear for the
best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road, and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While accelerating, it is normal for the light to go on and
off if you quickly change the position of the accelerator.
Ignore the light when downshifting.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the front
seats.
{WARNING:
If the front passenger seat back is folded down,
the armrest may make it awkward to grab and pull
up the parking brake lever. If the lever is not
pulled up far enough, the vehicle may roll and you (Continued)
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