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Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can be used to connect
electrical equipment, such as a cell phone or
MP3 player.
There are two accessory power outlets located on the
instrument panel below the climate controls and at the
rear of the center console. There may be another outlet
in the rear cargo area on the passenger side.
Remove the cover to access and replace when not
in use.
SeeAccessory Power Outlet(s)
on page 4‑15and
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter on page 4‑17.
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS)
The traction control system limits wheel spin. The
system turns on automatically every time the vehicle is
started.
.To turn off traction control, press and releasedon
the instrument panel.
Filluminates and the
appropriate DIC message displays. See DIC
Warnings and Messages on page 4‑40.
.Press and release the button again to turn on
traction control. For more information, see
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 5‑8.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control system assists with
directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving
conditions. The system turns on automatically every
time the vehicle is started.
.To turn off both traction control and Electronic
Stability Control, press and hold
duntil
Filluminates and the appropriate DIC message
displays. See DIC Warnings and Messageson
page 4‑40.
.Press and release the button again to turn on both
systems.
For more information, see Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) on page 5‑6.
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Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
SeeRadio Frequency Statementon page 8‑17for
information regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) rules and Industry
Canada Standards RSS-210/220/310.
OnStar Steering Wheel Controls
This vehicle may have a Talk/Mute button that can be
used to interact with OnStar Hands-Free calling. See
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
on page 4‑79for more
information.
On some vehicles, the mute button can be used to dial
numbers into voice mail systems, or to dial phone
extensions. See the OnStar Owner's Guide for more
information.
Your Responsibility
Increase the volume of the radio if the OnStar advisor
cannot be heard.
If the light next to the OnStar buttons is red, the system
may not be functioning properly. Push the
Qbutton and
request a vehicle diagnostic. If the light appears clear
(no light appears), your OnStar subscription has expired
and all services have been deactivated. Push the
Qbutton to confirm that the OnStar equipment is
active.
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Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone on it.
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Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
7. If the vehicle does not have a rear seat and yourchild restraint has a top tether, follow the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions regarding the
use of the top tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 2‑43for
more information.
8. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp
the child restraint at the safety belt path and
attempt to move it side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth.
When the child restraint is properly installed, there
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
If the vehicle is equipped with the passenger sensing
system, and 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 say lit when you start the vehicle.
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 2‑66for more information.
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.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
The vehicle may have the following airbags:
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind that
passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Even if you do not have a right front passenger seat in
your vehicle there is still an active frontal airbag in the
right side of the instrument panel. Do not place cargo in
front of this airbag.
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Black plate (61,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
The right front passenger's airbag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
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Black plate (62,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag, and
do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle with
roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
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Black plate (64,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by what
the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and severity
of the side impact. In a rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's
upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the first and second rows.
The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑63for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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Black plate (72,1)Chevrolet HHR Owner Manual - 2011
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 and the service manual
have information about servicing the vehicle and the
airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information
on
page 8‑14.
{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, side impact sensors,
rollover sensor module, or airbag wiring can affect
the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle may have a passenger
sensing system for the right front passenger
position, which includes sensors that are part of the
passenger 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,
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