Black plate (50,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
3-50 Seats and Restraints
Make sure that a LATCH-compatible
child restraint is properly installed
using the anchors, or use the
vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint, following the instructions
that came with that restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.
When installing a child restraint with
a top tether, you must also use
either the lower anchors or the
safety belts to properly secure the
child restraint. A child restraint must
never be installed using only the top
tether and anchor.
In order to use the LATCH system
in your vehicle, you need a
child restraint that has LATCH
attachments. The child restraint
manufacturer will provide you with
instructions on how to use the
child restraint and its attachments.
The following explains how to
attach a child restraint with these
attachments in your vehicle.Not all vehicle seating positions or
child restraints have lower anchors
and attachments or top tether
anchors and attachments.
Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (A) are metal bars
built into the vehicle. There are
two lower anchors for each
LATCH seating position that will
accommodate a child restraint with
lower attachments (B).
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (A, C) anchors the
top of the child restraint to the
vehicle. A top tether anchor is built
into the vehicle. The top tether
attachment (B) on the child restraint
connects to the top tether anchor in
the vehicle in order to reduce the
forward movement and rotation of
the child restraint during driving or in
a crash.
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Seats and Restraints 3-51
Your child restraint may have
a single tether (A) or a dual
tether (C). Either will have a
single attachment (B) to secure
the top tether to the anchor.
Some child restraints that have a
top tether are designed for use
with or without the top tether being
attached. Others require the top
tether always to be attached. In
Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether
be attached. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions for your child
restraint.Lower Anchor and Top Tether
Anchor Locations
Rear Seat
i(Top Tether Anchor):Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor): Seating
positions with two lower anchors.
The rear outboard seating positions
have exposed metal anchors
located in the crease between the
seatback and the seat cushion.
Top Tether Anchors
The top tether anchors for each rear
seating position are located on the
back of the rear seatback. The rear
compartment storage panel/cover
might need to be adjusted to access
the anchors. Be sure to use an
anchor located on the same side of
the vehicle as the seating position
where the child restraint will be
placed.
Black plate (52,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
3-52 Seats and Restraints
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 attached, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer
when properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position. SeeWhere to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑47 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
child could be seriously injured
or killed. Install a LATCH-type
child restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
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 the 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.
Black plate (53,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-53
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,
before folding the seat.
Make sure to attach the child
restraint at the proper anchor
location.
This system is designed to make
installation of child restraints easier.
When using lower anchors, do
not use the vehicle's safety belts.
Instead use the vehicle's anchors
and child restraint attachments
to secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle
anchor to secure a top tether.
1. Attach and tighten the lowerattachments 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 the
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.
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 being used
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and a
single tether is being used,
route the tether over the
seatback.
Black plate (54,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
3-54 Seats and Restraints
.If the position being used
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and a
dual tether is being used,
route the tether over the
seatback.
.If the position being used
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and a dualtether is being used, route
the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.
.If the position being used
has a fixed headrest or
head restraint and a single
tether is being used, route
the tether over the headrest
or head restraint.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
LATCH path and attempt to
move it side‐to‐side and
back‐and‐forth. There should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in)
of movement, for proper
installation.
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
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 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.
Black plate (55,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-55
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat )
When securing a child restraint in
a rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with the
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
System) on page 3‑49 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured in the vehicle using a
safety belt and it uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑49 for 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.
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 read
Where to Put
the Restraint on page 3‑47.
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.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
Black plate (56,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
3-56 Seats and Restraints
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the wayout of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.5. To tighten the belt, push downon 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.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child 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
System) on page 3‑49 for more
information.
7. 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.
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.
Black plate (57,1)GMC Terrain Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-57
Armrest Retaining Strap
{WARNING
A rear center armrest that is not
properly stowed and secured
could fall forward during a sudden
stop or collision. The armrest
could contact an infant secured in
a rear‐facing child restraint in the
center seat position. Fasten the
retaining strap onto the stowed
armrest before installing a rear‐
facing child restraint in the rear
center seat position.
When new, the vehicle's glove box
materials included an armrest
retaining strap. Use it to secure thecenter armrest before installing a
rear‐facing child restraint in the
second row center seat position.
Stow the rear seat center armrest.
Attach the retaining strap to
the armrest loop (A) and to the
center top tether anchor on the
seatback (B). Make sure the
retaining strap's clips are firmly
attached.
Install the rear-facing child
restraint using the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions and the
instructions described previously.Remove the armrest retaining strap
before installing a forward facing
child restraint in the center seat
position, as it may interfere with the
attachment of the top tether to the
top tether anchor on the seatback.
Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑47.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See
Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑33 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑11 for more information,
including important safety
information.