2012 GMC CANYON Owner's Manual

Black plate (43,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-43
WARNING (Continued)
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
The vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which
is designed to turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions.
Even if the passenger sensing
system, if equipped, 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
it 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, always move(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑28 for additional
information.
{WARNING
A child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never
secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint in
a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the
center front seat position. If the vehicle does not have rear
seats, rear-facing child restraints
should not be installed in the
vehicle, even if the passenger
airbag is off.
If a child in a forward-facing child
restraint must be transported in a
vehicle that does not have rear
seats, the child restraint should be
secured in the right front seat
position. See
“Securing Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position)” later in this section, for
instructions on how to install a
child restraint in the right front
seat position.
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.
Child restraints and booster seats
vary considerable in size, and some
may fit in certain seating positions
better than others. Always make
sure the child restraint is properly
secured.

Black plate (44,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-44 Seats and Restraints
Depending on where you place the
child restraint and the size of the
child restraint, you may not be able
to access adjacent safety belt
assemblies or LATCH anchors for
additional passengers or child
restraints. Adjacent seating
positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to or
interferes with the routing of the
safety belt.
Wherever you install a child
restraint, be sure to secure the
child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured
child restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle, even when no child is
in it.Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system holds a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
This system is designed to make
installation of a child restraint easier.
The LATCH system uses anchors in
the vehicle and attachments on the
child restraint that are made for use
with the LATCH system.
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.

Black plate (45,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-45
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.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.

Black plate (46,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-46 Seats and Restraints
Lower Anchor and Top Tether
Anchor Locations
Crew Cab—Rear Seat
i(Top Tether Anchor): Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor): Seating
positions with two lower anchors.
For crew cab models, there are
exposed metal lower anchors for
each rear outboard seating position,
where the seatback meets the back
of the seat cushion. To assist in locating the lower
anchors, place your hand in a
palm-up position and reach up
between the seat cushion and
the seatback.
Extended Cab
—Rear Seat
i(Top Tether Anchor): Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
j(Lower Anchor): Seating
positions with two lower anchors.
For extended cab models with rear
seats, there are exposed metal
lower anchors for each rear seating
position, attached to the back wall,
near the seat cushion. To assist in locating the lower
anchors, place your hand in a
palm-up position and reach up
between the seat cushion and
the seatback.
Front Bucket Seats
—Regular
and Extended Cab without Rear Seats
i(Top Tether Anchor): Seating
positions with top tether anchors.

Black plate (47,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-47
Front Bench Seat—Regular
and Extended Cab without Rear Seats
i(Top Tether Anchor): Seating
positions with top tether anchors.
Some top tether anchors have
covers. To assist in locating the
covered top tether anchors,
the top tether anchor symbol is
on the cover.
Crew Cab
The top tether anchors in a crew
cab model are on the back wall
behind each rear seating position.
Be sure to use an anchor on the
same side of the vehicle as the
seating position where the child
restraint will be placed.
Extended Cab —Rear Seat
The top tether anchors in an
extended cab model are on the
center of the back wall behind a
removable cover for the rear seating
positions. Be sure to use an anchor
nearest to the seating position
where the child restraint will be
placed.

Black plate (48,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-48 Seats and Restraints
Regular and Extended Cab
without Rear Seats (Front Bucket Seats)
For regular and extended cab
models without rear seats that have
front bucket seats, there is a top
tether anchor behind a removable
cover on the back wall behind the
right front passenger seat. You may
have to pull the seatback forward to
access the anchor.Regular and Extended Cab without Rear Seats (Front Bench Seat)
For regular and extended cab
models without rear seats that have
a front bench seat, there are top
tether anchors behind removable
covers on the back wall behind the
right front passenger seat and the
center front passenger seat. The
seatback may have to be pulled
forward to access the anchors. 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. See
Where to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑42 for
additional information.

Black plate (49,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-49
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
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.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
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.

Black plate (50,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-50 Seats and Restraints
Crew Cab—Rear Seat
1. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer's instructions
recommend that the top tether
be attached, attach the top
tether to the top tether
anchor (A). Refer to the child restraint
instructions and the following
steps:
2.1. Pull the seatback forward to
access the top tether
anchors (A). See Rear
Seats (Crew Cab) on
page 3‑10 orRear Seats
(Extended Cab) on
page 3‑9.
2.2. Route the top tether according to your child
restraint instructions and
the following instructions:
If the child restraint has a
single tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
If the child restraint has a
dual tether, route the tether
over the seatback.
2.3. Attach the top tether to the anchor (A). Make sure that
you secure the top tether to
the top tether anchor and
not to the seatback
latch (B).
2.4. Push rearward on the seatback until it locks into
its upright position. Push
and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is secured
properly.