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76 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Seat Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Seat belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear
seat belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the
pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to
protect the mother. When a seat belt
is worn properly, it is more likely thatthe fetus will not be hurt in a crash.
For pregnant women, as for anyone,
the key to making seat belts effective
is wearing them properly.
Seat Belt Extender
If the vehicle's seat belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a seat belt is not long enough,
your dealer will order you an extender.
When you go in to order it, take the
heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you.
To help avoid personal injury, do not
let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. The
extender has been designed for adults.
Never use it for securing child
restraints. For more information on
the proper use and fit of seat belt
extenders see the instruction sheet
that comes with the extender.
Safety System Check
Periodically check the seat belt
reminder, seat belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, shoulder belt height
adjusters (if equipped), and seat belt
anchorages to make sure they are all
in working order. Look for any other
loose or damaged seat belt system
parts that might keep a seat belt
system from performing properly. See
your dealer to have it repaired. Torn
or frayed seat belts may not protect
you in a crash. They can rip apart
under impact forces. If a belt is torn
or frayed, have it replaced
immediately.
Make sure the seat belt reminder light
is working. See
Seat Belt Reminders
0 131.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See Seat
Belt Care 076.
Seat Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye seat belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they might
not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean and rinse seat belt
(Continued)
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 79
Warning (Continued)
if sitting on the edge of the seat or
leaning forward. Seat belts help
keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear a seat
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The seat belts and the
front outboard passenger airbags
are most effective when you are
sitting well back and upright in the
seat with both feet on the floor.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 089 or
Infants and Young Children 091.
There is an airbag readiness light on
the instrument 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 0131 for more
information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger frontal
airbag is in the passenger side
instrument panel.
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84 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Mexico
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbols for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the
word ON or OFF, or the symbol for on
or off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0132.
The passenger sensing system turns
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. No other airbag is affected
by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the front
outboard passenger seat and seat belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
should be allowed to inflate or not. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a
rear seating position.
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 inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the passenger frontal 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 passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the 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.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in the
front outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure child
restraints in the rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to transport
the child when a rear seat is not
available.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if:
. The front outboard passenger seat
is unoccupied.
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.The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.
. A front outboard passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for a
period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the passenger
sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system
has turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit as a
reminder that the airbag is off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 132.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly
in the front outboard passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system
has allowed the airbag to be enabled,
the on indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder 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 front
outboard 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 seat 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 0131 for
more information, including
important safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if
the system determines that an infant
is present in 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 Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0102
or Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
0 104.
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86 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Make sure the seat belt retractor
is locked by pulling the shoulder
belt all the way out of the
retractor when installing the
child restraint, even if the child
restraint is equipped with a seat
belt lock off. When the retractor
lock is set, the belt can be
tightened but not pulled out of
the retractor.
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
0 58.
6. Restart the vehicle. The passenger sensing system may or
may not turn off the airbag for a child
in a child restraint depending upon
the child’s size. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat, even if the on indicator is
not lit.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat, but
the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat or that the child
restraint locking feature is engaged. Use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the
child restraint locking feature
will be engaged. This may
unintentionally cause the
passenger sensing system to turn
the airbag off for some
adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let
the belt go back all the way, and
then buckle the belt again
without pulling the belt out all
the way.
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6. Restart the vehicle and have theperson remain in this position
for two to three minutes after the
on indicator is lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard passenger
seat, if the passenger airbag off
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Seat 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 “Seat 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 the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 088 for
more information about modifications
that can affect how the system
operates.
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 articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
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 0352.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the battery
is disconnected, an airbag can still
(Continued)
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Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light 0131.
Caution
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
coverings, have the airbag covering
and/or airbag module replaced. For
the location of the airbags, see
Where Are the Airbags? 079. See
your dealer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in the vehicle. A damaged
airbag system may not properly
protect you and your passenger(s)
in a crash, resulting in serious
injury or even death. To help make
sure the airbag systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your
dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0131.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the vehicle’s
seat belts.
The manufacturer 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 fit test below:
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.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 seat belt
comfort guide, if available. See
“Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 071. If a
comfort guide is not available, or 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 seat belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck.
The lap belt should fit snugly
below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. This applies belt
force to the child's pelvic bones in
a crash. It should never be worn
over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt 071.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need
to use seat belts properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child to
wear the same seat belt. The seat
belt cannot properly spread the
impact forces. In a crash, they can (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
be crushed together and seriously
injured. A seat belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
{Warning
Never allow a child to wear the seat
belt with the shoulder belt behind
their back. A child can be seriously
injured by not wearing the
lap-shoulder belt properly. In a(Continued)