Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Seats and Restraints 55Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear seat
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only. They work with
seat belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is
provided, all occupants still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in
all Canadian provinces, the law
requires wearing seat belts.
How to Wear Seat Belts
Properly Follow these rules for everyone's
protection.
There are additional things to know
about seat belts and children,
including smaller children and
infants. If a child will be riding in the
vehicle, see Older Children 0 74 or
Infants and Young Children 0 76 .
Review and follow the rules for
children in addition to the following
rules. It is very important for all occupants
to buckle up. Statistics show that
unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are
wearing seat belts.
There are important things to know
about wearing a seat belt properly.
.
Sit up straight and always keep
your feet on the floor in front of
you (if possible).
.
Always use the correct buckle
for your seating position.
.
Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones and you would be
less likely to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force on your
abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
.
Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining
forces. The shoulder belt locks if
there is a sudden stop or crash.
{ WarningYou can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing
your seat belt properly.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Seats and Restraints 57
{ WarningThe seat belt can be pinched if it
is routed under plastic trim on the
seat, such as trim around the rear
seatback folding handle or side
airbag. In a crash, pinched seat
belts might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Never allow
seat belts to be routed under
plastic trim pieces.
Lap-Shoulder Belt All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating
position with a detachable seat belt
and the seat belt is not attached,
see Third Row Seats 0 51 for
instructions on reconnecting the
seat belt to the mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly. 1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is
adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see
“ Seats ” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull
the belt across you. Do not let
it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock
if you pull the belt across you
very quickly. If this happens, let
the belt go back slightly to
unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly. If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be
engaged. See Child Restraint
Systems 0 78 . If this occurs, let
the belt go back all the way
and start again. If the locking
feature stays engaged after
letting the belt go back to
stowed position on the seat,
move the seat rearward or
recline the seat until the
shoulder belt retractor lock
releases.
Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the front
outboard seating position may
affect the passenger sensing
system. See Passenger
Sensing System 0 68 .
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
70 Seats and Restraints
{ WarningIf 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 0 120 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)
0 91 or
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
0 93 .
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 40 .
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.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
Seats and Restraints 71If 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.
6. Restart the vehicle and have
the person remain in this
position for two to three minutes
after the ON indicator is lit.{ WarningIf 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.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
76 Seats and Restraints
Infants and Young
Children Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the
distance traveled nor the age and
size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety
restraints. In fact, the law in every
state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says
children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle. { WarningChildren can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor,
but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child ’ s neck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child ’ s neck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
Never leave children unattended
in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the seat
belts.
Every time infants and young
children ride in vehicles, they should
have the protection provided by appropriate child restraints. Neither
the vehicle ’ s seat belt system nor its
airbag system is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{ WarningNever hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate child
restraint.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
86 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. See Where to Put the
Restraint 0 80 for additional
information.
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{ Warning
A child could be seriously injured
or killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly attached
to the vehicle using either the
LATCH anchors or the vehicle
seat belt. Follow the instructions
(Continued) Warning (Continued) that came with the child restraint
and the instructions in this
manual.
{ WarningTo reduce the risk of serious or
fatal injuries during a crash, 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.
{ Warning
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck. The
(Continued) Warning (Continued) shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor,
but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child ’ s neck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child ’ s neck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
Buckle any unused seat 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,
and tighten the belt behind the
child restraint after the child
restraint has been installed.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
90 Seats and Restraints 2. Press both buttons on the head
restraint posts at the same
time, and pull up on the head
restraint.
3. Store the head restraint in the
cargo area of the vehicle.
4. When the child restraint is
removed, reinstall the head
restraint before the seating
position is used.
{ WarningWith head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly,
there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/
spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for
all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly. To reinstall the head restraint:
1. Insert the head restraint posts
into the holes in the top of the
seatback. The notches on the
posts must face the driver side
of the vehicle.
2. Push the head restraint down.
3. Try to move the head restraint
to make sure that it is locked in
place. Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{ WarningA 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.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Buick Enclave Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13527524) - 2020 - CRC - 4/10/19
92 Seats and Restraints Position the release button on
the buckle, away from the child
restraint, so that the seat belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. Pull the shoulder belt all the
way out 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 down
on 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) 0 81 .
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 seat 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 seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
If the head restraint was removed,
reinstall it before the seating
position is used. See "Head
Restraint Removal and