Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Seats and Restraints 41
To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position.
Always stow the seat belt slowly.
If the seat belt webbing returns
quickly to the stowed position, the
retractor may lock and cannot be
pulled out. If this happens, pull the
seat belt straight out firmly to unlock
the webbing, and then release it.
If the webbing is still locked in the
retractor, see your dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
belt is out of the way. If a door is
slammed against a seat belt,
damage can occur to both the seat
belt and the vehicle.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has seat belt
pretensioners for the front outboard
occupants. Although the seat belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly.
They can help tighten the seat belts
during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioneractivation are met. Seat belt
pretensioners can also help tighten
the seat belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's seat belt
system will need to be replaced.
See
Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 043.
Do not sit on the outboard seat belt
while entering or exiting the vehicle
or at any time while sitting in the
seat. Sitting on the seat belt can
damage the webbing and hardware.
Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides
Rear seat belt comfort guides may
provide added seat belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults.
When installed on a shoulder belt,
the comfort guide positions the
shoulder belt away from the neck
and head. Comfort guides are available
through your dealer for the rear
outboard seating positions.
Instructions are included with the
guides.
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.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
52 Seats and Restraints
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint fromthe 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)
071 or
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
0 73. 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 30.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may
or may not turn off the airbags 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 and knee airbag: 1. Turn the vehicle off.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Seats and Restraints 53
2. Remove any additional materialfrom 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 and
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.
{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 054
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.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
58 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Children 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.
{Warning
Never 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.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front
outboard seat. Secure a
rear-facing child restraint in a rear
seat. It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a
rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard seat, always
move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Seats and Restraints 67
Warning (Continued)
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
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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’s seat belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled seat belts to avoid
rubbing the LATCH attachments.(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
Do not fold the rear seatback
when the seat is occupied. Do not
fold the empty rear seat with a
seat belt buckled. This could
damage the seat belt or the seat.
Unbuckle and return the seat belt
to its stowed position, before
folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one
child restraint in the rear seat, see
Where to Put the Restraint 061.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments 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 seat belt. Refer to the child
restraint manufacturer
instructions and the
instructions in this manual.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
70 Seats and Restraints
2. Press both buttons on the headrestraint posts at the same time
and pull up on the head
restraint.
3. Store the head restraints in a secure place.
4. When the child restraint is removed, reinstall the head
restraint before the seating
position is used.
{Warning
With 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. If necessary, press the height
adjustment release button to
further lower the head restraint.
See Head Restraints 030.
3. Try to move the head restraint to make sure that it is locked in
place.
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.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
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72 Seats and Restraints
4. Pull the shoulder belt all theway 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 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) 063.
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
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13556236) -
2020 - CRC - 4/23/19
Seats and Restraints 75
5. Pull the shoulder belt all theway 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.6. 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 5 and 6. 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.
If the airbags are off, the OFF
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
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 049.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.