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Seats and Restraints 63
properly. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability
Control0291. If there is a
problem with the Automatic
Seat Belt Tightening System, a
message displays on the
Driver Information Center
(DIC). If a system unavailable
message displays repeatedly
or if a service message
displays, see your dealer.
Other seat belt functions are
not affected by the Automatic
Seat Belt Tightening System.
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 pretensioner
activation 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
065.
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.
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64 Seats and Restraints
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 that
the 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. Only a GM
dealer issued extender should
be used. 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 beltheight 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, frayed, or twisted seat
belts may not protect you in a
crash. Torn or frayed seat
belts can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn
or frayed, have it replaced
immediately. If a belt is
twisted, it may be possible to
untwist by reversing the latch
plate on the webbing. If the
twist cannot be corrected, ask
your dealer to fix it.
Make sure the seat belt
reminder light is working. See
Seat Belt Reminders
0122.
Keep seat belts clean and dry.
See Seat Belt Care 065.
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Seats and Restraints 67
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with
great force and faster than
the blink of an eye, anyone
who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be 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.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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, see Older
Children079 or
Infants and Young Children
0 81.
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 0123.
Where Are the
Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in
the center of the steering
wheel.
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Seats and Restraints 73
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 and knee 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.
Even if the passenger
sensing system has turned
off the front outboard
passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one
can guarantee that an
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance,
even though the airbag(s)
are 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 and knee
airbag if:
.The front outboard
passenger seat is
unoccupied.
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74 Seats and Restraints
.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.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the
front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag,
the OFF indicator will light and
stay lit as a reminder that the
airbags are off. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0124.
The passenger sensing
system is designed to turn on
the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee 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 airbags
are 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 and knee 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 0123 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 and knee 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.
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Seats and Restraints 75
4. Reinstall the child restraintfollowing the directions
provided by the child
restraint manufacturer and
refer to Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Rear Seat) 094
or
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) 096.
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
043.
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:
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76 Seats and Restraints
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additionalmaterial 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.
{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 077
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
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Warning (Continued)
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 0123.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have
outgrown booster seats
should wear the vehicle’s seat
belts. Refer to How to Wear
Seat Belts Properly 057.
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:
.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 060. 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.