2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Owners Manual

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2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Rear Seats .............................................. 1-11 Safety Belts ............................................. 1-13 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-34 Airbag System ......................................... 1-56 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-71 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 Keys ........................................................ 2-3 Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10 Windows ................................................. 2-23 Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-26 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-29 Mirrors .................................................... 2-51 Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-59 OnStar® System ...................................... 2-61 Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-64 Storage Areas ......................................... 2-71 Sunroof .................................................. 2-98 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-20 ........ 3-30 .................. 3-47 ....................................... 3-71 Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s) Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 ..... 4-2 ................................................... 4-42 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-45 Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-46 Front Axle ............................................... 5-47 Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-48 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-51 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-54 Tires ...................................................... 5-55 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-96 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ............................... 5-105 Electrical System .................................... 5-105 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ................... 5-113 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1 ........... 7-2 ........................... 7-14 ........... 7-16 Index ................................................................ 1 Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy Maintenance Schedule Canadian Owners A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer/retailer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 1-800-551-4123 www.helminc.com Propriétaires Canadiens On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante: Helm Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 1-800-551-4123 www.helminc.com GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the names AVALANCHE and Z71 are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without further notice. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. This manual describes features that may be available in this model, but your vehicle may not have all of them. For example, more than one entertainment system may be offered or your vehicle may have been ordered without a front passenger or rear seats. Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 15854809 A First Printing ©2007 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii Using this Manual Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle to learn about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures and words work together to explain things. Index A good place to quickly locate information about the vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found. Safety Warnings and Symbols There are a number of safety cautions in this book. A box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about things that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore the warning. {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. We tell you what the hazard is and what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. A circle with a slash through it is a safety symbol which means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.” iii Vehicle Symbols The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage, or indicator. Vehicle Damage Warnings You will also ﬁnd notices in this manual. Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The notice tells what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. There are also warning labels on the vehicle which use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. iv Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Manual Seats ................................................1-2 Power Seats ..................................................1-3 Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-4 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4 Heated Seats .................................................1-5 Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals ....................1-6 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-8 Head Restraints ............................................1-10 Center Seat .................................................1-11 Rear Seats .....................................................1-11 Rear Seat Operation .....................................1-11 Safety Belts ...................................................1-13 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-13 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-18 Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-26 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-32 Lap Belt ......................................................1-32 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-33 Child Restraints .............................................1-34 Older Children ..............................................1-34 Infants and Young Children ............................1-36 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-40 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-42 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) ..................................................1-43 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ...................................................1-50 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position ............................................1-52 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ............................................1-53 Airbag System ...............................................1-56 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-59 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-61 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-62 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-62 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? .....1-63 Passenger Sensing System ............................1-64 Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-69 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-70 Restraint System Check ..................................1-71 Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-71 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ...................................................1-72 1-1 Front Seats Manual Seats {CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. To move a manual seat forward or rearward: 1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat. 2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-2 Power Seats Driver’s Seat with Power Seat Control, Power Recline, and Power Lumbar shown On a vehicle with power seats, the controls used to operate them are located on the outboard side of the seats. To adjust the seat, do any of the following: (cid:129) Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding the control forward or rearward. (cid:129) Raise or lower the front part of the seat cushion by moving the front of the control up or down. (cid:129) Raise or lower the rear part of the seat cushion by moving the rear of the control up or down. (cid:129) Raise or lower the entire seat by moving the entire control up or down. On seats with power reclining seatbacks, the control is located behind the power seat control on the outboard side of the seats. See “Power Reclining Seatbacks” under Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-8. A vehicle with a memory function allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-6 for more information. 1-3 Manual Lumbar Power Lumbar On vehicles with this feature, turn the knob forward or rearward to increase or decrease lumbar support. If the seats have power lumbar, the controls used to operate this feature are located on the outboard side of the seats. To increase lumbar support, press and hold the front of the control. To decrease lumbar support, press and hold the rear of the control. To raise the height of the lumbar support, press and hold the top of the control. To lower the height of the lumbar support, press and hold the bottom of the control. 1-4 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Release the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of lumbar support. Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals on page 1-6 for more information. Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed. Heated Seats On vehicles with heated front seats, the controls are located on the driver’s and passenger’s doors. I (Heated Seatback): Press to turn on the heated seatback. J (Heated Seat and Seatback): Press to turn on the heated seat and seatback. The light on the button will come on to indicate that the feature is working. Press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium, and low and to turn the heat to the seat off. Indicator lights will show the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium, and one for low. The heated seats will be canceled ten seconds after the ignition is turned off. To use the heated seat feature after restarting your vehicle, press the heated seat or seatback button again. 1-5 Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals Your vehicle may have the memory package. The controls for this feature are located on the driver’s door panel, and are used to program and recall memory settings for the driver’s seat, outside mirrors, and the adjustable throttle and brake pedal. To save your positions in memory, do the following: 1. Adjust the driver’s seat, including the seatback recliner and lumbar, both outside mirrors, and the throttle and brake pedals to a comfortable position. See Outside Power Mirrors on page 2-55 and Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal on page 2-33 for more information. Not all mirrors will have the ability to save and recall their positions. Not all adjustable throttles and brake pedals will have the ability to save and recall their positions. 2. Press and hold button 1 until two beeps are heard indicating that the position has been stored. A second seating, mirror, and throttle and brake pedal position can be programmed by repeating the above steps and pressing button 2. 1-6 To recall the memory positions, the vehicle must be in PARK (P). Press and release either button 1 or button 2 corresponding to the desired driving position. The seat, outside mirrors, and adjustable throttle and brake pedals will move to the position previously stored. You will hear a single beep. If you use the remote keyless entry transmitter to enter your vehicle and the remote recall memory feature is on, automatic seat, adjustable mirror, and adjustable pedal movements will occur. See “MEMORY SEAT RECALL” under DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-63 for more information. To stop recall movement of the memory function at any time, press one of the power seat controls, memory buttons, power mirror buttons, or adjustable pedal switch. If something has blocked the driver’s seat and/or the adjustable pedals while recalling a memory position, the driver’s seat and/or the adjustable pedals recall may stop working. If this happens, remove the obstruction and press the appropriate control for the area that is not responding for two seconds. Try recalling the memory position again by pressing the appropriate memory button. If the memory position is still not recalling, see your dealer for service. Easy Exit Seat The control for this feature is located on the driver’s door panel between buttons 1 and 2. With the vehicle in PARK (P), the driver’s seat exit position can be recalled by pressing the exit button. You will hear a single beep, and the driver’s seat will move back. If the easy exit seat feature is programmed in the Driver Information Center (DIC), automatic seat movement will occur when the key is removed from the ignition. See “EASY EXIT SEAT” under DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-63 for more information. The memory seat and easy exit features can also be programmed using the DIC. For programming information, see DIC Vehicle Customization (With DIC Buttons) on page 3-63. 1-7 Reclining Seatbacks {CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1-8 {CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their job when you are reclined like this. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) The shoulder belt cannot do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. Manual Reclining Seatbacks On seats with manual reclining seatbacks, the lever used to operate them is located on the outboard side of the seat(s). To recline the seatback: 1. Lift the recline lever. 2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release the lever to lock the seatback in place. 3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to an upright position, do the following: 1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback and the seatback will return to the upright position. 2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. 1-9 Power Reclining Seatbacks Head Restraints If the seats have power reclining seatbacks, the control used to recline them is located on the outboard side of the seat behind the power seat control. To recline the seatback, tilt the top of the control rearward. To bring the seatback forward, tilt the top of the control forward. Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-10 Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. (cid:129) (cid:129) Pull the head restraint up to raise it. To lower the head restraint, press the release button, located on the top of the seatback, while you push the head restraint down. Rear Seats Rear Seat Operation The rear seat is a 60/40 split bench seat that can be folded to give you more cargo space and access to the folding midgate. See Midgate® on page 2-12 for more information on operation of the folding midgate. To fold either side of the seat do the following: 1. Push the rear seat head restraints all the way down. Center Seat Your vehicle may have a front center seat. The seatback doubles as an armrest and cupholder/storage area for the driver and passenger when the center seat is not used. Do not use it as a seating position when the seatback is folded down. 2. Pull the seat loop located where the seatback and seat cushion meet. The seat cushion will release and allow you to tilt it toward the front of the vehicle. Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat. 1-11 {CAUTION: A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted. {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always be sure to press the rear of the seat cushion down. This action locks the seatback in place. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. Raise the head restraint. 3. Fold the seatback forward until it is ﬂat. You may have to move the front seats forward slightly to do this. 4. Repeat the procedure for the other side. To return the seats to the normal position, push the seatback up and fold the seat cushion down. 1-12 Safety Belts Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts properly. It also tells you some things you should not do with safety belts. {CAUTION: Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you are not wearing a safety belt, your injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from it and be seriously injured or killed. In the same crash, you might not be, if you are buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passenger(s) are restrained properly too. {CAUTION: People riding on the tailgate (if equipped) can easily lose their balance and fall even when the vehicle is operated at low speeds. Falling from a moving vehicle may result in serious injuries or death. {CAUTION: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. Your vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle your safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-32. 1-13 Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why: You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot! Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. 1-14 Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop. 1-15 The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel... 1-16 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I am wearing a safety belt? A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-17 or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense. Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in a crash — even one that is not your fault — you and your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers. Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h). Safety belts are for everyone. How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This section is only for people of adult size. Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-34 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-36. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection. 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 safety belts. Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety belt, there is important information you should know. 1-18 Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the ﬂoor in front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn 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. The shoulder belt should go 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. 1-19 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt snugly against your body. A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give as much protection this way. 1-20 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. A: The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as much protection this way. 1-21 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not on the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you. A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place. 1-22 Q: What is wrong with this? A: The belt is over an armrest. {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over an armrest like this. The belt would be much too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The belt force would then be applied on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests. 1-23 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times. 1-24 Q: What is wrong with this? A: The belt is behind the body. {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. You might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. 1-25 Q: What is wrong with this? A: The belt is twisted across the body. 1-26 {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you would not have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer/retailer to ﬁx it. Lap-Shoulder Belt All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder belt except for the center front passenger position (if equipped), which has a lap belt. See Lap Belt on page 1-32 for more information. Here is 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 you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger belt out all the way, you may engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Engaging the child restraint locking feature may affect the passenger sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-64. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary. 4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See “Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in this section. 3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If you ﬁnd that the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-33. 5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt. 1-27 It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants. To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close a door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle. 1-28 Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger position. Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. To move it down, squeeze the buttons (A) on the sides of the height adjuster and move the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move the adjuster up just by pushing up on the shoulder belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the buttons to make sure it has locked into position. Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety 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. And, if your vehicle has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side crash or a rollover event. Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other new parts for your safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-72. Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added safety 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 belt away from the neck and head. There is one guide for each rear passenger position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide to the shoulder belt: 1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the side of the seatback. 1-29 2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. 3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ﬂat. The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top. 1-30 {CAUTION: A safety belt that is not properly worn may not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. 4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described previously in this section. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guide. Slide the guide into its storage pocket on the side of the seatback. 1-31 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. Lap Belt This part is only for the lap belt. To learn how to wear a lap-shoulder belt, see Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-26. You vehicle may have a center seating position. When you sit in the center front seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. 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 safety 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 safety belts effective is wearing them properly. 1-32 To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt. Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder belt. Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer/retailer 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 seats. To wear it, attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender. 1-33 To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until the belt is snug. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-33. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary. If you ﬁnd that the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle. Be sure that the latch plate clicks when inserted into the buckle. Child Restraints Older Children Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. 1-34 The manufacturer’s 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 below ﬁt test: (cid:129) 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. (cid:129) Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try using the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-26 for more information. If the shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the booster seat. (cid:129) Does the lap belt ﬁt low and snug on the hips, touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat. (cid:129) Can proper safety belt ﬁt be maintained for length of trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat. If you have the choice, a child should sit in a position with a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt cannot properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time. Q: What is the proper way to wear safety 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 Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-26. According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions. 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 safety belts properly. 1-35 {CAUTION: Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind the child. In a crash, the child would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. The child might slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The child could also move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. 1-36 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. {CAUTION: Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle and never allow children to play with the safety belts. CAUTION: (Continued) possible to hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) infant will suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms. An infant should be secured in an appropriate restraint. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Children who are not restrained properly can strike other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. In addition, young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone; they need to use a child restraint. {CAUTION: People should never hold an infant in their arms while riding in a vehicle. An infant does not weigh much — until a crash. During a crash an infant will become so heavy it is not CAUTION: (Continued) 1-37 {CAUTION: Children who are up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. 1-38 Q: What are the different types of add-on child restraints? A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types. Selection of a particular restraint should take into consideration not only the child’s weight, height, and age but also whether or not the restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will be used. {CAUTION: The body structure of a young child is quite unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom the safety belts are designed. A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that is unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children should always be secured in appropriate child restraints. For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come with the restraint state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs. {CAUTION: Newborn infants need complete support, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants should always be secured in appropriate infant restraints. 1-39 Child Restraint Systems A rear-facing infant seat (A) provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint. A forward-facing child seat (B) provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness. A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to improve the ﬁt of the vehicle’s safety belt system. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window. 1-40 Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in the Vehicle {CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child restraint is properly installed in the vehicle using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH system, following the instructions that came with that restraint, and also the instructions in this manual. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43 for more information. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the instructions that come with the restraint which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and to this manual. The child restraint instructions are important, so if they are not available, obtain a replacement copy from the manufacturer. 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 your vehicle — even when no child is in it. Securing the Child Within the Child Restraint {CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Because there are different systems, it is important to refer to the instructions that come with the restraint. Make sure the child is properly secured, following the instructions that came with that restraint. 1-41 CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured 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 the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-64 for additional information. Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We recommend that children and child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children, who are large enough, using safety belts. A label on your sun visor says, “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 deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-42 {CAUTION: 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. When securing a child restraint in a rear seating position, study the instructions that came with your child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle. 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 your vehicle — even when no child is in it. Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) 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. 1-43 Lower Anchors Top Tether Anchor 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). 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. 1-44 The right side rear passenger and center seating positions have exposed metal anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion. To assist you in locating the top tether anchors, the top tether anchor symbol is located near the top tether anchors. Some child restraints that have top tethers 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. If the child restraint does not have a top tether, one can be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints. Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit is available. Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor Locations i (Top Tether Anchor): Seating positions with top tether anchors. j (Lower Anchor): Seating positions with two lower anchors. Rear Seat 1-45 Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-42 for additional information. Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System {CAUTION: If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to anchors, the restraint will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type 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. The top tether anchors are located on the back of the rear seat frame above the ﬂoor for each rear seating position. Fold down the rear seatback(s) to access the anchors. See Rear Seat Operation on page 1-11. Be sure to use an anchor located on the same side of the vehicle as the seating position where the child restraint will be placed. 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. 1-46 {CAUTION: Each top tether anchor and lower anchor in the vehicle is designed to hold only one child restraint. 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 if this happens. To help prevent injury to people and damage to your vehicle, attach only one child restraint per anchor. {CAUTION: Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and the safety belt continues to tighten. Secure any unused safety belts behind the child restraint so children cannot reach them. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has one, after the child restraint has been installed. Be sure to follow the instructions of the child restraint manufacturer. Notice: Contact between the child restraint LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt assembly may cause damage to these parts. Make sure when securing unused safety belts behind the child restraint that there is no contact between the child restraint LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt assembly. Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts secured may cause damage to the safety belt or the seat. When removing the child restraint, always remember to return the safety belts to their normal, stowed position before folding the rear seat. 1-47 If the position you are using does not have a headrest or head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether over the seatback. If the position you are using has an adjustable headrest or head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the headrest or head restraint. 1. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, attach the top tether to the top tether anchor, if there is one. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 1.1. To access the top tether anchors, raise the seat cushion by pulling up on the strap loop at the rear of the seat cushion and fold the seat cushion forward. Then fold the seatback forward until it is ﬂat. See Rear Seat Operation on page 1-11 for additional information. 1.2. Place the child restraint in the vehicle, near the seating position that you are using. 1.3. Route the top tether according to your child restraint instructions and the following instructions: If the position you are using does not have a headrest or head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether over the seatback. 1-48 If the position you are using has an adjustable headrest or head restraint and you are using a single tether, raise the headrest or head restraint and route the tether under the headrest or head restraint and in between the headrest or head restraint posts. 1.4. Attach the top tether attachment to the top tether anchor. {CAUTION: If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1.5. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward. Then lower the seat cushion until the seatback and the seat cushion lock into position. 2. Attach 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 safety belts. Refer to your child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual. 2.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position. 2.2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 2.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors. 3. Tighten the top tether. 4. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-49 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position When securing a child restraint in a rear seating position, study the instructions that came with your child restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle. If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43 for how to install your child restraint using LATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety belt and it uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43 for top tether anchor locations. 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 anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the safety belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and as the instructions say. If you need to install more than one child restraint in the rear seat, be sure to read Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-42. 1. If your child restraint manufacturer recommends using a top tether, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor. Refer to the instructions that came with the child restraint and see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 1-50 4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary. 5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 1-51 Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front Seat Position {CAUTION: 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. 6. 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. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it. 1-52 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position Your vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-42. In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing system which is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-64 and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-34 for more information on this, including important safety information. A label on your sun visor says, “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 deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION: (Continued) Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured 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 the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-64 for additional information. If your child restraint has the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43 for how to install your child restraint using LATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety belt and it uses a top tether, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43 for top tether anchor locations. 1-53 Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that come with the child restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be attached. You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. 1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the forward-facing child restraint. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator should light and stay lit when you start the vehicle. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-34. 2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the restraint. The child restraint instructions will show you how. 1-54 4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if necessary. 5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 6. 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. If you are using a forward-facing child restraint, you may ﬁnd it helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-55 If the airbag is 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, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the head restraint. Remove any additional material from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the child restraint. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and check with your dealer/retailer. To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. Airbag System Your vehicle has the following airbags: (cid:129) A frontal airbag for the driver. (cid:129) A frontal airbag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may have the following airbags: (cid:129) A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger seated directly behind the driver. (cid:129) A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and the person seated directly behind the right front passenger. All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label near the deployment opening. For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and on the instrument panel for the right front passenger. With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear along the headliner or trim. 1-56 Airbags are designed to supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inﬂating bag, all airbags must inﬂate very quickly to do their job. Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system: {CAUTION: You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety belts. All airbags are designed to work with safety belts, but do not replace them. {CAUTION: Frontal airbags are designed to deploy in moderate to severe frontal and near frontal crashes. They are not designed to inﬂate in rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes. If your vehicle has rollover capable roof-rail airbags, they are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle, during a vehicle rollover, or in a severe frontal impact. They are not designed to inﬂate in rear crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. 1-57 {CAUTION: {CAUTION: Airbags inﬂate with great force, 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 the airbag, as you would be if you were sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward. Safety belts help keep you in position before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as possible while still maintaining control of the vehicle. Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the door or side windows in seating positions with roof-rail airbags. 1-58 Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for adults, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide. Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To read how, see Older Children on page 1-34 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-36. There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel 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 on page 3-33 for more information. Where Are the Airbags? The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. 1-59 {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an airbag, the airbag might not inﬂate properly or it might force the object into that person causing severe injury or even death. The path of an inﬂating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put anything between an occupant and an airbag, and do not attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other airbag covering. If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags, never secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope or tie down through any door or window opening. If you do, the path of an inﬂating roof-rail airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger, and second row outboard passengers, they are in the ceiling above the side windows. 1-60 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? Frontal airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s or right front passenger’s head and chest. However, they are only designed to inﬂate if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the airbags to inﬂate and help restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact, and how quickly your vehicle slows down. Frontal airbags may inﬂate at different crash speeds. For example: If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a moving object. If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits an object does not deform. If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall). If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the airbags could inﬂate at a different crash speed than if the vehicle goes straight into the object. Thresholds can also vary with speciﬁc vehicle design. Frontal airbags are not intended to inﬂate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. In addition, your vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags. Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Your vehicle has electronic frontal sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags inﬂate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. Your vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags. See Airbag System on page 1-56. Roof-rail airbags are intended to inﬂate in moderate to severe side crashes. In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to inﬂate during a rollover or in a severe frontal impact. Roof-rail airbags will inﬂate if the crash severity is above the system’s designed threshold level. The threshold level can vary with speciﬁc vehicle design. Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inﬂate in rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side of the vehicle is struck or if the sensing system predicts that the vehicle is about to roll over, or in a severe frontal impact. 1-61 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Your vehicle has a seat position sensor which enables the sensing system to monitor the position of the driver’s seat. The seat position sensor provides information that is used to determine if the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an airbag should have inﬂated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal airbags, inﬂation is determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags, deployment is determined by the location and severity of the side impact. In a rollover event, roof-rail airbag deployment is determined by the direction of the roll. What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the inﬂator. Gas from the inﬂator ﬁlls the airbag causing the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inﬂator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag module. Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows that have occupant seating positions. 1-62 How Does an Airbag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle. Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body. Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard seating positions in the ﬁrst and second rows. The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover events, although no system can prevent all such ejections. But airbags would not help in many types of collisions, primarily because the occupant’s motion is not toward those airbags. See When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? on page 1-61 for more information. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts. What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? After the frontal airbags inﬂate, they quickly deﬂate, so quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag inﬂated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inﬂated for some time after they deploy. Some components of the airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For location of the airbag modules, see What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? on page 1-62. The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deﬂated airbags. Airbag inﬂation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from leaving the vehicle. {CAUTION: When an airbag inﬂates, there may be dust in the air. This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing problems but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag inﬂates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an airbag deployment, you should seek medical attention. Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the hazard warning ﬂashers on when the airbags inﬂate. You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and turn the hazard warning ﬂashers off by using the controls for those features. 1-63 In many crashes severe enough to inﬂate the airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger airbag. (cid:129) Airbags are designed to inﬂate only once. After an airbag inﬂates, you will need some new parts for the airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbag system will not be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include airbag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other parts. (cid:129) Your vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic module which records information after a crash. See Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy on page 7-16 and Event Data Recorders on page 7-17. Let only qualiﬁed technicians work on the airbag systems. Improper service can mean that an airbag system will not work properly. See your dealer/retailer for service. Passenger Sensing System Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the right front passenger’s position. The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on the overhead console when you start your vehicle. United States Canada The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off, will be visible during the system check. When the system check is complete, either the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or the symbol for off, will be visible. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-34. The passenger sensing system will turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions. The driver’s airbags are not part of the passenger sensing system. 1-64 (cid:129) The passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the right front passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the right front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may inﬂate) or not. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat, including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children, who are large enough, using safety belts. A label on your sun visor says, “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 deploys. {CAUTION: A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s airbag inﬂates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inﬂating airbag. Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured 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 the front passenger seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. 1-65 The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if: The right front passenger seat is unoccupied. The system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat. The system determines that a small child is present in a child restraint. The system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat. (cid:129) A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time. The right front passenger seat is occupied by a smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown child restraints. (cid:129) Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag system or the passenger sensing system. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-34. If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s directions and refer to Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position on page 1-53. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust the head restraint. See Head Restraints on page 1-10. 1-66 (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129) Remove any additional material from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the child restraint. If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle, and check with your dealer/retailer. The passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inﬂate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the right front passenger’s seat. When the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is active. For some children who have outgrown child restraints and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, depending upon the person’s seating posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens, turn the vehicle off, remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers and ask the person to place the seatback in the fully upright position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably extended. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for two to three minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person and then enable the right front passenger’s frontal airbag. 1-67 If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature. This may unintentionally cause the passenger sensing system to turn the airbag(s) off for some adult size occupants. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. {CAUTION: If the airbag readiness light in the instrument panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it means that something may be wrong with the airbag system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly, because an adult-size person sitting in the right front passenger’s seat may not have the protection of the airbag(s). See Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-33 for more on this, including important safety information. Safety 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 “Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints” in the Index for additional information about the importance of proper restraint use. 1-68 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 other than any that GM has approved for your speciﬁc vehicle. See Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-70 for more information about modiﬁcations that can affect how the system operates. Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced. There are parts of the airbag system in several places around your vehicle. Your dealer/retailer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle

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2008 Chevrolet Avalanche Owners Manual