2006 Chevrolet Equinox Owners Manual

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2006 Chevrolet Equinox Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Rear Seats .............................................. 1-10 Safety Belts ............................................. 1-12 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-30 Airbag System ......................................... 1-53 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-63 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 ........................................................ 2-2 ....................................... 2-6 ................................................. 2-11 ............................ 2-13 ........... 2-15 .................................................... 2-27 ...................................... 2-32 ......................................... 2-34 .................................................. 2-41 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 .......................... 3-4 ...................................... 3-19 ........ 3-23 ....................................... 3-38 Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors OnStar® System Storage Areas Sunroof Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Audio System(s) Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle Towing Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 ........ 4-2 ................................................... 4-36 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-40 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-41 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-45 Tires ...................................................... 5-47 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-74 Vehicle Identiﬁcation ................................. 5-83 Electrical System ...................................... 5-84 Capacities and Speciﬁcations ..................... 5-89 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 ........... 7-2 ........................... 7-13 Index ................................................................ 1 Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects Maintenance Schedule Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual in the vehicle. A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 How to Use This Manual Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If this is done, it can help you learn about the features and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work together in the owner manual to explain things. GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the name EQUINOX 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 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. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 06EQUINOX A First Printing ©2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.” 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. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this manual you will ﬁnd these notices: 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. But the notice will tell 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. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. 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. If you need help ﬁguring out a speciﬁc name of a component, gage, or indicator, reference the following topics: (cid:127) Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 (cid:127) Climate Controls in Section 3 (cid:127) Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3 (cid:127) Audio System(s) in Section 3 (cid:127) Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv (cid:127) (cid:127) These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: ✍ NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Split Folding Rear Seat Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Manual Seats ................................................1-2 Driver Seat Height Adjuster ..............................1-3 Six-Way Power Driver Seat ..............................1-3 Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-4 Heated Seats .................................................1-4 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5 Head Restraints .............................................1-7 Passenger Folding Seatback ............................1-8 Rear Seats .....................................................1-10 .................................1-10 Safety Belts ...................................................1-12 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-12 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts .........1-17 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-18 Driver Position ..............................................1-18 Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-24 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-25 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-25 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-25 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-28 Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-29 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-30 Child Restraints .............................................1-30 Older Children ..............................................1-30 Infants and Young Children ............................1-33 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-36 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) ......................................1-42 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ....................................1-48 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ............................1-50 Airbag System ...............................................1-53 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-56 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .....................1-59 What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? .......................1-60 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-60 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? ........1-61 Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-62 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-63 Restraint System Check ..................................1-63 Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-63 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-64 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. 1-2 Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. Driver Seat Height Adjuster Six-Way Power Driver Seat If your vehicle has a manual driver seat height adjuster, it is located on the outboard side of the seat near the front of the seat cushion. To raise the seat, move the lever upward repeatedly until the seat is at the desired height. To lower the seat, move the lever downward repeatedly until the seat is at the desired height. If your vehicle has this feature, the control is located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat. To adjust the seat do any of the following: (cid:127) Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the control forward or rearward. (cid:127) Raise or lower the front portion of the seat by sliding the front of the control up or down. (cid:127) Raise or lower the rear portion of the seat by sliding the rear of the control up or down. 1-3 Manual Lumbar Heated Seats If your vehicle has this feature, the knob is located on the front of the driver seat lower cushion on the inboard side. If your vehicle has heated seats, the switches are located on the center console of the instrument panel above the shift lever. Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or decrease the lumbar support. Press the switch, nearest to the seat, once to turn the heated seat on to the high setting. Both indicator lights will be lit. Press the switch a second time to turn the heated seat to the low setting. One indicator light will be lit. Press the switch a third time to turn the heated seat off. The ignition must be on for the heated seats to operate. 1-4 Reclining Seatbacks {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. Driver’s Seat with Manual Recline and Manual Height Adjuster shown To adjust the seatback on the driver’s seat, lift the lever on the rear outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to the desired position. Then release the lever to lock the seatback in place. 1-5 {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. The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will not be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. 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. Passenger Seat with Folding Seatback Option shown To adjust the seatback on the front passenger’s seat, lift the lever on the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to the desired position. Then release the lever to lock the seatback in place. If your front passenger’s seat is a ﬂat folding seat, you must fully raise the lever to disengage the seatback. 1-6 Head Restraints Press the button on the side of the head restraint to lower it. Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-7 Passenger Folding Seatback The front passenger’s seatback may fold ﬂat. {CAUTION: If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inﬂating airbag might force that object toward a person. This could cause severe injury or even death. Secure objects away from the area in which an airbag would inﬂate. For more information, see Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-56 and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-31. {CAUTION: Things you put on this seatback can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. Remove or secure all items before driving. Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. 1-8 To fold the seatback, do the following: 1. Lower the head restraint all the way. 2. Lift the bar under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat as far back as it will go and release the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to make sure it is locked into place. 3. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side of the seat, up fully and fold the seatback forward until it disengages. 4. Continue to fold the seat forward until it locks in the folded position. 5. Pull up on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1-9 To raise the seatback, do the following: 1. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side of the seat, up fully and push up on the seatback. 2. Continue raising the seatback until the seatback re-engages. {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. 3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in place. The recliner lever is also used to recline the seatback while a passenger is seated. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5. Rear Seats Split Folding Rear Seat The rear split bench seatbacks have three available positions — folded forward, upright, or partially reclined. Both of the seatbacks can be moved to any of the three positions independent of the other seatback position. The rear bench seat can also be moved forward and rearward. {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. 1-10 To fold the seatback down, do the following: 1. Ensure all three of the safety belts are unbuckled and the front seatbacks are not reclined. {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. 2. Lift the lever located on the top of the seatback to release the seatback. 3. Fold the seatback forward to the desired position. 1-11 To recline the seatback, do the following: 1. Lift and hold the lever located on top of the seatback. 2. Tilt the seatback rearward, then release the lever when the seatback is in the desired position. To slide the entire seat forward or rearward, do the following: 1. Lift and hold the release bar located under the front of the seat cushion to unlock the seat. 2. Slide the seat to the desired position. 3. Release the bar. 4. Try to move the seat back and forth to ensure the seat is locked in place. 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 or be ejected from it. You can 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 passengers’ belts are fastened properly too. 1-12 {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. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work. 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 bad 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 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter...a lot! Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-26. 1-13 Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. Put someone on it. 1-14 Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... 1-15 or the instrument panel... 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. 1-16 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 an accident — even one that is not your fault — you and your passengers 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. Questions and Answers About Safety Belts Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I am wearing a safety belt? A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you 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 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly This part 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 1-30 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. Follow those rules for everyone’s protection. First, you will want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has. We will start with the driver position. Driver Position Lap-Shoulder Belt The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear it properly. 1. Close and lock the door. 2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index. 1-18 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The 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. 4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. 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 1-30. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. See Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 1-24. 6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt. 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 at 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 safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. 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 against your body. A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as much protection this way. 1-20 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 at 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. 1-21 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. A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times. 1-22 Q: What is wrong with this? {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 to ﬁx it. A: The belt is twisted across the body. 1-23 Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. 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. To move it up or down, squeeze the release buttons (A) together and move the height adjuster to the desired position. After you move the height adjuster to where you want it, try to move it up or down without squeezing the release buttons to make sure it has locked into position. To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the 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. 1-24 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. 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. Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-18. The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt — except for the following. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. When the safety belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The latch plate should rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the guideloop. Rear Seat Passengers It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. 1-25 Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear one properly. 2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-30. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The 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. 1-26 3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder part. {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 against your body. 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 at 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 safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash. The safety belt also locks if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. For outboard seating positions, when the safety belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The latch plate should rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the guide loop on the side wall. 1-27 Then, place the guide over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. 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 available for each outboard passenger position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: 1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the back of the seatback. 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. 2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic cord must be under the belt. 1-28 4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-25. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. Pull the guide upward to expose its storage clip, and then slide the guide onto the clip. Turn the guide and clip inward and slide them in between the seatback and the interior body, leaving only the loop of elastic cord exposed. Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver and right front passenger. Although you cannot see them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash. 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 1-64. 1-29 {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. Child Restraints Older Children 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 will order you an extender. It is free. 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, just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender. Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts. 1-30 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. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash. Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear seat. 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. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can not 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. 1-31 Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt, but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is very close to the child’s face or neck? A: If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. Also see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on page 1-28. If the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint the belts provide. {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. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. 1-32 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. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint. {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not weigh much — until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms. A baby should be secured in an appropriate restraint. 1-33 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. 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: 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. 1-34 {CAUTION: {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 always should be secured in appropriate infant restraints. 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 always should be secured in appropriate child restraints. 1-35 Child Restraint Systems An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to restrain or position a child on a continuous ﬂat surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the center of the vehicle. A rear-facing infant seat (B) 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. 1-36 A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields. A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to improve the ﬁt of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some high-back booster seats have a ﬁve-point harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window. 1-37 Q: How Should I Use a Child Restraint? A: A child restraint system is any device designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position children. A built-in child restraint system is a permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a portable one, which is purchased by the vehicle’s owner. To help reduce injuries, an add-on child restraint must be secured in the vehicle. With built-in or add-on child restraints, the child has to be secured within the child restraint. When choosing an add-on child restraint, be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may ﬁnd these instructions on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both. 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 1-42 for more information. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not properly secured in the vehicle. 1-38 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 There are several systems for securing the child within the child restraint. One system, the three-point harness, has straps that come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and buckle together at the crotch. The ﬁve-point harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps, and a crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that are attached to a ﬂat pad which rests low against the child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield that swings up or to the side. {CAUTION: A child can be seriously injured or killed in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. Make sure the child is properly secured, following the instructions that came with that restraint. Because there are different systems, it is important to refer to the instructions that come with the restraint. A child can be endangered in a crash if the child is not properly secured in the child restraint. 1-39 CAUTION: (Continued) If you need to 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. If you need to secure more than one child restraint in the rear seat, review the following illustrations. Depending on where you place the child restraint or the size of the child restraint, you may not be able to access certain safety belt assemblies or LATCH anchors for additional passengers or child restraints. 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, therefore, recommend that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here is why: {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. Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-40 Conﬁgurations for Use of Two Child Restraints Conﬁgurations for Use of Three Child Restraints A. Child restraint using LATCH B. Occupant prohibited A. Child restraint or occupant using safety belt A. Occupant prohibited B. Child restraint using LATCH A. Child restraint or occupant using safety belt B. Child restraint using LATCH A. Child restraint using LATCH B. No occupant recommended C. Child restraint or occupant using safety belt 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. 1-41 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) Your vehicle has the LATCH system. 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 equipped with 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. 1-42 Your vehicle has lower anchors and top tether anchors. Your child restraint may have lower attachments and a top tether. Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints have lower anchors and attachments or top tether anchors and attachments. Lower Anchors 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). Top Tether Anchor 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. Some top tether-equipped child restraints 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. In the United States, some child restraints also have a top tether. 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. 1-43 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 Each rear seating position has exposed metal anchors located in the crease between the seatback and the seat cushion. The top tether anchors for each rear seating position are located on the back of the rear seatback. You may need to adjust the rear compartment storage panel/cover in the rear cargo area to access the anchors. 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 the right front passenger’s position 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. There is no place to attach the top tether in this position. 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 1-40 for additional information. 1-44 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System {CAUTION: {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. 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. 1-45 This system is designed to make installation of child restraints easier. When using lower anchors, do not use the vehicle’s safety belts. Instead use the vehicle’s anchors and child restraint attachments to secure the restraints. Some restraints also use another vehicle anchor to secure a top tether. 1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have lower attachments or the desired seating position does not have lower anchors, secure the child restraint with the top tether and the safety belts. Refer to your child restraint manufacturer instructions and the instructions in this manual. 1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position. 1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint to the lower anchors. 2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped. Refer to the child restraint instructions and the following steps: 2.1. Find the top tether anchor. 2.2. You may need to adjust the rear compartment storage panel/cover in the rear cargo area to access the anchors. See Rear Compartment Storage Panel/Cover on page 2-38. A. Passenger’s Side Rear Seat Lower Anchors B. Center Rear Seat Lower Anchors C. Driver’s Side Rear Seat Lower Anchors Make sure to attach the child restraint at the proper anchor location. 1-46 2.3. Route, attach and tighten the top tether according to your child restraint instructions and the following instructions: If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether over the seatback. If the position you are using does not have a head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether over the seatback. If the position you are using has an adjustable head restraint and you are using a dual tether, route the tether around the head restraint. If the position you are using has an adjustable head restraint and you are using a single tether, route the tether under the head restraint and in between the head restraint posts. 3. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-47 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system, you will be using the lap-shoulder 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. 1. Put the child restraint on the seat. 2. 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. 1-48 3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. 5. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint, pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor. 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. 6. 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 to Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. 7. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure. 1-49 Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s airbag. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here is why: {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. Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached, disconnect it. Unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. For outboard seating positions, when the safety belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The latch plate should rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the upper anchor on the side wall. Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42. There is no top tether anchor in the right front passenger’s position. Do not secure a child seat in this position 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 tether must be anchored. See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42 if the child restraint has a top tether. 1-50 A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, you will be using the lap-shoulder 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. 1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger’s airbag, always move the seat as far back as it will go before securing a forward-facing child restraint. See Manual Seats on page 1-2. 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. 4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-51 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. 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. 1-52 To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult or larger child passenger. When the safety belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing. The latch plate should rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the guide loop on the side wall. Airbag System Your vehicle has a frontal airbag for the driver and a frontal airbag for the right front passenger. Your vehicle may also have roof-mounted side impact airbags. Roof-mounted side impact airbags are available for the driver and the passenger seated directly behind the driver and for the right front passenger and the passenger seated directly behind that passenger. If your vehicle has side impact airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the airbag covering on the ceiling near the driver’s and right front passenger’s window. Even if you do not have a right front passenger seat in your vehicle there is still an active frontal airbag in the right side of the instrument panel. Do not place cargo in front of this airbag. {CAUTION: Be sure that cargo is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inﬂating airbag might force that object toward a person. This could cause severe injury or even death. Secure objects away from the area in which an airbag would inﬂate. For more information, see Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-56 and Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-31. Frontal airbags are designed to help reduce the risk of injury from the force of an inﬂating frontal airbag. But these airbags must inﬂate very quickly to do their job and comply with federal regulations. 1-53 Here are the most important things to know about the airbag system: CAUTION: (Continued) And, for some unrestrained occupants, frontal airbags may provide less protection in frontal crashes than more forceful airbags have provided in the past. Roof-mounted side impact airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe crashes where something hits the side of your vehicle. They are not designed to inﬂate in frontal, in rollover or in rear crashes. Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person. {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. Frontal airbags for the driver and right front passenger 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. CAUTION: (Continued) 1-54 {CAUTION: {CAUTION: Both frontal and side impact airbags inﬂate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you are too close to an inﬂating airbag, as you would be if you were leaning forward, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for airbag inﬂation before and during a crash. Always wear your safety belt even with frontal 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. Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any airbag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. 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 1-30 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. 1-55 There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument panel cluster, which shows the airbag symbol. Where Are the Airbags? 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 3-26 for more information. The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel. 1-56 The right front passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the driver and the person seated directly behind the driver, it is in the ceiling above the side windows. 1-57 {CAUTION: If something is between an occupant and an airbag, the bag 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. And, if your vehicle has roof-mounted side impact airbags, never secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope or tiedown through any door or window opening. If you do, the path of an inﬂating side impact airbag will be blocked. The path of an inﬂating airbag must be kept clear. If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the right front passenger and the person seated directly behind that passenger, it is in the ceiling above the side windows. 1-58 When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags are designed to inﬂate in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inﬂate only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a variety of desired deployment and non-deployment events and 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. In addition, your vehicle has “dual-stage” frontal airbags, which adjust the restraint according to crash severity. Your vehicle is equipped with electronic frontal sensors which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, these airbags inﬂate at a level less than full deployment. For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced deployment is about 11 to 16 mph (17 to 26 km/h), and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 20 to 25 mph (32 to 40 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with speciﬁc vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. 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 that 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. The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger) are not intended to inﬂate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts. 1-59 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) 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. The airbag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including many frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions for side impact airbags. Your vehicle may or may not have side impact airbags. See Airbag System on page 1-53. Side impact airbags are intended to inﬂate in moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will inﬂate if the crash severity is above the system’s designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary with speciﬁc vehicle design. Side impact airbags are not intended to inﬂate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear impacts. 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 side impact airbags, inﬂation is determined by the location and severity of the impact. What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inﬂator, which inﬂates the airbag. The inﬂator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with side impact airbags, there are also airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows. 1-60 What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? After a frontal airbag inﬂates, it quickly deﬂates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag inﬂated. Roof-mounted side impact airbags deﬂate more slowly and may still be at least partially inﬂated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest. Some components of the airbag module may be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s frontal airbag. For vehicles with roof-mounted side impact airbags, the ceiling of your vehicle near the side windows, and the vehicle metal near the rear windows and tailgate may be warm. The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will 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 stop people from leaving the vehicle. {CAUTION: When an airbag inﬂates, there is 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. In many crashes severe enough to inﬂate an airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger airbag. 1-61 Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock the doors and turn the interior dome lamp on and ﬂash the parklamps on and off when the airbags inﬂate (if battery power is available.) You can lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using the door lock and interior lamp controls. (cid:127) Airbags are designed to inﬂate only once. After an airbag inﬂates, you will need some new parts for your 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:127) Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module which records information after a crash. See Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data Recorders on page 7-9. Let only qualiﬁed technicians work on your airbag system. Improper service can mean that your airbag system will not work properly. See your dealer for service. 1-62 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. You do not want the system to inﬂate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-14. {CAUTION: For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is turned off and the battery is disconnected, an airbag can still inﬂate during improper service. You can be injured if you are close to an airbag when it inﬂates. Avoid yellow connectors. They are probably part of the airbag system. Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and make sure the person performing work for you is qualiﬁed to do so. The airbag system does not need regular maintenance. (cid:127) Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle Q: Is there anything I might add to the front or sides of the vehicle that could keep the airbags from working properly? A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s frame, bumper system, front end or side sheet metal or height, they may keep the airbag system from working properly. Also, the airbag system may not work properly if you relocate any of the airbag sensors. If you have any questions about this, you should contact Customer Assistance before you modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2. Restraint System Check Checking the Restraint Systems Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it repaired. Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away. Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers, and have them repaired or replaced. (The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.) Notice: or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the side impact airbag covering (if equipped) on the ceiling near the side windows, the airbag may not work properly. You may have to replace the airbag module in the steering wheel, both the airbag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s airbag, or side impact airbag module and ceiling covering for roof-mounted side impact airbags (if equipped.) Do not open or break the airbag coverings. If you damage the covering for the driver’s 1-63 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash {CAUTION: A crash can damage the restraint systems in your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash. To help make sure your restraint systems are working properly after a crash, have them inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible. If you have had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH system parts? After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary. But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn during a more severe crash, then you need new parts. If the LATCH system was being used during a more severe crash, you may need new LATCH system parts. If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also may mean you will need to have LATCH system, safety belt or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the belt or LATCH system was not being used at the time of the collision. If an airbag inﬂates, you will need to replace airbag system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier in this section. If the frontal airbags inﬂate you will also need to replace the driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assembly. Be sure to do so. Then the new retractor assembly will be there to help protect you in a collision. After a crash you may need to replace the driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies, even if the frontal airbags have not deployed. The driver and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies contain the safety belt pretensioners. Have your safety belt pretensioners checked if your vehicle has been in a collision, or if your airbag readiness light stays on after you start your vehicle or while you are driving. See Airbag Readiness Light on page 3-26. 1-64 Section 2 Features and Controls Keys ...............................................................2-2 Remote Keyless Entry System .........................2-3 Remote Keyless Entry System Operation ...........2-4 Doors and Locks .............................................2-6 Door Locks ....................................................2-6 Power Door Locks ..........................................2-7 Delayed Locking .............................................2-7 Automatic Door Lock .......................................2-8 Programmable Automatic Door Unlock ...............2-8 Rear Door Security Locks ................................2-8 Lockout Protection ..........................................2-9 Liftgate ........................................................2-10 Windows ........................................................2-11 Power Windows ............................................2-12 Sun Visors ...................................................2-12 Theft-Deterrent Systems ..................................2-13 Content Theft-Deterrent .................................2-13 Passlock® ....................................................2-15 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ................2-15 New Vehicle Break-In ....................................2-15 Ignition Positions ..........................................2-16 Retained Accessory Power (RAP) ...................2-16 Starting the Engine .......................................2-17 Engine Coolant Heater ..................................2-18 Automatic Transaxle Operation .......................2-19 Parking Brake ..............................................2-22 Shifting Into Park (P) .....................................2-23 Shifting Out of Park (P) .................................2-24 Parking Over Things That Burn .......................2-25 Engine Exhaust ............................................2-25 Running the Engine While Parked ...................2-26 Mirrors ...........................................................2-27 Manual Rearview Mirror .................................2-27 Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with OnStar®, Compass and Temperature Display ....................................................2-27 Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with Compass and Temperature Display ..............2-29 Outside Power Mirrors ...................................2-31 Outside Convex Mirrors .................................2-32 OnStar® System .............................................2-32 Storage Areas ................................................2-34 Glove Box ...................................................2-34 Cupholder(s) ................................................2-34 Coinholder(s) ................................................2-35 Center Console Storage Area .........................2-35 Garment Hooks ............................................2-35 Luggage Carrier ...........................................2-35 Rear Compartment Storage Panel/Cover ..........2-38 Table ..........................................................2-40 Convenience Net ..........................................2-41 Sunroof .........................................................2-41 2-1 Keys {CAUTION: Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key is dangerous for many reasons. They could operate the power windows or other controls or even make the vehicle move. The children or others could be badly injured or even killed. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle with children. 2-2 One key is used for the ignition and all of the locks. Key code information can be obtained by your dealer. These code numbers can be used to make new keys. Additional keys that are needed can be made at any retail service facility provided you have the key code information. Store this information in a safe place, but not in your vehicle. Have extra keys made. Your service parts department can make extra keys for you. If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle, Notice: you may have to damage the vehicle to get in. Be sure you have spare keys. If your vehicle is equipped with the OnStar® system with an active subscription and you lock your keys inside the vehicle, OnStar® may be able to send a command to unlock your vehicle. See OnStar® System on page 2-32 for more information. Remote Keyless Entry System The remote keyless entry system operates on a radio frequency subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules and with Industry Canada. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause interference. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device. Changes or modiﬁcations to this system by other than an authorized service facility could void authorization to use this equipment. At times you may notice a decrease in range. This is normal for any remote keyless entry system. If the transmitter does not work or if you have to stand closer to your vehicle for the transmitter to work, try this: (cid:127) Check the distance. You may be too far from your vehicle. You may need to stand closer during rainy or snowy weather. (cid:127) Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be blocking the signal. Take a few steps to the left or right, hold the transmitter higher, and try again. (cid:127) Check to determine if battery replacement or resynchronization is necessary. See “Battery Replacement” and “Resynchronization” under Remote Keyless Entry System Operation on page 2-4. If you are still having trouble, see your dealer or a qualiﬁed technician for service. 2-3 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Remote Keyless Entry System Operation With this feature, you can lock and unlock the doors from about 26 feet (8 m) away using the remote keyless entry transmitter supplied with your vehicle. Q (Lock): Press this button on the remote keyless entry transmitter one time to lock the doors. The headlamps will ﬂash once. This also arms the content theft-deterrent system. Pressing the lock button two times within three seconds will lock the doors. The headlamps will ﬂash twice and the horn chirps. K (Unlock): Press this button on the remote keyless entry transmitter one time to unlock the driver’s door. The interior lights will go on and the headlamps will ﬂash three times. The interior lights will stay on for 20 seconds or until the key is turned in the ignition. Press the button again within ﬁve seconds to unlock the rest of the doors. The unlock button also disarms the content theft-deterrent system. L(Panic Alarm): Press the button with the horn symbol when the ignition is turned off. The horn will sound and the parking lamps and dome lamp will ﬂash for up to two minutes. To stop the panic alarm, press this button again. The remote keyless entry transmitter is used to arm/disarm the content theft-deterrent system. Your vehicle’s theft-deterrent system can be programmed to three different modes. See Content Theft-Deterrent on page 2-13 If you accidentally set off the alarm when entering or exiting the vehicle, you can shut it off by pressing the lock or unlock button once or the panic alarm button twice. 2-4 Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle Each remote keyless entry transmitter is coded to prevent another transmitter from unlocking your vehicle. If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can be purchased through your dealer. Remember to bring any remaining transmitters with you when you go to your dealer. When the dealer matches the replacement transmitter to your vehicle, any remaining transmitters must also be matched. Once your dealer has coded the new transmitter, the lost transmitter will not unlock your vehicle. Each vehicle can have a maximum of four transmitters matched to it. Battery Replacement Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless entry transmitter should last about four years. You can tell the battery is weak if the transmitter will not work at the normal range in any location. If you have to get close to your vehicle before the transmitter works, it is probably time to change the battery. Notice: When replacing the battery, use care not to touch any of the circuitry. Static from your body transferred to these surfaces may damage the transmitter. 1. Use a ﬂat thin object to pry open the transmitter. 2. Once the transmitter is separated, use a pencil or similar object to remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object. 3. Insert the new battery as the instructions under the cover indicate. 4. Snap the transmitter back together tightly to be sure no moisture can enter. 5. Check the operation of the transmitter. If the transmitter does not work, try synchronizing your transmitter with your receiver. See “Resynchronization” for more information. 2-5 Resynchronization This is used to keep the transmitter of the vehicle communicating with the receiver of the vehicle. Resynchronization may be required due to the security method used by this system. Your vehicle has an automatic resynchronization function built into the system. If your transmitter is not working properly and you have to manually resynchronize, press the lock and unlock buttons at the same time for seven seconds while you are near your vehicle. The doors will lock or unlock, depending on their starting position. If they do not, contact your dealer for service. 2-6 Doors and Locks Door Locks {CAUTION: Unlocked doors can be dangerous. (cid:127) Passengers — especially children — can easily open the doors and fall out of a moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle will not open it. You increase the chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear safety belts properly and lock the doors whenever you drive. (cid:127) Young children who get into unlocked vehicles may be unable to get out. A child can be overcome by extreme heat and can suffer permanent injuries or even death from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle whenever you leave it. (cid:127) Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked door when you slow down or stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can help prevent this from happening. There are a couple of ways to manually lock or unlock your vehicle. From the outside, use the key in the driver’s door. From the inside, use the lock control on the door. Power Door Locks The power door lock switches are located on the driver’s and front passenger’s doors. Delayed Locking A chime will sound three times to indicate a door or

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2006 Chevrolet Equinox Owners Manual