Service
Fuel
Checking Things Under the Hood
Rear Axle
Four-Wheel Drive
Front Axle
Headlamp Aiming
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Vehicle Identification
Electrical System
Capacities and Specifications
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule
Customer Assistance and Information
Customer Assistance and Information
Reporting Safety Defects
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, and
HUMMER are registered trademarks; and H3 is a
trademark 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 HUMMER whenever it
appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it
is needed while on the road. If the vehicle is sold, leave
this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
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.
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.
2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Page 3
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.
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.”
iii
Page 4
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Vehicle Symbols
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.
iv
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:
• Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
• Features and Controls in Section 2
• Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
• Climate Controls in Section 3
• Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
• Audio System(s) in Section 3
• Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
Page 5
These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v
Page 6
✍ NOTES
vi
Page 7
Section 1Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Restraint System Check ..................................1-69
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-69
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-70
1-1
Page 8
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.
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.
1-2
Page 9
Six-Way Power Seats
Power Lumbar
Your vehicle may have
this feature. If it does,
the six-way power
seat control is located
on the outboard side
of the driver’s seat. Your
vehicle may also have
a passenger’s six-way
power seat.
• Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
• Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust
the rear portion of the cushion up or down.
• To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control forward or rearward.
If your vehicle has this
feature, the control is
located on the outboard
side of the seat(s).
Press and hold the front of the control until you have
the desired lumbar support. To decrease lumbar
support, press and hold the rear of the control.
1-3
Page 10
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the controls are
located on the outboard
side of the front seats.
This feature will heat the cushion and back of the seats.
Press the top of the switch to turn the heat to the
high setting. Press the bottom of the switch to turn the
heat to the low setting. Put the switch in the center
position to turn the heat off.
The ignition must be on for the heated seat feature to
work. The seat will heat to the last setting if the ignition
has been turned off and then turned back on.
The passenger’s safety belt must be engaged for the
heated seat feature to work on the passenger’s seat.
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.
Your seats have manual reclining seatbacks. The lever
used to operate them is located on the outboard
side of the seats.
1-4
Page 11
To recline the seatback, do the following:
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.
{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.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
1-5
Page 12
{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.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
1-6
Page 13
Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is at the same height as the occupant’s head. This
position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Pull the head restraint up
to raise it. To lower the
head restraint, press
the button, located on
the top of the seatback,
and push the head
restraint down.
1-7
Page 14
Rear Seats
60/40 Split Bench Seat
The 60/40 split bench seats can be folded to give you
more cargo space.
Folding the Seatbacks
To fold the rear seatback(s), do the following:
1. Make sure that nothing is on, under, or in front of
the seat.
2. Place your hand under
the front of the seat
cushion and lift
the cushion up while
moving it forward.
There is a label below
the seat cushion
with instructions to
aid in seat operation.
3. Pull the cushion forward until it rests in the footwell.
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.
1-8
Page 15
4. Lift the latch on top of the seatback and pull the
seatback forward. Fold the seatback down until it
is nearly flat.
5. If the seatback will not fold nearly flat, try moving
the front seat forward and/or moving the front
seatback more upright.
6. Repeat the steps for the other half of the 60/40 split
bench seat.
1-9
Page 16
Returning the Seatbacks to an
Upright Position
{CAUTION:
{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
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.
To return the seatback(s) to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all the way.
2. Place your hand under the front of the seat cushion
and lift the cushion while moving it rearward until it
latches into position.
3. Pull forward on the seatback and push down on the
seat cushion to make sure the seat is securely in
place.
Page 17
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.
{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 to remind you and your
passengers to buckle your safety belts. See Safety Belt
Reminder Light on page 3-27 and Passenger Safety
Belt Reminder Light on page 3-27.
1-11
Page 18
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!
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.
1-12
Page 19
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-13
Page 20
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-14
or the instrument panel...
Page 21
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?
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.
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.
1-15
Page 22
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.
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 1-32. 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.
1-16
Page 23
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 BeltExtender on page 1-29.
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. Improper shoulder belt height
adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of
the safety belt in a crash. See Shoulder Belt HeightAdjustment on page 1-23.
1-17
Page 24
6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
1-18
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.
Page 25
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{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.
1-19
Page 26
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{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.
1-20
Page 27
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{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.
1-21
Page 28
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
{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.
1-22
Page 29
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out of the way. 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.
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.
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. Incorrect positioning of the shoulder belt
can reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt.
To move it up or down,
press the square button (A)
in the center of the
height adjuster knob 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 and down without touching the
square button to make sure it has locked into position.
1-23
Page 30
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
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.
1-24
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-16.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the
same way as the driver’s safety belt — except for
one thing. 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.
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.
Page 31
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seat positions have lap-shoulder belts.
Here is how to wear one properly.
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.
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 BeltExtender on page 1-29.
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder part.
1-25
Page 32
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,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
{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.
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.
1-26
Page 33
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.
Comfort guides are provided for each outboard
passenger position in the second row. Here is how
to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the
two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.
1-27
Page 34
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The guide must be on top of the belt.
1-28
{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.
Page 35
4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as
described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-24.
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. Slide the guide onto its storage clip between
the edge of the seatback and the trim panel. Make sure
you remove the comfort guide from the belt before
you fold a rear seat down.
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 ReplacingRestraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-70.
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.
1-29
Page 36
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
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.
1-30
Page 37
{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.
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 onpage 1-27. 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.
1-31
Page 38
{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.
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.
1-32
Page 39
{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.
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
Page 40
{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.
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.
1-34
Page 41
{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
Page 42
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
Page 43
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
Page 44
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 1-41 for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle.
1-38
Page 45
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
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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 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.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint. 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 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 the
rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
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.
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.
1-40
Page 47
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.
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).
1-41
Page 48
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.
1-42
Page 49
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 outboard seating position in the rear seat has
exposed metal lower anchors in the crease between the
seatback and the seat cushion.
The top tether anchors are located on the back of the
rear seatbacks. 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.
1-43
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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.
1-44
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.
Page 51
{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.
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 or the
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 or the 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 position before folding the rear seat.
1. Find the lower anchors, if equipped, for the desired
seating position.
2. If the desired seating position does not have lower
anchors, see Securing a Child Restraint in a RearSeat Position on page 1-47 for instructions on
installing the child restraint using the safety belts.
3. Put the child restraint on the seat.
4. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the lower anchors, if equipped,
in the vehicle. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-45
Page 52
5. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach and
tighten the top tether to the top tether anchor.
Refer to the child restraint instructions and
the following steps:
5.1. Find the top tether anchor.
5.2. Route 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 has a fixed head
restraint and you are
using a single tether, route
the tether over the head
restraint.
If the position you are
using has a fixed head
restraint and you are
using a dual tether, route
the tether around the
head restraint.
1-46
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.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
Page 53
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 1-41.
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.
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.
1-47
Page 54
4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
1-48
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.
Page 55
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
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH) on page 1-41.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, if the top tether is attached
to the top tether anchor, 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.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s airbag. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child
restraint. See Where to Put the Restraint on page 1-40.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system. The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
when an infant in a rear-facing infant seat or a small
child in a forward-facing child restraint or booster seat is
detected. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-63
and Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-29
for more information on this including important
safety information.
1-49
Page 56
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 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 the
rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat position, move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing the forward-facing
child restraint. See Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-3.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH) on page 1-41.
There is no top tether anchor in the right front
passenger’s position. Do not secure a child restraint 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 forChildren (LATCH) on page 1-41 if the child restraint has
a top tether.
1-50
Page 57
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. Your vehicle has a right front passenger’s frontal
airbag. See Passenger Sensing System onpage 1-63. General Motors recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear seat,
even if the airbag is off. If your child restraint is
forward-facing, move the seat as far back as it
will go before securing the child restraint in this seat.
See Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-3.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag status indicator
should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition
to ON or START. See Passenger Airbag StatusIndicator on page 3-29.
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.
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Page 58
5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
1-52
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. You should not be able to pull
more of the belt from the retractor once the lock
has been set.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
8. If the airbag is off, the off indicator on the instrument
panel will be lit and stay lit when the key is turned
to ON or START.
Page 59
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.
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.
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
designed for either side impact or rollover deployment.
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 roof-mounted side impact airbags,
the words AIR BAG will appear on the airbag covering
on the sidewall trim near the driver’s and right front
passenger’s window.
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
Page 60
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
CAUTION:(Continued)
{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
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 or in rear crashes. If the vehicle is
equipped with rollover capable airbags, it has
been designed to deploy the roof-mounted
side impact airbags in the event of a vehicle
rollover. Everyone in your vehicle should wear
a safety belt properly — whether or not there
is an airbag for that person.
Page 61
{CAUTION:
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and roof-mounted 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 andYoung Children on page 1-32.
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Page 62
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 3-28
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
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Page 63
The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
If your vehicle has a roof-mounted airbag for the driver
and the person seated directly behind the driver, it
is located in the ceiling above the side windows.
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Page 64
If your vehicle has a roof-mounted airbag for the right
front passenger and the person directly behind that
passenger, it is located in the ceiling above the
side windows.
{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.
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Page 65
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 18 mph
(17.5 to 28.9 km/h), and the threshold level for a full
deployment is about 18 to 23 mph (28.9 to 37 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
object were moving.
• If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed than
if the 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.
1-59
Page 66
The frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
Your vehicle has seat position sensors which enable the
sensing system to monitor the position of the driver’s
seat and the right front passenger’s seat. Seat position
sensors provide information that is used to determine
if the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full
deployment.
Your vehicle may or may not have a roof-mounted side
impact airbag and rollover sensor. See Airbag Systemon page 1-53. These “rollover capable” airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes
or during a rollover. A roof-mounted 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. Roof-mounted
side impact airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal
or near-frontal impacts, 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 roof-mounted
side impact airbags, inflation is determined by the
location and severity of the impact.
The airbag system is designed to work properly under
a wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See Off-RoadDriving on page 4-17 for tips on off-road driving.
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What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. In the
case of a “rollover capable” roof-mounted side impact
airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle
is about to roll over. 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 roof-mounted side impact
airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling
of the vehicle, near the side windows.
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. Roof-mounted 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 or rollovers for the roof-mounted
side impact airbags.
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What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?
{CAUTION:
After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the airbag inflated.
Some components of the airbag module — the steering
wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s bag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows — will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag 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 or being able to steer the vehicle,
nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
1-62
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.
Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors (if equipped), turn the interior lamps on,
and flash the hazard warning flashers when the airbags
inflate (if battery power is available). You can lock
the doors again, and turn the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers off by using the door lock, and the
interior lamp and the hazard warning flasher controls.
Page 69
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.
• 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.
• Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. See Vehicle Data Collection and EventData 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.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger’s position. A passenger airbag
status indicator on the instrument panel will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to ON or START.
The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible on the instrument panel 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 PassengerAirbag Status Indicator on page 3-29.
Passenger
Airbag Status
Indicator – United
States
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbag and the side airbags are not part
of the passenger sensing system.
Passenger
Airbag Status
Indicator – Canada
1-63
Page 70
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
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.
General Motors recommends 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.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. 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 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 the
rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
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.
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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 forward-facing child restraint
• the system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat
• 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
• 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 passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator on the
instrument panel will light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbag is off.
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 FrontSeat Position on page 1-49.
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.
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.
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.
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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 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 about two minutes. This will
allow the system to detect that person and then
enable the passenger’s airbag.
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{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 frontal airbag. See Airbag ReadinessLight on page 3-28 for more on this, including
important safety information.
Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
You may want to consider not using seat covers or
other aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has
the passenger sensing system. See Adding Equipmentto Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-68 for
more information about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat cushion
and seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-67
Page 74
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 PublicationsOrdering Information on page 7-15.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds 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 wires,
wires wrapped with yellow tape or 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.
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
1-68
Page 75
Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modified. How can I find out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A: Changing or moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and diagnostic
module, or the instrument panel can affect
the operation of the airbag system. If you have
questions, call Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance
are in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. See CustomerSatisfaction 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: If you damage the covering for the driver’s
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.
1-69
Page 76
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 3-28.
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.
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Page 79
There is one double-sided
key for the ignition, and
driver’s door lock.
When a new vehicle is delivered, the dealer provides
the owner with a pair of identical keys and a key
code number.
The key code number tells your dealer or a qualified
locksmith how to make extra keys. Keep this number
in a safe place. If you lose your keys, you will be able
to have new ones made easily using this number.
Your dealer should also have this number.
Notice: If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle,
you may have to damage the vehicle to get in.
Be sure you have spare keys.
If you ever do get locked out of your vehicle call the GM
Roadside Assistance Center. See Roadside AssistanceProgram on page 7-6.
If your vehicle is equipped with the OnStar
an active subscription and you lock your keys inside
the vehicle, OnStar
®
may be able to send a command to
®
system with
unlock your vehicle. See OnStar®System on page 2-36
for more information.
2-3
Page 80
Remote Keyless Entry System
Your 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:
1. This device may not cause interference.
2. 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:
1. This device may not cause interference.
2. 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 operating 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:
• Check the distance. You may be too far from your
vehicle. You may need to stand closer during rainy
or snowy weather.
• 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.
• Check to determine if battery replacement is
necessary. See “Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation on
page 2-5.
• If you are still having trouble, see your dealer or a
qualified technician for service.
2-4
Page 81
Remote Keyless Entry System
Operation
You can lock and unlock the vehicle’s doors and disarm
or arm the theft-deterrent system from about 3 feet (1 m)
up to 30 feet (9 m) away using the remote keyless entry
transmitter. See Content Theft-Deterrent on page 2-12
for additional information.
UNLOCK: Press this
button to unlock the driver’s
door and turn on the
interior lamps. The parking
lamps may also flash,
and the horn may chirp,
when this button is pressed.
Press the unlock button again within three seconds and
all of the doors will unlock.
LOCK: Press this button to lock all the doors. The
parking lamps may also flash and the horn may chirp
when this button is pressed.
If a door is open or ajar when the lock button is pressed,
the doors will lock, but the theft-deterrent system will
not arm until the open door is closed.
You can program different feedback modes through
the Driver Information Center (DIC). To program
the feedback modes, see “Remote Keyless Entry
Feedback” under DIC Controls and Displays onpage 3-41.
L(Panic): Press this button to make the horn
sound and the headlamps and taillamps flash for up
to 30 seconds. To turn them off, do one of these
three things: wait for 30 seconds; press the panic
button again; or start the vehicle.
2-5
Page 82
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 the remote keyless
entry transmitter should last about two 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.
To replace the battery, do the following:
1. Insert a coin, or similar object, in the slot
between the covers of the transmitter housing.
Gently pry the transmitter apart.
2. Remove and replace the battery with a
three-volt CR2032 or equivalent battery.
3. Align the covers and snap them together.
4. Check the operation of the transmitter.
2-6
Page 83
Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use the key in the driver’s door or
use the remote keyless entry transmitter.
From the inside, use the manual lock levers or power
door lock switch.
2-7
Page 84
Power Door Locks
The power door lock
switches are located on
the driver’s and the
front passenger’s
armrests.
Driver’s side shown
Press L (lock) to lock all the doors at once.
To unlock all the doors, press U (unlock).
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, it is
programmed from the factory to lock the doors
automatically when the shift lever is moved out of
PARK (P). All the doors will unlock when the shift lever
is moved back into PARK (P).
If your vehicle has a manual transmission, it is
programmed from the factory to lock the doors
automatically when the vehicle speed is greater than
15 mph (24 km/h). The doors will unlock when the
key is removed from the ignition.
To personalize the automatic door locks, see “Automatic
Door Locks” under DIC Controls and Displays onpage 3-41.
Lockout Protection
This feature protects you from locking your key in
the vehicle when the key is in the ignition and a door
is open.
If the power door lock switch is pressed when a door
is open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will
lock and then the driver’s door will unlock. A chime
will sound to indicate that the key has been left in the
ignition.
2-8
Page 85
Swing-gate
To lock or unlock the swing-gate, use the power door
lock switch or the remote keyless entry transmitter.
{CAUTION:
Make sure the swing-gate is completely closed.
Driving with the swing-gate open could injure
pedestrians or damage the vehicle.
To open the swing-gate, pull the door handle.
Pull the swing-gate rearward slightly and it will
automatically open.
2-9
Page 86
Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm
or hot weather.
2-10
Page 87
Power Windows
The power window controls are located on the armrest
of each door.
The driver’s door has switches for the passenger
windows as well. Your power windows will work when
the ignition is in ACC (Accessory) or ON, or when
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) on page 2-16.
Pull up the front edge of the control to raise the window.
Press the front edge of the control down to lower the
window.
Express-Down Window
The driver’s window has an express-down feature
that allows you to lower the window without holding
the switch. Press the front edge of the switch past
the first position to activate the express-down mode.
The express-down mode can be canceled at any time by
pulling up on the switch. To open the window partway,
press the front of the switch to the first position until
the window is at the desired level.
Window Lockout
o
(Window Lockout): The window lockout button is
located forward of the window switches. This feature
disables the passenger’s window switches when
the button is pressed. Press the button again to turn
the lockout off. A red band on the side of the button
can be seen when the windows are not locked out.
2-11
Page 88
Sun Visors
Content Theft-Deterrent
To block glare, pull the visor down. It can also be
detached from the center mount and moved to the side
to block glare from that direction. There are extenders
that can be pulled out for further coverage.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Your vehicle has a vanity mirror located on the driver’s
and passenger’s visor.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
Your vehicle may have an illuminated vanity mirror on
both visors. Lift the cover on the mirror and the lights will
automatically come on.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal.
2-12
Your vehicle has a
content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
To activate the content theft-deterrent system, do the
following:
1. Close all the doors.
2. Lock the doors with the remote keyless entry
transmitter. The security light, located on the
instrument panel cluster, will flash.
If the lock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter
is pressed, but a door is open, the doors will lock, the
lights may flash and the horn may sound. Close
the open door and the alarm system will arm.
If a locked door is not opened using the remote keyless
entry transmitter, or by OnStar
First, a pre-alarm will sound the horn at reduced
intensity for 10 seconds. Then, the front turn signal
lamps will flash for two minutes, and the horn will sound
for two minutes. The alarm will then turn off to save
battery power.
®
, the alarm will go off.
Page 89
Starting the engine with the correct key will shut off the
pre-alarm or alarm at any time.
Remember, the theft-deterrent system will not activate
if you lock the doors with the key, the manual door lock,
or power door lock switch. The system can only be
activated using the remote keyless entry transmitter,
or by OnStar
®
. See OnStar®System on page 2-36
for additional information. You should also remember
that you can start your vehicle with the correct key if
the alarm has been set off.
Here is how to avoid setting off the alarm by accident:
• If you do not want to arm the theft-deterrent
system, the vehicle should be locked with the
manual door lock lever, the power door lock switch,
or the key, after the doors are closed.
• If the content theft-deterrent system is armed,
unlock the doors by pressing the unlock button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter or by
®
OnStar
activate the alarm.
If you set off the alarm by accident, you can turn it
off by pressing unlock on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, starting the vehicle with the correct key, or
by having OnStar
not stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.
. Unlocking a door any other way will
®
unlock the doors. The alarm will
Testing the Alarm
The alarm can be tested by following these steps:
1. From inside the vehicle, activate the system by
locking the doors with the remote keyless entry
transmitter.
2. Unlock the door with the manual door lock and
open the door. This should set off the pre-alarm.
Wait 10 seconds for the full alarm to activate.
3. To turn the alarm off, press the unlock button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter or start
the engine.
If the alarm does not sound when it should but the
lights flash, check to see if the horn works. The horn
fuse may be blown. To replace the fuse, see Fusesand Circuit Breakers on page 5-94.
If the alarm does not sound or the front turn signal
lamps do not flash, see your dealer for service.
2-13
Page 90
Passlock
Your vehicle has the Passlock®theft-deterrent system.
Passlock®is a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlock
turned with a valid key. If an incorrect key is used or the
ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, the fuel system
is disabled and the vehicle will not start.
During normal operation, the security light will turn off
approximately five seconds after the engine is started.
See Security Light on page 3-39.
If the engine stalls and the security light flashes, wait
about 10 minutes until the light stops flashing before
trying to restart the engine. Remember to release
the key from START as soon as the engine starts.
If the engine does not start after three tries, the vehicle
needs service.
If the engine is running and the security light comes on,
you will be able to restart the engine if you turn the
engine off. However, your Passlock
not working properly and must be serviced by your
dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock
this time. See your dealer for service.
In an emergency, call the Roadside Assistance Center.
See Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
®
®
enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
®
system is
®
at
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice: Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
• Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the first 500 miles (805 km).
• Do not drive at any one constant speed, fast or
slow, for the first 500 miles (805 km). Do not
make full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake, or slow, the vehicle.
• Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new brake
linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops with new
linings can mean premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this breaking-in guideline
every time you get new brake linings.
• Do not tow a trailer during break-in. See Towing
a Trailer on page 4-58 for the trailer towing
capabilities of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load can be
gradually increased.
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Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition
switch, you can turn to
four different positions.
LOCK (A): This position locks your ignition. It also
locks your transmission on automatic transmission
vehicles. It will lock your steering wheel on manual
transmission vehicles when the key is removed.
It is a theft-deterrent feature. You will only be able to
remove your key when the ignition is turned to LOCK.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch cannot be turned to LOCK unless the shift
lever is in PARK (P).
Notice: Using a tool to force the key from the
ignition switch could cause damage or break the
key. Use the correct key and turn the key only with
your hand. Make sure the key is all the way in.
If it is, turn the steering wheel left and right while
you turn the key hard. If none of this works,
then your vehicle needs service.
ACC (ACCESSORY) (B): This is the position in
which you can operate your electrical accessories or
items plugged into the accessory power outlets.
On automatic transmission vehicles, this position
unlocks the ignition. On manual transmission vehicles,
it unlocks the ignition and steering wheel. Use this
position if your vehicle must be pushed or towed.
ON (C): This is the position that the switch returns to
after you start your engine and release the switch.
The switch stays in ON when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
ON to operate your electrical accessories and to display
some instrument panel cluster warning and indicator
lights. The transmission is also unlocked in this position
on automatic transmission vehicles.
START (D): This is the position that starts the engine.
When the engine starts, release the key. The ignition
switch will return to ON for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and ON allow you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the
radio or items plugged into the accessory power outlets.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver’s
door when the ignition is in ACC or LOCK and the
key is in the ignition.
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Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
Your vehicle has Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
which will allow certain features of your vehicle
to continue working for up to 20 minutes after the
ignition key is turned to LOCK.
The radio, front wipers, power windows, and a sunroof
if your vehicle has one, will work when the ignition
key is in ON or ACC. Once the key is turned from
ON to LOCK, these features will continue to work for
up to 20 minutes or until a door is opened.
Starting the Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine will not start in any other position — that
is a safety feature. To restart when you are already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor
and start the engine. Your vehicle will not start if the
clutch pedal is not all the way down — that is a safety
feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If the engine does not start within 10 seconds, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, while
you hold the ignition key in START. When the
engine starts, let go of the key and let up on the
accelerator pedal. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try.
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For both the manual and automatic transmissions, when
starting the vehicle after it has been sitting idle and
the engine is cold, the engine starter may continue
cranking the engine up to approximately four seconds
after you release the ignition key. This is normal.
When starting your engine in very cold weather
(below 0°F or 18°C), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there up to
15 seconds. When the engine starts, let go of
the key.
2. If your engine still will not start, or starts but then
stops, it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing, but this time keep the pedal down
for five or six seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
Notice: Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.
Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may have this feature.
In very cold weather, 0°F (–18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You will get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is located in the engine compartment
behind the underhood fuse block on the driver’s
side of the vehicle.
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Page 94
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature,
the kind of oil you have, and some other things.
Instead of trying to list everything here, we ask that
you contact your dealer in the area where you will
be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the
best advice for that particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
The automatic transmission has a shift lever on the
console.
It features an electronic shift position indicator within
the instrument cluster. This display must be powered
anytime the shift lever is capable of being moved out of
PARK (P). This means that if your key is turned off,
but not in LOCK, there will be a small current drain on
your battery which could discharge your battery over
a period of time. If you need to leave your key in
the ignition but not in LOCK for an extended period,
it is recommended that you disconnect the battery cable
from the battery to prevent discharging your battery.
2-18
Page 95
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start the engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, always
set your parking brake and move the shift
lever to PARK (P). See Shifting Into Park (P)(Automatic Transmission) on page 2-28.
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing aTrailer on page 4-58.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in ON. If you cannot
shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever by pushing the shift lever all the way into PARK (P)
as you maintain brake application. Then move the
shift lever into the gear you want. See Shifting Out of
Park (P) (Automatic Transmission) on page 2-30
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging your transmission,
see If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow on page 4-50
2-19
Page 96
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is firmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If
you need more power for passing, and you are:
• Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
• Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer. You
may want to shift the transmission to THIRD (3) or,
if necessary, a lower gear if the transmission shifts
too often under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3) when towing
a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills
or winding roads or for off-road driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power
but lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed
as you go down steep mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving
forward, the transmission will not shift into FIRST (1)
until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle
in one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transmission. If you
are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
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Page 97
Manual Transmission Operation
This is your shift pattern.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you slowly press down on the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going less
than 20 mph (30 km/h). If you have come to a complete
stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Then press
the clutch pedal back down and shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up
on the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH (3, 4 and 5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same
way you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press
the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL: Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press the clutch pedal. After
the vehicle stops, shift into REVERSE (R). Slowly let up
on the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
If it is hard to shift, let the shift lever return to NEUTRAL
and release the clutch pedal. Then press the clutch again
and shift into REVERSE (R). Do not attempt to shift into
the fifth gear position prior to shifting into REVERSE (R).
Your transmission has a lock out feature which prevents
a fifth gear to reverse gear shift.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake, for
parking your vehicle.
2-21
Page 98
Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift
when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go
on and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and has a manual
transmission, disregard the shift light when the
transfer case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, see Up-Shift Light (ManualTransmission) on page 3-31.
Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Do not shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive
Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive sends your engine’s driving
power to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the
most out of Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive, you must
be familiar with its operation.
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Page 99
Transfer Case Buttons
The transfer case buttons are located to the right of
the instrument panel cluster. Use these switches to
shift into and out of the different Full-Time Four-Wheel
Drive modes.
You can choose between four modes:
4
m(Four-Wheel High): This setting is used for driving
in most street and highway situations. You can also
use this setting for light or variable off-road conditions.
N (NEUTRAL): Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-56 or Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-56 for more information.
Notice: Driving on pavement in Four-Wheel
High Lock or Four Wheel Low Lock for extended
periods may cause premature wear on your vehicle’s
powertrain and tires. Do not drive in Four-Wheel
High Lock or Four-Wheel Low Lock on pavement for
extended periods.
4
mQ (Four-Wheel-High Lock): Use this mode
when you need extra traction in most off-road situations
such as sand, mud, snow or level, rocky trails.
Notice: Operating your vehicle in
Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 30 mph (48 km/h) for
any extended period of time could cause damage
to the transfer case. Do not operate your vehicle
in Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 30 mph (48 km/h)
for extended periods.
4
nQ (Four-Wheel-Low Lock): This mode
delivers extra torque to all four wheels and is used
for extreme off-road conditions. You might choose
4-Wheel-Low Lock if you are driving in off-road
situations, such as, deep sand, mud, or snow and
climbing or descending steep hills.
2-23
Page 100
When in this mode you can also choose to lock the rear
axle, if equipped, for additional traction in extreme
off-road situations. See Locking Rear Axle on page 4-10.
Indicator lights in the buttons show which mode you
are in. The indicator lights will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition the mode the vehicle is in
will stay on. If the lights do not come on, you should
take your vehicle to your dealer for service. An indicator
light will flash while shifting the transfer case. It will
remain lit when the shift is complete. If for some reason
the transfer case cannot make a requested shift, it
will return to the last chosen setting.
If the SERV 4WD message stays on, you should take
your vehicle to your dealer for service. See Service
4WD message under DIC Warnings and Messageson page 3-44.
Shifting between Four-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel-High Lock
With the vehicle traveling less than 45 mph (73 km/h),
press and release the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock button. The indicator light will
flash while shifting. It will remain lit when the shift
is complete.
It may be necessary to drive backwards while turning
for a distance of 25 feet (7.5 m) to get the lock feature
to disengage.
Shifting into Four-Wheel Low Lock
Notice: Shifting the transmission into gear before
the indicator light stops flashing could cause
damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the
indicator light stops flashing before putting the
transmission back in gear.
To shift into Four-Wheel-Low Lock, the ignition must
be in ON and the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). The preferred method for shifting
into Four-Wheel Low is to have your vehicle moving
1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release
the Four-Wheel-Low Lock button. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, the clutch pedal must be pressed
to the floor while you press the Four-Wheel-Low Lock
button, or the shift will not be completed. You must
wait for the Four-Wheel-Low Lock indicator light to
stop flashing and remain lit before shifting your
transmission in gear.
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