Saturn VUE Hybrid 2009 User Manual

2009 Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid Owner Manual M

Seats and Restraint System

............................... 1-1

Head Restraints Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Airbag System Restraint System

Check

.................... 1-3

.................... 1-9

.................. 1-10

...................... 1-56

.............. 1-2

............. 1-22

.............. 1-41

Features and Controls

Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent

Starting and Operating Mirrors

OnStar Universal Home Remote

Storage Areas

............................. 2-2

........................ 2-9

Systems Your Vehicle

System

................... 2-10

............. 2-14

......................... 2-27

System

............ 2-29

..................... 2-32

............... 2-37

............ 2-6

...... 2-1

Instrument Panel

Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages,

and Indicators Driver Information

Center (DIC) Audio System(s)

............... 3-1

.................... 3-4

............ 3-17

............ 3-22

............. 3-36

............ 3-56

Driving Your Vehicle

Your Driving, the Road,

and the Vehicle Towing

........................ 4-22

Service and Appearance Care

Service Fuel Checking Things Under

the Hood Headlamp Aiming Bulb Replacement

.......................... 5-3

.............................. 5-5

............... 5-1

.................... 5-9

......... 4-1

........... 4-1

.......... 5-33

......... 5-35

Windshield Wiper Blade

Replacement Tires Appearance Care Vehicle Identiﬁcation Electrical System Capacities and

........................... 5-38

Speciﬁcations

............. 5-38

.......... 5-66

........... 5-74

............ 5-81

Maintenance Schedule

Customer Assistance Information

Customer Assistance and

Information Reporting Safety

Defects Vehicle Data Recording

and Privacy

Index

........................ 7-1

................. 7-1

..................... 7-12

............... 7-14

....................................i-1

...... 5-74

...... 6-1

..... 6-1

ii Preface

SATURN, the SATURN Emblem, and the name VUE are registered trademarks of Saturn Corporation. GENERAL MOTORS and GM are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. Saturn reserves the right to make changes after that time without further notice.

This manual describes features that may or may not be on your speciﬁc vehicle.

Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 25814240 A First Printing

Read this manual from beginning to end to learn about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures, symbols, and words work together to explain vehicle operation.

Keep this manual in the vehicle for quick reference.

Canadian Owners

A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer/retailer or from:

Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207

1-800-551-4123 helminc.com

Propriétaires Canadiens

On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:

Helm Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207

1-800-551-4123 helminc.com

About Driving Your Vehicle

As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an accident. Be sure to read the “on-pavement” and “off-road” driving guidelines which follow in this manual in the section called “Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle”.

Preface iii

Index

To quickly locate information about the vehicle use the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found.

Safety Warnings and Symbols

A circle with a slash through it is a safety symbol which means “Do Not,” “Do not do this” or “Do not let this happen.”

A box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about things that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore the warning.

{ CAUTION

These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people.

Cautions tell what the hazard is and what to do to avoid or reduce the hazard. Read these cautions.

A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle.

Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle.

Many times, this damage would not be covered by the vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. The notice tells what to do to help avoid the damage.

There are also warning labels on the vehicle which use the same words, CAUTION or Notice.

Vehicle Symbols

The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a speciﬁc component, control, message, gage, or indicator.

M : This symbol is shown when

you need to see your owner manual for additional instructions or information.

* : This symbol is shown when

you need to see a service manual for additional instructions or information.

iv Preface

Vehicle Symbol Chart

Here are some additional symbols that may be found on the vehicle and what they mean. For more information on the symbol, refer to the index.

9 : Airbag Readiness Light # : Air Conditioning ! : Antilock Brake System (ABS) g : Audio Steering Wheel

Controls or OnStar

$ : Brake System Warning Light " : Charging System

I : Cruise Control

B : Engine Coolant Temperature

O : Exterior Lamps

# : Fog Lamps

. : Fuel Gage

+ : Fuses

i : Headlamp High/Low-Beam

Changer

j : LATCH System Child Restraints

* : Malfunction Indicator Lamp : : Oil Pressure

} : Power

/ : Remote Vehicle Start

> : Safety Belt Reminders

7 : Tire Pressure Monitor F : Traction Control M : Windshield Washer Fluid

Seats and Restraint System 1-1

Seats and Restraint System

Head Restraints

Front Seats

Manual Seats Seat Height Adjuster Power Seat Manual Lumbar Heated Seats Reclining Seatbacks Passenger Folding

Seatback

Rear Seats

Split Folding Rear Seat

Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are

for Everyone

How to Wear Safety

Belts Properly

..................1-2

.....................1-3

...........1-4

........................1-4

..................1-5

.....................1-5

...........1-5

...........................1-7

......1-9

...................1-10

..................1-13

Lap-Shoulder Belt

.............1-17

Safety Belt Use During

Pregnancy

.......................1-22

Safety Belt Extender

Child Restraints

Older Children Infants and Young

Children Child Restraint Systems Where to Put the

Restraint Lower Anchors and

Tethers for Children

(LATCH) Securing a Child

Restraint in a Rear

Seat Position Securing a Child

Restraint in the Right

Front Seat Position

..................1-22

..........................1-25

.........................1-29

..........................1-31

...................1-36

Airbag System

Airbag System Where Are the Airbags? When Should an Airbag

Inﬂate?

..................1-41

............................1-45

.........1-22

....1-27

.........1-38

...1-44

What Makes an Airbag

Inﬂate?

............................1-47

How Does an Airbag

Restrain?

........................1-47

What Will You See After

an Airbag Inﬂates?

..........1-48

Passenger Sensing

System

............................1-49

Servicing Your

Airbag-Equipped Vehicle

............................1-54

Adding Equipment to

Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle

............................1-55

Restraint System Check

Checking the Restraint

Systems

Replacing Restraint

System Parts After a Crash

..........................1-56

..............................1-57

1-2 Seats and Restraint System

Head Restraints

The front and rear seats have adjustable head restraints in the outboard seating positions.

{ CAUTION

With head restraints that are not installed and adjusted properly, there is a greater chance that occupants will suffer a neck/spinal injury in a crash. Do not drive until the head restraints for all occupants are installed and adjusted properly.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

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 restraint down.

Push down on the head restraint after the button is released to make sure that it is locked in place.

The head restraints are not designed to be removed.

Seats and Restraint System 1-3

Active Head Restraint System

The vehicle has an active head restraint system in the front outboard seating positions. The active head restraints automatically tilt forward to reduce the risk of neck injury if the vehicle is hit from behind.

Front Seats

Manual Seats

{ CAUTION

You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving.

To move a manual seat forward or rearward:

1. Lift the bar to unlock the seat.

2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the bar.

Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place.

1-4 Seats and Restraint System

Seat Height Adjuster

If the vehicle has a manual driver seat height adjuster, it is located on the outboard side of the seat near the front of the seat cushion.

To raise the seat, move the lever upward repeatedly until the seat is at the desired height. To lower the seat, move the lever downward repeatedly until the seat is at the desired height.

Power Seat

: To adjust the seat:

Move the seat forward or rearward.

Raise or lower the front or rear part of the seat cushion.

Seats and Restraint System 1-5

Manual Lumbar

If the vehicle has this feature, the knob is located on the inboard side of the driver seatback.

Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or decrease the lumbar support.

Heated Seats

On vehicles withheated front seats the controls are located on the center console. The engine must be running to operate the heated seats.

M (Heated Seat): Press this

button to turn on the heated seat. The indicator light on the button

shows that the feature is on and the level of heat, three being the highest. Press the button to choose the level of heat.

The passenger seat may take longer to heat up.

Reclining Seatbacks

Manual Reclining Seatbacks

{ CAUTION

If either 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 seatbacks to be sure they are locked.

On seats with manual reclining seatbacks, the lever used to operate them is located on the outboard side of the seat.

1-6 Seats and Restraint System

To recline the seatback:

1. Lift the recline lever.

2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release the lever to lock the seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to an upright position:

1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback and the seatback returns to the upright position.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

Power Reclining Seatbacks

If the seats have power reclining seatbacks, the control used to recline them is located on the outboard side of the seat.

• To recline the seatback, tilt the

top of the control rearward.

• To bring the seatback forward, tilt

the top of the control forward.

{ 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. 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.

Seats and Restraint System 1-7

Do not have a seatback reclined if the vehicle is moving.

Passenger Folding Seatback

The front passenger seatback may fold ﬂat.

{ CAUTION

If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inﬂating airbag might force that object toward a person. This could cause severe injury or even death. Secure objects away from the area in which an airbag would inﬂate. For more information, see

Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-44 and Loading the Vehicle on page 4-18.

{ CAUTION

Things you put on this seatback can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. Remove or secure all items before driving.

To fold the seatback:

1. Lower the head restraint all the way.

2. Lift the bar under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat as far back as it will go and release the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to make sure it is locked into place.

1-8 Seats and Restraint System

3. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side of the seat, up fully and fold the seatback forward until it disengages.

4. Continue to fold the seat forward into the folded position.

5. Pull up on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

To raise the seatback:

1. Lift the recliner lever, located on the outboard side of the seat, up fully and push up on the seatback.

2. Continue raising the seatback until the seatback re-engages.

{ CAUTION

3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.

The recliner lever is also used to recline the seatback while a passenger is seated. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5.

Seats and Restraint System 1-9

Rear Seats

Split Folding Rear Seat

The rear split bench seatbacks can be folded forward, upright, or partially reclined, independent of the other seatback position.

{ CAUTION

A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not provide the protection needed in a crash. The person wearing the belt could be seriously injured. After raising the rear seatback, always check to be sure that the safety belts are properly routed and attached, and are not twisted.

To fold the seatback down:

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. Unbuckle all three safety belts and put the front seatback in an upright position.

2. Lift the lever located on the top of the seatback to release the seatback and fold the seatback forward.

To recline the seatback:

1. Lift and hold the lever located on top of the seatback.

2. Tilt the seatback rearward, then release the lever.

1-10 Seats and Restraint System

Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone

This section of the manual describes how to use safety belts properly. It also describes some things not to do with safety belts.

{ CAUTION

Do not let anyone ride where a safety belt cannot be worn properly. In a crash, if you or your passenger(s) are not wearing safety belts, the injuries can be much worse. You can hit things inside the vehicle harder or be ejected from the vehicle. You and your passenger(s) 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 passenger(s) are restrained 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.

This vehicle has indicators as a reminder to buckle the safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-24 for additional information.

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:

You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a serious one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without safety belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.

After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.

Seats and Restraint System 1-11

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.

Put someone on it.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...

1-12 Seats and Restraint System

or the instrument panel...

or the safety belts!

With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense.

Questions and Answers About Safety Belts

Will I be trapped in the vehicle

after a crash if I am wearing a safety belt?

A: You could be — whether you are

wearing a safety belt or not. But your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down.

Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why

should I have to wear safety belts?

A: Airbags are supplemental

systems only; so they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.

Seats and Restraint System 1-13

Q: If I am a good driver, and I

never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts?

A: You may be an excellent driver,

but if you are in a crash — even one that is not your fault — you and your passenger(s) can be hurt. Being a good driver does not protect you from things beyond your control, such as bad drivers.

Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of home. And the greatest number of serious injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph (65 km/h).

Safety belts are for everyone.

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

This section is only for people of adult size.

Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller children and infants. If a child will be riding in the vehicle, see Older Children on

page 1-22 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-25. Follow those

rules for everyone’s protection. It is very important for all occupants

to buckle up. Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.

Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.

First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety belt, there is important information you should know.

Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the ﬂoor in front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even

1-14 Seats and Restraint System

fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.

The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It

will not give 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 snugly against your body.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The lap belt is too loose. It will

not give nearly as much protection this way.

{ CAUTION

You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force on your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs.

Seats and Restraint System 1-15

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is buckled in the wrong

buckle.

{ CAUTION

You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not on the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is over an armrest.

{ CAUTION

You can be seriously injured if your belt goes over an armrest like this. The belt would be much too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt. The belt force would then be applied on the abdomen, not on the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests.

1-16 Seats and Restraint System

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. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The belt is behind the body.

Seats and Restraint System 1-17

{ CAUTION

You can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, you would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. Your body could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. You might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.

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/retailer to ﬁx it.

Lap-Shoulder Belt

All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder belt.

The following instructions explain how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.

1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.

2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.

1-18 Seats and Restraint System

The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.

If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint locking feature may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and start again.

Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the right front seating position may affect the passenger sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System on page 1-49 for more information.

3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-22.

Position the release button on the buckle so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.

4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See “Shoulder Belt Height

Adjustment” later in this section for instructions on use and important safety information.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull the stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.

To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The belt should return to its stowed position. Slide the latch plate up the safety belt webbing when the safety belt is not in use. The latch plate should rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the guide loop on the side wall.

Seats and Restraint System 1-19

Before a door is closed, be sure the safety belt is out of the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt, damage can occur to both the safety belt and the vehicle.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger seating positions.

Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away from the face and neck, but not falling off of the shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.

Squeeze the release buttons (A) together and move the height adjuster up or down to the desired position.

After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to move it up or down without squeezing the release buttons to make sure it has locked into position.

1-20 Seats and Restraint System

Safety Belt Pretensioners

This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the front outboard occupants. Although the safety belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal, near frontal, or rear crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met. And, for vehicles with side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can help tighten the safety belts in a side crash or a rollover event.

Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and probably other new parts for the vehicle’s safety belt system. See

Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-57.

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 shoulder belt away from the neck and head.

There is one guide for each outboard passenger position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a comfort guide to the safety belt:

1. Remove the guide from its storage location, which is a pocket on the side of the seat.

2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.

Seats and Restraint System 1-21

{ 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.

3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies ﬂat. The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top.

4. Buckle, position, and release the safety belt as described previously in this section. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.

To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt edges together so that the safety belt can be removed from the guide. Store the comfort guide in its storage location, which is a pocket on the side of the seat.

1-22 Seats and Restraint System

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.

A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.

The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly.

Safety Belt Extender

If the safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it.

But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer/retailer will order you an extender. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to ﬁt. The extender has been designed for adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it, attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender.

Child Restraints

Older Children

Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle’s safety belts.

Seats and Restraint System 1-23

The manufacturer’s instructions that come with the booster seat, state the weight and height limitations for that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until the child passes the below ﬁt test:

• Sit all the way back on the

seat. Do the knees bend at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.

• Buckle the lap-shoulder

belt. Does the shoulder belt rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try using the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-17 for more information. If the shoulder belt still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the booster seat.

• Does the lap belt ﬁt low and snug

on the hips, touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.

• Can proper safety belt ﬁt be

maintained for the length of the trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.

Q: What is the proper way to

wear safety belts?

A: An older child should wear a

lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should ﬁt snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.

Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-17.

According to accident statistics, children and infants are safer when properly restrained in a child restraint system or infant restraint system secured in a rear seating position.

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.

1-24 Seats and Restraint System

{ CAUTION

Never do this. Never allow two children to wear

the same safety belt. The safety belt can not properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A safety belt must be used by only one person at a time.

{ CAUTION

Never do this. Never allow a child to wear the

safety belt with the shoulder belt behind their back. A child can be seriously injured by not wearing the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a crash, the child would not be restrained by the shoulder belt. The child could move too far forward increasing the chance of head and neck injury. The child might also slide under the lap belt. The belt force would then be applied right on the abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest.

Seats and Restraint System 1-25

Infants and Young Children

Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle.

{ CAUTION

Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave children unattended in a vehicle and never allow children to play with the safety belts.

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. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate child restraints.

Children who are not restrained properly can strike other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.

{ CAUTION

Never do this. Never hold an infant or a child

while riding in a vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it during a crash.

(Continued)

CAUTION (Continued)

For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12 lb (5.5 kg) infant will suddenly become a 240 lb (110 kg) force on a person’s arms. An infant should be secured in an appropriate restraint.

1-26 Seats and Restraint System

{ CAUTION

Never do this. Children who are up against, or

very close to, any airbag when it inﬂates can be seriously injured or killed. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat. Secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. It is also better to secure a forward-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If you must secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, always move the front passenger seat as far back as it will go.

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.

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