User manual HUMMER H2 2005

2005 HUMMER H2 Owner Manual Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-7 Safety Belts ............................................. 1-16 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-36 Airbag System ......................................... 1-58 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-69 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 Keys ........................................................ 2-3 Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8 Windows ................................................. 2-18 Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-22 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-25 Mirrors .................................................... 2-41 OnStar® System ...................................... 2-48 HomeLink® Transmitter ............................. 2-50 Storage Areas ......................................... 2-54 Sunroof .................................................. 2-62 Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-63 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4 Climate Controls ...................................... 3-19 Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-26 Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-43 M Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-60 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2 Towing ................................................... 4-64 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9 All-Wheel Drive ........................................ 5-43 Rear Axle ............................................... 5-44 Front Axle ............................................... 5-44 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-45 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-53 Tires ...................................................... 5-54 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-92 Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-101 Electrical System .................................... 5-102 Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-112 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2 Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10 Index ................................................................ 1 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, HUMMER, the name HUMMER, H2 and the H2 DESIGN are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for 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. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 05H2A First Edition ii © Copyright General Motors Corporation 04/19/04 All Rights Reserved 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. 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." {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. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this manual you will find these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle's warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a specific component, control, message, gage, or indicator. If you need help figuring out a specific name of a component, gage, or indicator, reference the following topics: · · · · · · · 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 iv These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: v NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-45 Top Strap ....................................................1-46 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-47 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-49 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System .........................................1-51 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ...................................................1-52 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position ............................................1-54 Airbag System ...............................................1-58 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-60 When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-61 What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-63 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-63 What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-64 Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-65 Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-68 Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ....................................................1-69 Restraint System Check ..................................1-69 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-69 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ......................................................1-70 Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Power Seats ..................................................1-2 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3 Heated Seats .................................................1-4 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5 Head Restraints .............................................1-6 Rear Seats .......................................................1-7 Heated Seats .................................................1-7 60/40 Split Bench Seat ...................................1-7 Third Row Seat (SUV) ...................................1-10 Safety Belts ...................................................1-16 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-16 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-21 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-22 Driver Position ..............................................1-22 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-29 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-30 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-30 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults .......................................1-33 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-35 Child Restraints .............................................1-36 Older Children ..............................................1-36 Infants and Young Children ............................1-39 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-42 1-1 Front Seats Power Seats Horizontal Control: This control adjusts the seat cushion. · Raise or lower the front of the seat by raising or lowering the forward edge of the control. Raise or lower the rear of the seat by raising or lowering the rear edge of the control. · Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole control toward the front or toward the rear of the vehicle. · Lower or raise the entire seat cushion by moving the whole control up or down. Vertical Control: This control adjusts the seatback. Move the reclining front seatback rearward or forward by moving the control toward the rear or toward the front of the vehicle. This adjusts the angle of the seatback. For more information on the reclining seatbacks, see Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-5. The power seat controls are located on the outboard edge of the front seats. Your vehicle has a memory function which allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat on page 2-63 for more information. 1-2 Power Lumbar Your vehicle's seats have power lumbar. You can increase or decrease lumbar support in an area of the lower seatback with this control, located on the outboard sides of the front seat(s). You can also reshape the side wing area of the lower seatback for more lateral support. To increase support, press and hold the top of the control. To decrease support, press and hold the bottom of the control. Let go of the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of support. Your vehicle may have a memory function which allows seat settings to be saved and recalled. See Memory Seat on page 2-63 for more information. To increase support, press and hold the front of the control. To decrease support, press and hold the rear of the control. Let go of the control when the lower seatback reaches the desired level of support. 1-3 Heated Seats Your vehicle may have heated front seats. The buttons used to control this feature are located on the front doors. The engine must be running for the heated seat feature to work. The low setting warms the seatback and cushion until the seat temperature is near body temperature. The medium and high settings heat the seatback and seat cushion to a slightly higher temperature. You will be able to feel heat in about two minutes. To heat only the seatback, press the vertical button with the heated seatback symbol. An indicator light on the seatback button will glow to designate that only the seatback is being heated. Additional presses of the seatback button will cycle through the heat levels for the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again to heat the whole seat. The heated front seats will shut off automatically when the ignition is turned off. To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with the heated seat symbol. Press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high, medium and low and to turn the heated seat off. Indicator lights will glow to designate the level of heat selected, three for high, two for medium, and one for low. 1-4 Reclining Seatbacks Your vehicle's front seatbacks have a recline feature which is described earlier. See Power Seats on page 1-2. {CAUTION: Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can not do their job when you are reclined like this. The shoulder belt can not do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can not 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. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-5 Head Restraints The front head restraints can also be tilted forward in addition to being slid up or down. To tilt either of the front head restraints do the following: Pull the head restraint toward you until you hear a click. Then let go. The head restraint will stay in this position unless you pull it forward more until another click is heard. There are four positions available: initial position, first click, second click, and third click. After the third position (three clicks) is reached, pulling the head restraint farther will release it back to the normal upright position. The rear head restraints can be slid up or down just as the front head restraints, but they do not tilt. Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. Pull straight up on the head restraint to raise it and push it down to lower it. 1-6 Rear Seats Heated Seats If your vehicle has this feature, the buttons used to control this feature are located on the back of the center console. The engine must be running for the heated seat feature to work. To heat the seat, press the button to cycle through the temperature settings of high and low. Press the button a third time to turn the feature off. An indicator light will glow for each heat setting when the feature is operating. The heated rear seats will shut off automatically when the ignition is turned off. 60/40 Split Bench Seat The 60/40 split bench seats can be folded to give you more cargo space. 1-7 Folding the Seatbacks The seatbacks (SUV only) are equipped with rearward folding head restraints. When the seatback is being folded down, the head restraint will automatically fold rearward. To fold the rear seat, do the following: 1. Make sure that nothing is under or in front of the seat. 2. Pull up on the strap loop located at the rear of the seat cushion and pull the seat cushion up and fold it forward. 3. Pull the seatback forward and fold it down until it is flat. If the seatback cannot fold flat because it interferes with the cushion, try moving the front seat forward and/or bringing the front seatback more upright. 4. Repeat the steps for the other half of the 60/40 split bench seat. Returning the Seats to an 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 press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1-8 {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 return the seat(s) to the upright position, do the following: 1. Lift the seatback up and push it rearward all the way. 2. Lower the seat cushion until it latches into position. 3. Pull forward on the seatback and up on the seat cushion to make sure the seat is securely in place. 4. Return the head restraints (SUV only) to the upright position. 1-9 Third Row Seat (SUV) Entering or Exiting the Third Row Seat If your vehicle has a third row seat, you must fold the second row seat down before entering or exiting the third row. See "Folding the Seatbacks" under 60/40 Split Bench Seat on page 1-7 earlier in this section for instructions. The third row seatback can be folded and the entire seat can be tilted or removed from the vehicle. Unfolding the Seatback {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 press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. Folding the Seatback To fold the seatback, do the following: 1. Pull up on the release lever labeled 1, located on the rear of the seatback, and push the seatback forward. 1-10 To return the seatback to the passenger position, do the following: 1. Pull up on the release lever labeled 1 and then pull up on the seatback until the seatback locks into the upright position. Tilting the Seat 1. Fold the seatback forward using the instructions listed previously. 2. Unlatch the seat from the floor by pulling up on the lever labeled 2, located on the rear of the seat. 2. Push forward on the seatback to make sure it is locked into position. 3. Lift the rear of the seat up from the floor and push it forward until it locks into place. You will not be able to unlatch the seat from the floor unless the seatback is folded down. The seat will now remain locked in the upright position. 1-11 Returning the Seat from a Tilted to an Upright Position To return the seatback to an upright position, do the following: {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 press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 1. Pull the lever labeled 3 toward you. 2. While still holding lever 3 toward you, grasp the top of the seat and pull it toward you slightly. 3. Let go of lever 3 and pull the seat completely down. 4. Push down on the seat firmly. Try pulling it up to be sure it is locked into place. 1-12 5. Pull up on the release lever labeled 1 and then pull up on the seatback until the seatback locks into the upright position. Removing the Seat To remove the seat, do the following: 1. Open the liftgate. 2. Fold the seatback forward onto the seat cushion by using the lever labeled 1. The seat cannot be removed unless the seatback is folded. 1-13 3. To unlatch the rear of the seat from the floor, pull up on the release lever labeled 2, at the rear of the seat, and lift the rear of the seat up from the floor. 4. Squeeze the release handle while pulling the seat out of the slots on the floor. 5. While holding the rear of the seat up, roll the seat out of the vehicle. 1-14 Reinstalling the Seat {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 press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. 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 reinstall the seat, do the following: {CAUTION: A seat that is not locked into place properly can move around in a collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock the seat into place properly when installing it. 1. While holding the rear of the seat up, slide the front wheels into the slots on the floor. The front latches should lock into place. If the latches do not lock, try tilting the rear of the seat upward. 1-15 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 can not 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. 2. Once the latches are engaged, pull up on the lever labeled 3 to allow the seat to drop into place. 3. Pull up on the lever labeled 1 to return the seatback to its upright position. 4. Push and pull on the seat to make sure it is locked into place. The seatback cannot be raised to the upright position unless the seat is secured to the floor. 1-16 {CAUTION: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work. You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one. A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so serious that even buckled up, a person would not survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed. After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter...a lot! Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 3-28. 1-17 Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. Put someone on it. Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels. 1-18 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... 1-19 or the instrument panel... or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why safety belts make such good sense. 1-20 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts 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. Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident if I am wearing a safety belt? A: You could be -- whether you are wearing a safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are upside down. And your chance of being conscious during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if you are belted. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts? A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in most of them in the future. But they are supplemental systems only; so they work with safety belts -- not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions. 1-21 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 1-36 or Infants and Young Children on page 1-39. 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. 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly. 4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-35. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. 1-22 5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. 1-23 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body. A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly as much protection this way. 1-24 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you. A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place. 1-25 Q: What is wrong with this? {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 at the abdomen, not at the pelvic bones, and that could cause serious or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt goes under the armrests. A: The belt is over an armrest. 1-26 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen. A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the shoulder at all times. 1-27 Q: What is wrong with this? {CAUTION: You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you would not have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer to fix it. A: The belt is twisted across the body. 1-28 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. To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle. 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. 1-29 Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger's safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-22. 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. Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here is how to wear one properly. Rear Seat Passengers It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. 1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted. The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly. 1-30 2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-35. 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 down on the buckle end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part. 1-31 {CAUTION: You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body. The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or a crash. The safety belt also locks if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor. 1-32 To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When installed on a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt away from the neck and head. Comfort guides are provided for each passenger in the second row seat and one guide for the single third row seat. To provide added safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown child restraints and booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on the shoulder belts. Here is how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt: 1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the side of the seatback. 1-33 2. Place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide. 3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat. The guide must be on top of the belt. 1-34 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. 4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-30. 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. For the second row, slide the guide onto its storage clip on the trim panel near the side of the seatback. For the third row, slide the guide onto its storage clip on the side of the seatback. Make sure you remove the comfort guide from the belt before you fold a rear seat down. 1-35 Child Restraints Older Children Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts? A: If possible, 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. Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle's safety belts. 1-36 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 rear seat outside position, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. Also, see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults on page 1-33. If the child is sitting in the center 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 that belts provide. {CAUTION: Never do this. Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can not properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time. 1-37 {CAUTION: Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt's force would then be applied right on the child's abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child's thighs. This applies belt force to the child's pelvic bones in a crash. 1-38 Infants and Young Children Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle's adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint. {CAUTION: People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby does not weigh much -- until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it. For example, in a crash at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a 240-lb. (110 kg) force on a person's arms. A baby should be secured in an appropriate restraint. 1-39 {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. 1-40 For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer's instructions that come with the restraint state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs. {CAUTION: 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. {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. 1-41 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. 1-42 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. 1-43 Q: How do child restraints work? 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. For many years, add-on child restraints have used the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be secured within the restraint. The vehicle's belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the vehicle, and the add-on child restraint's harness system holds the child in place within the 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. When choosing a 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. These restraints use the belt system or the LATCH system in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury. 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. 1-44