GMC ENVOY 1998 Workshop Manual

Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. 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 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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
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.
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4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to ‘set the lock. 5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down
on the child
restraint. If you’re using a forward-facing child
restraint, you may find it helpful
to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
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To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety belt Front Seat, Position
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
Center Seat Position
Don’t use child restraints in this position. The restraints
won’t work properly. Your
vehicle has
a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
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A CAULON:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed
if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates, even though your
vehicle has reduced-force frontal air bags. This
is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rear-facing child restraint
in the rear seat.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. 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.
2.
3.
Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint. (See
“Seats” in the Index.)
Put the restraint on the seat.
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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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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.
e
P
5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
You may find it helpful to use your knee to push down
on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
I. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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. Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a window
so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need
to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who
are.
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t 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.
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: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
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. If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides’’ in the Index.
If
the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close
to the child’s face or neck, you might
want to place the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
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A 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.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When
you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for
you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it
is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your 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 air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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Replacing Restraint System Parts
After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
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 belts.
To help avoid personal
njury, belt assembly must
)e replaced
if this vehicle is
n a collision or if “Replace
3elt” appears below. See
I
3wner’s Manual for more
information.
[ Belt I J
Reprace Remplacer
La Ceinture Prtnled in
If you ever see a label on
the driver’s or the right
front passenger’s safety belt
that says to replace the belt,
be sure to do
so. Then the
new belt will be there
to
help protect you in a
collision.
You would see
this label on the belt near
the door opening.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean
you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even
if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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