ECU SATURN ASTRA 2008 Owners Manual

Seats and
Restraints
Front Seats
Manual Seats.....................1-2
Seat Height Adjuster...........1-2
Lumbar Seat Adjustment. . . .1-3
Reclining Seatbacks...........1-3
Head Restraints..................1-5
Heated Seats.....................1-6
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation...........1-7
Safety Belts
Safety Belts........................1-8
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly..........................1-12
Lap-Shoulder Belt.............1-17
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy.......................1-21
Safety Belt Extender.........1-22
Safety Belt Check.............1-22
Care of Safety Belts.........1-22
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After
a Crash
...........................1-23
Airbag System
Airbag System..................1-23
Where Are the Airbags?. . .1-25
When Should an Airbag
Inate?............................1-27
What Makes an Airbag
Inate?............................1-28
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?........................1-28
What Will You See After
an Airbag Inates?..........1-29
Passenger Sensing
System............................1-30
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-34
Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
............................1-35
Airbag System Check.......1-36
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash.........1-36
Child Restraints
Older Children..................1-37
Infants and Young
Children..........................1-38
Child Restraint Systems. . . .1-41
Where to Put the
Restraint.........................1-43
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH)
..........................1-45
Replacing LATCH
System Parts After
a Crash
...........................1-50
Securing Child
Restraints (Rear Seat).....1-50
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat)...........1-53
Seats and Restraints 1-1
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{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 x it.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder
belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat 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.
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 you ever pull the shoulder
portion of a passenger belt out
all the way, you may engage the
child restraint locking feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go
back all the way and start again.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, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-22.
Make sure the release button on
the buckle is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
Seats and Restraints 1-17
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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 you can take them
out of the guide. Push the guide into
the pocket on the side of seatback.
Properly secure the guide loop
before folding the seatback. The
comfort guide and vehicle can be
damaged while closing a door if it is
not properly secured in its storage
location.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.
Seats and Restraints 1-21
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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 t. 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.
Safety Belt Check
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.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. SeeSafety Belt
Reminders on page 4-14for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
SeeCare of Safety Belts on
page 1-22.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{CAUTION
Do not bleach or dye safety
belts. If you do, it may severely
weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Clean
safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
1-22 Seats and Restraints
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{CAUTION
Airbags inate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when
it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the
airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash.
Always wear your safety belt,
even with 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 or side
windows in seating positions
with seat-mounted side impact
airbags and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
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 1-37or
Infants and Young Children on
page 1-38.
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. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-14
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
The right front passenger’s frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger’s side.
Seats and Restraints 1-25
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The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inate
properly or it might force the
object into that person causing
severe injury or even death.
The path of an inating 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.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not use seat accessories
that block the ination path of
a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the
roof of a vehicle with roof-rail
airbags by routing a rope or
tie down through any door or
window opening. If you do, the
path of an inating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown,
Passenger Side similar
1-26 Seats and Restraints
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Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
in the rearview mirror when you start
the vehicle.
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
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. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 4-15.
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag under certain
conditions. The driver’s airbags
are not part of the passenger
sensing system.The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part
of the right front passenger’s seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
should be enabled (may inate)
or not.
Accident statistics show that
children are safer if they are
restrained in the rear rather than
the front seat.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat; an older
child riding in a booster seat; and
children, who are large enough,
using safety belts. United States
Canada
1-30 Seats and Restraints
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A label on the 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 airbag inates.
This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the
inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped), no system
is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will
not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even
if the airbag(s) are off. If you
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.The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact 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 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.
Seats and Restraints 1-31
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When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbags are
off. SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 4-15.
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 toSecuring
Child Restraints (Rear Seat) on
page 1-50orSecuring Child
Restraints (Right Front Seat)
on page 1-53.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.
SeeHead Restraints on page 1-5.
Remove any additional material from
the seat such as blankets, cushions,
seat covers, seat heaters, or seat
massagers before reinstalling or
securing the child 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/retailer.The passenger sensing system is
designed to enable (may inate)
the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side impact
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 airbags to
be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the
airbags are active.
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 and seat-mounted side impact
airbag, depending upon the person’s
seating posture and body build.
Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear
a safety belt properly —whether or
not there is an airbag for that person.
1-32 Seats and Restraints
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Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, front sensors,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position,which includes sensors that are
part of the passenger’s seat.
The passenger sensing system
may not operate properly if the
original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery
or trim, or with GM covers,
upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such
as an aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the
seat fabric, could also interfere
with the operation of the
passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system
from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing System
on page 1-30.
If you have any questions about
this, you should contact Customer
Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbersand addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on
page 11-1.
Q:Because I have a disability,
I have to get my vehicle
modied. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A: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.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction
Procedure on page 11-1.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and
the service manual have information
about the location of the airbag
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module and airbag wiring.
Seats and Restraints 1-35
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