child restraint BUICK LUCERNE 2008 Owner's Guide

In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the safety belt to secure the child
restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
If you need to install more than one child restraint in the
rear seat, be sure to readWhere to Put the Restraint
on page 1-42.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.
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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, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt, and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. If you are using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may nd it helpful
to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
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6. If your child restraint has a top tether, follow the
child restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding
the use of the top tether. SeeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43for
more information.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. If the top tether
is attached to a top tether anchor, disconnect it.Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position
{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front
seat can be badly injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inate. Never secure a child
restraint in the center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint in a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the center front seat
position.
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Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to
secure a forward-facing child restraint. SeeWhere to
Put the Restraint on page 1-42.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system which is designed to turn off the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact
airbag under certain conditions. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-67andPassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-36for more information
on this, including important safety information.
A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag if the system detects a rear-facing
child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no
one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear
seat, even if the airbag is 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.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-67
for additional information.
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If your child restraint has the LATCH system, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on
page 1-43for how to install your child restraint using
LATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety belt
and it uses a top tether, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43for top
tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top
tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the
top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that the top strap must
be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag, the off indicator
on the passenger airbag status indicator should light
and stay lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-36.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. If you are using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may nd it helpful
to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
If the airbags are off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child
restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly
recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat
cushion if possible. Also make sure the child restraint is
not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head restraint.
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.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way.
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{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 1-33orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-36.
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 3-35
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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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
and safety belt. 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.
A label on your sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbag if
the system detects a rear-facing child restraint,
no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is turned
off. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in a rear seat, even if the
airbags 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.
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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.
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. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-36.
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 followingthe child restraint manufacturer’s directions and refer to
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Position on page 1-54.
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 1-10.
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.
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For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture and body build.
Everyone in your vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should wear a safety belt properly — whether
or not there is an airbag for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If
this happens, turn the vehicle off, remove any additional
material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions,
seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers and ask
the person to place the seatback in the fully upright
position, then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in
this position for two to three minutes. This will allow the
system to detect that person and then enable the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag.Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which
helps the passenger sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See “Safety Belts” and “Child
Restraints” in the Index for additional information
about the importance of proper restraint use.
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