page 7 BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Service Manual

Black plate (49,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position
When securing a child restraint in a rear seating
position, study the instructions that came with the child
restraint to make sure it is compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on
page 2‑42for how and where to install the child
restraint using LATCH. If a child restraint is secured in
the vehicle using a safety belt and it uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 2‑42for 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.
If the 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 more than one child restraint needs to be installed
in the rear seat, be sure to read
Where to Put the
Restraint on page 2‑41.
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.
Position the release button on the buckle so
that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
2-49

Black plate (51,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
6. If the child restraint has a top tether, follow thechild restraint manufacturer's instructions regarding
the use of the top tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 2‑42for
more information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp
the child restraint at the safety belt path and
attempt to move it side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth.
When the child restraint is properly installed, there
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle
safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top tether anchor,
disconnect it.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position
{WARNING:
A child in a child restraint in the center front
seat can be badly injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. 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.
2-51

Black plate (52,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to
secure a forward-facing child restraint. SeeWhere to
Put the Restraint on page 2‑41.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing system
which is designed to turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
under certain conditions. See Passenger Sensing
System
on page 2‑64and Passenger Airbag Status
Indicatoron page 4‑31for more information, including
important safety information.
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.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints 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.
See Passenger Sensing System
on page 2‑64
for additional information.
2-52

Black plate (53,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
If the child restraint has the LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)on
page 2‑42for how and where to install the child
restraint using LATCH. If a child restraint is secured
using a safety belt and it uses a top tether, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on
page 2‑42for 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 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 4‑31. 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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button on the buckle so
that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
2-53

Black plate (55,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, makesure it is securely held in place. To check, grasp
the child restraint at the safety belt path and
attempt to move it side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth.
When the child restraint is properly installed, there
should be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
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, see “If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint ”under Passenger Sensing System
on
page 2‑64for more information.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle
safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the right
front passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right front
passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the side of the seatback closest
to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today's airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury from
the force of an inflating bag, all airbags must inflate very
quickly to do their job.
2-55

Black plate (56,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{WARNING:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt—even if
you have airbags. Airbags are designed to work
with safety belts, but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy in every
crash. In some crashes safety belts are your
only restraint. See When Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 2‑60.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of the seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear a 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.
2-56

Black plate (57,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
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. Always secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, seeOlder Children
on
page 2‑33
or Infants and Young Childrenon
page 2‑36
.
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. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑30for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
2-57

Black plate (61,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Your vehicle also has a dual-depth passenger airbag
that adjusts the restraint according to crash severity,
seat location, and safety belt status using electronic
frontal sensor(s) and other special sensors which
enable the sensing system to monitor the position of the
front passenger seat. The passenger airbag inflates to a
reduced depth when the passenger seat is in a forward
position. For more rearward front seating positions, the
passenger airbag may inflate to an increased depth (a
full deployment), based on safety belt status and the
crash severity measured early in the event. (Always
wear your safety belt, even with frontal airbags.)
Your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 2‑55.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags will
inflate if the crash severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The threshold level can
vary with specific vehicle design.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
not intended to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side
impact airbag is intended to deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy
when either side of the vehicle is struck. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair
costs were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined
by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and
how quickly the vehicle slows down. For seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are
airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant seating positions.
2-61

Black plate (62,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑60for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated
for some time after they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 2‑61.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING:
When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but cannot get out
of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
2-62

Black plate (63,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the fuel system after
the airbags inflate. You can lock the doors, turn off the
interior lamps and hazard warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{WARNING:
A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may
have also damaged important functions in the
vehicle, such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a moderate crash, there may
be concealed damage that could make it difficult
to safely operate the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt to restart the
engine after a crash has occurred.In many crashes severe enough to inflate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from
the right front passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an
airbag inflates, you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include airbag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
See
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
on
page 8‑16and Event Data Recorderson
page 8‑16.
.Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
2-63