child restraint BUICK TERRAZA 2005 Owner's Guide

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.
6. 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.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle airbags. A rear seat is a safer place to
secure a forward-facing child restraint. SeeWhere to
Put the Restraint on page 1-43.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system. The passenger sensing system is designed to
turn off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag (if equipped) when an infant in
a rear-facing infant seat or a small child in a
forward-facing child restraint or booster seat is detected.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-62and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-35
for 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.
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{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 passenger’s frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) under certain conditions, 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. General Motors recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat position, move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing the forward-facing
child restraint. SeeManual Passenger Seat on
page 1-3,Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-3or
Eight-Way Power Seats on page 1-4.If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-46.
There is no top strap anchor at the right front seating
position. Do not secure a child seat in this position if a
national or local law requires that the top strap be
anchored or if the instructions that come with the child
restraint say that the top strap must be anchored. See
Top Strap on page 1-44if your child restraint has one.
You will be using the lap-shoulder 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.
1. Your vehicle has airbags. SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-62. General Motors recommends
that rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear
seat, even if the airbag or airbags are off. If your child
restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far back
as it will go before securing the child restraint in this
seat. SeeManual Passenger Seat on page 1-3,
Six-Way Power Seats on page 1-3orEight-Way
Power Seats on page 1-4.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger’s airbag or airbags, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag status indicator
should light and stay lit when you turn the ignition to
RUN or START. SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 3-35.
1-51

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. 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.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, 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. You should not
be able to pull more of the belt from the retractor
once the lock has been set.7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
8. If the airbag or airbags are off, the off indicator in
the rearview mirror will be lit and stay lit when the
key is turned to RUN or START.
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.
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.
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.
1-53

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. 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,
seeOlder Children on page 1-34orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-37.
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 3-34
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-56

The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact airbag
(if equipped) under certain conditions. The driver’s
airbag or 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
passenger’s airbag or airbags 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.
General Motors recommends that child restraints
be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a
rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing
child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. 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 passenger’s frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) under certain conditions, 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. General Motors recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
1-63

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s airbag or airbags 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 forward-facing 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 passenger’s airbag or airbags, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag or
airbags are off.
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 a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position on page 1-50.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.
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.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inate) the right front passenger’s airbag or airbags
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 airbag or airbags to be enabled, the on indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag or
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
airbag or airbags, 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.
1-64

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
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:Changing or moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and diagnostic
module (located under the driver’s seat), or
the instrument panel can affect the operation of
the airbag system. 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 7-2.
Restraint System Check
Checking the 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. If your vehicle
has a built-in child restraint, also periodically make sure
the harness straps, latch plates, buckle, clip, child
head restraint 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.
If your vehicle has the built-in child restraint, torn or
frayed harness straps can rip apart under impact forces
just like torn or frayed safety belts can. They may not
protect a child in a crash. If a harness strap is torn
or frayed, get a new harness right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The airbag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
1-67

Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems
in your vehicle. A damaged restraint system
may not properly protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even death
in a crash. To help make sure your restraint
systems are working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If you have had a crash, do you need new safety belts or
built-in child restraint parts or LATCH system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the safety belts or built-in child restraint harness
straps were stretched, as they would be if worn during
a more severe crash, then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a more
severe crash, then you may need new LATCH
system parts.If safety belts or built-in child restraint harness straps
are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage
also may mean you will need to have safety belt, built-in
child restraint, LATCH system or seat parts repaired
or replaced. New parts and repairs may be necessary
even if the safety belt, built-in child restraint or
LATCH system was not being used at the time of the
collision.
If an airbag inates, you will need to replace airbag
system parts. See the part on the airbag system earlier
in this section.
If the frontal airbags inate, you will also need to
replace the driver’s and right front passenger’s safety
belt retractor assemblies. Be sure to do so. Then
the new retractor assemblies will be there to help protect
you in a collision.
After a crash you may need to replace the driver and
front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies, even
if the frontal airbags have not deployed. The driver
and front passenger’s safety belt retractor assemblies
contain the safety belt pretensioners. Have your
safety belt pretensioners checked if your vehicle has
been in a collision, or if your airbag readiness light stays
on after you start your vehicle or while you are driving.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-34.
1-68

If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the passenger
airbag status indicator, it means that the right front
passenger’s airbag or airbags are enabled (may inate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have
a rear-facing child restraint installed in the
right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped).
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.
Do not use a rear-facing child restraint in the
right front passenger’s seat.If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front passenger’s
airbag or airbags. SeePassenger Sensing System on
page 1-62for more on this, including important
safety information.
If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be
a problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag readiness
light ever come on together, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag
system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front passenger seat
may not have the protection of the airbags.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-34.
3-36