CHEVROLET MALIBU 2004 5.G User Guide

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
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Head Restraints
The head restraints are adjustable. Press the button on
the side of the post to adjust the head restraint. Slide
the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Passenger Folding Seatback
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an air bag. In a crash, an inating
air bag might force that object toward a
person. This could cause severe injury or even
death. Secure objects away from the area in
which an air bag would inate. For more
information, see “Where Are the Air Bags?”
and “Loading Your Vehicle,” in the Index.
You can also fold the front passenger’s seatback down
to allow for more cargo space or as a temporary
table while the vehicle is stopped.
To fold the seatback down, do the following:
1. Make sure the seatback is at the most upright
position and locked.
2. Push forward on one of the levers located on either
side of the back of the passenger’s seatback.
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3. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Push down on one of the levers and pull the
seatback up to lock it into place. Make sure
the safety belt is not twisted or caught in the
seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it
is locked into position.
3. Use the reclining front seatback lever to adjust the
seatback to a comfortable position.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback on the sedan, do
the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the gray
handles located on the upper part of the trunk
opening. The left handle will open the larger side of
the seatback. The right handle will open the
smaller side of the seatback.
2. Once a handle is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from
inside the vehicle.
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To fold down the rear seatback on the MAXX, do the
following:
1. Pull up on and hold the lever located on the side of
either rear seat.2. Once a lever is pulled, the seatback can be pushed
into the down position.
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{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push the
seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the
seatback to make sure it is secure.
Rear Sliding Seat (MAXX Only)
If your vehicle is the MAXX model your rear seat will
slide forward or rearward to allow more cargo space in
the rear.
Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock
the seat. Slide the seat to where you want it and
release the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to
be sure the seat is locked in place.
If your vehicle has the rear seat entertainment system,
the rear seat should only be moved forward to a
certain point in order to use the DVD player properly.
Slide the rear seat up so the front edge of the seat
cushion is lined up with the mark on the carpet retainer
trim on the oor of the driver’s side rear seat. If the
rear seat is up past the mark, you will not be able
to open the DVD screen.
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Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-34.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:They work.
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You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
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or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
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