child seat GMC SIERRA DENALI 2018 User Guide

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
74 Seats and Restraints Seat Belt Pretensioners This vehicle has seat belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the seat belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly.
They can help tighten the seat belts
during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if your
vehicle has side impact airbags,
seat belt pretensioners can help
tighten the seat belts in a side
crash. If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seat belt
pretensioners can help tighten the
seat belts in a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
the pretensioners and probably
other parts of the vehicle's seat belt
system will need to be replaced.
See Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 0 76 . Do not sit on the outboard seat belt
while entering or exiting the vehicle
or at any time while sitting in the
seat. Sitting on the seat belt can
damage the webbing and hardware.
Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides Rear seat belt comfort guides may
provide added seat belt comfort for
older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults.
When installed on a shoulder belt,
the comfort guide positions the
shoulder belt away from the neck
and head.
Comfort guides are available
through your dealer for the rear
outboard seating positions.
Instructions are included with the
guide.
Seat Belt Use During
Pregnancy Seat belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear seat 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 seat
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 seat
belts effective is wearing them
properly.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 75
Lap Belt This section is only for the lap belt.
To learn how to wear a lap-shoulder
belt, see Lap-Shoulder Belt 0 71 .
The vehicle may have a center
seating position with a lap seat belt.
The lap seat belt does not have a
retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch
plate and pull it along the belt.
Buckle, position, and release it the
same way as the lap part of a
lap-shoulder belt. To make the belt shorter, pull its free
end as shown until the belt is snug.
If the belt is not long enough, see
Seat Belt Extender 0 75 .
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned so you would
be able to unbuckle the seat belt
quickly if necessary.
Seat Belt Extender If the vehicle's seat belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a seat belt is not long enough,
your dealer 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 fit. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for
securing child restraints. For more
information on the proper use and fit
of seat belt extenders see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check Periodically check the seat belt
reminder, seat belts, buckles, latch
plates, retractors, shoulder belt
height adjusters (if equipped), and
seat belt anchorages to make sure
they are all in working order. Look
for any other loose or damaged seat
belt system parts that might keep a
seat belt system from performing
properly. See your dealer to have it
repaired. Torn or frayed seat belts
may not protect you in a crash.
They can rip apart under impact
forces. If a belt is torn or frayed,
have it replaced immediately.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
78 Seats and Restraints Warning (Continued)seriously injured or killed. Do not
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if sitting
on the edge of the seat or leaning
forward. Seat belts help keep you
in position before and during a
crash. Always wear a seat belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The seat belts and
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
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. { WarningChildren who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, see Older Children 0 92 or
Infants and Young Children 0 94 .
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument 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 0 147 for more
information. Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
84 Seats and Restraints an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Airbag On-Off Switch If the passenger side instrument
panel endcap has the switch
pictured in the following illustration,
the vehicle has an airbag on-off
switch that you can use to manually
turn on or off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag. See
Instrument Panel 0 6 .
If the vehicle does not have an
airbag on-off switch, it may have a
passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System 0 86 . This switch should only be turned to
the off position if the person in the
front outboard passenger position is
a member of a passenger risk group
identified by the national
government as follows:
Infant. An infant (less than 1 year
old) must ride in the front seat
because:
.
My vehicle has no rear seat;
.
My vehicle has a rear seat too
small to accommodate a
rear-facing infant seat; or
.
The infant has a medical
condition which, according to the
infant's physician, makes it
necessary for the infant to ride in
the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A child
age 1 to 12 must ride in the front
seat because:
.
My vehicle has no rear seat;
.
Although children ages 1 to 12
ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in
the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
.
The child has a medical
condition which, according to the
child's physician, makes it
necessary for the child to ride in
the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the
child's condition.
Medical Condition. A passenger
has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
.
Causes the passenger airbag to
pose a special risk for the
passenger; and
.
Makes the potential harm from
the passenger airbag in a crash
greater than the potential harm
from turning off the airbag and
allowing the passenger, even if
belted, to hit the instrument
panel or windshield in a crash.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
86 Seats and Restraints The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is now enabled
(may inflate). See Airbag On-Off
Light 0 147 .
Passenger Sensing
System If the vehicle has one of the
following indicators, then the vehicle
has a passenger sensing system for
the front outboard passenger
position, unless there is an airbag
on-off switch on the instrument
panel endcap. If there is an airbag
on-off switch, the vehicle does not
have a passenger sensing system.
See Airbag On-Off Switch 0 84 for
more information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will light on the overhead
console when the vehicle is started. United States
Canada and Mexico
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 OFF, or the symbol for
on or off, will be visible. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 149 .
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. No other airbag
is affected by the passenger
sensing system. The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat
and seat belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of
a properly seated occupant and
determine if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag should be
allowed to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.
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 inflates.
{ Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the passenger frontal
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 87Warning (Continued)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
passenger frontal airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag is turned off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
(Continued) Warning (Continued) secure child restraints in the rear
seat. Consider using another
vehicle to transport the child
when a rear seat is not available.
If the vehicle does not have a rear
seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not
be installed in the vehicle, even if
the airbag is off.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if:
.
The front outboard passenger
seat is unoccupied.
.
The system determines an infant
is present in a child restraint.
.
A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
.
There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system. When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbag is off.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0 149 .
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the front outboard
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbag is active.
For some children, including
children in child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
88 Seats and Restraints wear a seat belt properly — whether
or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{ WarningIf the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light 0 147 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag if
the system determines that an infant
is present in a child restraint. If a
child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off. 2. Remove the child restraint from
the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Center
Front Seat) 0 114 or Securing
Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Passenger
Seat) 0 115 or Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Rear Seat) 0 111 .
Make sure the seat belt
retractor is locked by pulling
the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor when
installing the child restraint,
even if the child restraint is
equipped with a seat belt lock
off. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened
but not pulled out of the
retractor. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still
lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback
is not pushing the child
restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under
the vehicle head restraint.
If this happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
0 58 .
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may
or may not turn off the airbag for a
child in a child restraint depending
upon the child ’ s size. It is better to
secure child restraints in the rear
seat. Consider using another
vehicle to transport the child when a
rear seat is not available. Never put
a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat, even if the on indicator is
not lit.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 89If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat or that the child
restraint locking feature is engaged.
Use the following steps to allow the
system to detect that person and
enable the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off. 2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as
blankets, cushions, seat
covers, seat heaters, or seat
massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully
upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in
the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the
belt is pulled out all the way,
the child restraint locking
feature will be engaged. This
may unintentionally cause the
passenger sensing system to
turn the airbag off for some
adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let
the belt go back all the way,
and then buckle the belt again
without pulling the belt out all
the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have
the person remain in this
position for two to three minutes
after the on indicator is lit.{ WarningIf the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard
passenger seat, if the passenger
airbag off indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation Seat 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 “ Seat Belts ” and
“ Child Restraints ” in the Index for
additional information about the
importance of proper restraint use.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
92 Seats and Restraints
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{ WarningA crash can damage the airbag
systems in the vehicle.
A damaged airbag system may
not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure the airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See
your dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0 147 .Child Restraints Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle ’ s seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that
come with the booster seat state the
weight and height limitations for that
booster. Use a booster seat with a
lap-shoulder belt until the child
passes the fit test below: .
Sit all the way back on the seat.
Do the knees bend at the seat
edge? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.
Does the shoulder belt rest on
the shoulder? If yes, continue.
If no, try using the rear seat belt
comfort guide, if available. See
“ Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides ”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 0 71 .
If a comfort guide is not
available, or if the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the
shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
.
Does the lap belt fit low and
snug on the hips, touching the
thighs? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
.
Can proper seat belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 93If you have the choice, a child
should sit in a position with a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide.
Q: What is the proper way to
wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or
neck. The lap belt should fit
snugly below the hips, just
touching the top of the thighs.
This applies belt force to the
child's pelvic bones in a crash.
It should never be worn over the
abdomen, which could cause
severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “ Rear Seat Belt Comfort
Guides ” under Lap-Shoulder Belt
0 71 . According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use seat belts
properly.
{ WarningNever allow more than one child
to wear the same seat belt. The
seat belt cannot properly spread
the impact forces. In a crash, they
can be crushed together and
seriously injured. A seat belt must
be used by only one person at
a time.
{ WarningNever allow a child to wear the
seat belt with the shoulder belt
behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly. In a
crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far
forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child
might also slide under the lap
belt. The belt force would then be
applied right on the abdomen.
(Continued)