ECU GMC YUKON DENALI 2003 User Guide

Q: How do child restraints work?
A: A child restraint system is any device designed for
use
in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position
children. A built-in child restraint system is a
permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on
child restraint system is a portable one, which
is purchased by the vehicle’s owner.
For many years, add-on child restraints have used
the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child also has
to be
secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the
vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness
system holds the child in place within the restraint.
One system, the three-point harness, has straps
that come down over each of the infant’s shoulders
and buckle together at the crotch. The five-point
harness system has two shoulder straps, two
hip straps and a crotch strap. A shield may take the
place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has
shoulder straps that are attached
to a flat pad which
rests low against the child’s body.
A shelf- or
armrest-type shield has straps that are attached
to
a wide, shelf-like shield that swings up or to the
side. When choosing a child
restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed
to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it
will have a label saying that it meets federal motor
vehicle safety standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in
a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has
to be secured
within the restraint
to help reduce the chance of personal
injury. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer
to the instructions that come with the restraint which may
be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and
to this manual. The child restraint instructions are
important,
so if they are not available, obtain a
replacement copy from the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, 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. Never put a child in a rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger seat unless
your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and the
passenger air bag status indicator shows
off. Never
put a rear facing child restraint in the right front
passenger seat unless the air bag is
off. Here’s why:
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A chiid in a rear-facing chiid restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating air bag. Be sure the air
bag is
off before using a rear-facing child
restraint in
the right front seat position.
Even though the passenger sensing system
is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal air
bag
if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though
it is
turned off. General Motors therefore
recommends that rear-facing child restraints be
secured in the rear seat whenever possible,
even
if the air bag 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. If
your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and
you need to secure a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger’s seat, the passengers frontal
air bag must be
off. See Passenger Sensing System
on page 1-81 and Securing a Chiid Restraint in tire Right
Front Seat Position on page
1-68 for more on this
including important safety information.
Wherever you install it, be sure
to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle.
Be sure to properly secure
any child restraint in your vehicle
- even when no
child is in it.
Top Strap
Some child restraints have a top strap, or “top tether”.
It can help restrain the child restraint during a collision.
For it
to work, a top strap must be properly anchored
to the vehicle. Some top strap-equipped child restraints
are designed for use with or without the
top strap
being anchored. Others require the top strap always
to
be anchored. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for your child restraint. If yours requires that
the top strap be anchored, don’t use the restraint
unless it is anchored properly.
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If the child restraint does not have a top strap, one can
be obtained, in kit form, for many child restraints.
Ask the child restraint manufacturer whether or not a kit
is available. In
Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be
anchored. In the United States, some child restraints
also have a top strap.
If your child restraint has a
top strap, it should be anchored.
Anchor the top strap to one of the following anchor
points. Be sure to use an anchor point located on the
same side of the vehicle as the seating position
where the child restraint will be placed.
If you have an adjustable head restraint, route the top
strap under it.
Once you have the top strap anchored, you’ll be ready
to secure the child restraint itself. Tighten the top
strap when and as the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions say.
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With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle’s safety belts to secure a child restraint.
If a LATCH-_, >e child restra ... : isn’t att __.._ A to
its anchorage points, the restraint won’t be
able to protect the child correctly. In
a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed. Make sure that a LATCH-type child restraint is
properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle’s safety belts to secure the restraint. See “Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System”, “Securing a
Child Restraint
in a Rear Outside Seat
Position”, “Securing
a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position”, or “Securing a
Child Restraint
in the Right Front Seat
Position” in the Index for information on how
to secure a child restraint
in your vehicle.
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Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System
I. Find the anchors for the seating positior: you want
to use, where the bottom
of the seatback meets the
back of the seat cushion.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Attach the anchor points on the child restraint to the
anchors in the vehicle. The child restraint
instructions will show you how.
4. If the child restraint is forward-facing, attach the top
strap to the top strap anchor. See Top Strap on
page
1-57. Tighten the top strap according to
the child restraint instructions.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions
to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, simply unhook the top
strap from the top tether anchor and then disconnect the
anchor points.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page
1-61.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See Top Strap on
page
1-57 if the child restraint has one. 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. Put the restraint on the seat.
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5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into
the retractor while you push down on the child
restraint. If you’re using a forward-facing child
restraint, you may find 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 a
Center Rear Seat Position
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)
on page 1-6 1.
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Second Row
The center seat position in the second row has a
lap-shoulder belt which works the same way as the
safety belt in the rear outside seat positions. For
instructions on how to secure a child restraint using a
lap-shoulder belt see Securing a Child Restraint in
a Rear Outside Seat Position on page
1-63.
Third Row
The center seat position in the third row has a lap belr.
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.
See Top Strap on page
1-57 if the child restraint
has one.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
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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. T3 tighten the belt, pull its free end whi!e you push
down on the child restraint. If you’re using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find 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. It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.
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Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. A rear
seat is a safer place
to secure a forward-facing child
restraint. Unless your vehicle has the passenger sensing
system, never put a rear-facing child restraint in this
seat. Here’s why:
A vnnnnu nn a rear-facing child restraint Call be
seriously injured or killed
if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inflating air bag.
Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat unless the air bag
is off.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing system and
you need
to secure a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger’s seat, the passenger’s air bag
must be
off. See Passenger Sensing System on
page
7-87 and Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on
page
3-32 for more information on this including
important safety information.
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A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger’s air bag inflates. This
is because
the back of the rear facing child restraint
would be very close
to the inflating air bag.
Be sure the air bag is
off before using a
rear-facing child restraint
in the right front seat
position.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn
off the passenger’s frontal air
bag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even
though
it is turned off. General Motors
therefore recommends that rear-facing child restraints be secured in the rear seat whenever
possible, even
if the air bag is off.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See Top Strap on
page
1-57 if the child restraint has one. 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. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a child restraint,
if you need
to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right
front seat position. See
Power Seats on page 1-3.
If your vehicle has the passenger sensing
system and you are using a rear-facing child
restraint in this seat, make sure the frontal air bag
is
off. See Passenger Sensing System on
page
1-8 1.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger’s frontal air bag, the off
indicator on the inside rearview mirror will light and
stay lit when you turn the ignition to RUN or
START.
2. Put the 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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