PONTIAC TORRENT 2009 Workshop Manual

A. Passenger’s Side Rear Seat Lower Anchors
B. Center Rear Seat Lower Anchors
C. Driver’s Side Rear Seat Lower Anchors
Make sure to attach the child restraint at the proper
anchor location.
This system is designed to make installation of child
restraints easier. When using lower anchors, do not use
the vehicle’s safety belts. Instead use the vehicle’sanchors and child restraint attachments to secure the
restraints. Some restraints also use another vehicle
anchor to secure a top tether.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on
the child restraint to the lower anchors.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the
top tether to the top tether anchor, if equipped.
Refer to the child restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. You may need to adjust the rear
compartment storage panel/cover in
the rear cargo area to access the anchors.
SeeRear Compartment Storage Panel/
Cover on page 2-44.
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2.3. Route, attach and tighten the top tether
according to your child restraint instructions
and the following instructions:
If the position you are using
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
route the tether over the
seatback.
If the position you are using
does not have a headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether over the
seatback.If the position you are using
has an adjustable headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether,
route the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.
If the position you are using
has an adjustable headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a single tether,
raise the headrest or head
restraint and route the
tether under the headrest
or head restraint and in
between the headrest or
head restraint posts.
3. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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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, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42
for 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, seeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42for 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 readWhere to Put the
Restraint on page 1-40.
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.
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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.4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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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. When installing a forward-facing
child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.6. If the child restraint has a top tether, follow the
child restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding
the use of the top tether. SeeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42
for more information.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.
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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 1-40.
In addition, the vehicle has a passenger sensing system
which is designed to turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag under certain conditions. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-63andPassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-29for 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.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to
the inating airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inates 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.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-63for
additional information.
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If your child restraint has the LATCH system, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42
for 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, seeLower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42for 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’s frontal airbag, the off
indicator on the passenger airbag status indicator
should light and stay lit when you start the vehicle.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 3-29.2. 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.
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5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.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. When installing a forward-facing
child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.
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7. If the vehicle does not have a rear seat and your
child restraint has a top tether, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding the
use of the top tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-42for
more information.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
If the airbag is 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”
underPassenger Sensing System on page 1-63for more
information.
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.Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
Your vehicle may have the following airbags:
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 that
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 roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear along
the headliner or trim.
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Even if you do not have a right front passenger seat in
your vehicle there is still an active frontal airbag in the
right side of the instrument panel. Do not place cargo in
front of this airbag.
{CAUTION:
Be sure that cargo is not near an airbag. In a
crash, an inating airbag might force that object
toward a person. This could cause severe injury
or even death. Secure objects away from the
area in which an airbag would inate. For more
information, seeWhere Are the Airbags? on
page 1-58andLoading the Vehicle on page 4-20.
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 inating bag, all airbags must inate
very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
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 1-60.
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.
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