GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

All seating positions in the vehicle have a lap-shoulder belt.

If you are using a rear seating position with a detachable safety belt and the safety belt is not attached, see Rear Seat Operation for instruction on reconnecting the safety belt to the mini-buckle.

The following instructions explain how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.

  1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up straight. To see how, see "Seats" in the Index.
  2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.
  3. The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you more slowly.

    If the shoulder portion of a passenger belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint locking feature may be engaged. If this happens, let the belt go back all the way and start again.


    Object Number: 1416797  Size: B3
  4. If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling until it can be buckled.

  5. Object Number: 1378723  Size: B3
  6. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
  7. If the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, check if the correct buckle is being used.

    Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender.

    Position the release button on the buckle so that the safety belt could be quickly unbuckled if necessary.

  8. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it to the height that is right for you. See "Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment" later in this section for instructions on use and important safety information.

  9. Object Number: 1378907  Size: B3
  10. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.
  11. It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.


Object Number: 1378915  Size: B3

To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle. The belt should return to its stowed position.

Before a door is closed, be sure the belt is out of the way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt, damage can occur to both the safety belt and the vehicle.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster

The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the driver and right front passenger seating positions.

Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is centered on the shoulder. The belt should be away from the face and neck, but not falling off the shoulder. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.


Object Number: 1227079  Size: A2

To move it down, press the release button (A) and move the height adjuster to the desired position.

After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to move it down without pressing the release button to make sure it has locked into position.

Safety Belt Pretensioners

This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front outboard occupants. Although the safety belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions for pretensioner activation are met.

Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and probably other new parts for the vehicle's safety belt system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash.