Chevrolet Equinox Owners Manual: Lap-Shoulder Belt

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

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.

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.

Engaging the child restraint locking feature in the front outboard seating position may affect the passenger sensing system. See Passenger Sensing System.

If the webbing locks in the latch plate before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch plate flat to unlock.

3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

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

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

4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

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

Always stow the seat belt slowly.

If the seat belt webbing returns quickly to the stowed position, the retractor may lock and cannot be pulled out. If this happens, pull the seat belt straight out firmly to unlock the webbing, and then release it.

If the webbing is still locked in the retractor, see your dealer.

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

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. Seat belt pretensioners can also help tighten the seat belts in a side crash or 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.

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.

This vehicle will have rear seat belt comfort guides in the rear outboard seating positions.

To install:

1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the side of the seatback.

2. Place the guide over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.

3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat. The elastic cord must be behind the belt with the plastic guide on the front.

4. Buckle, position, and release the seat belt as described previously in this section. Make sure the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder. The belt should be close to, but not contacting, the neck.

To remove and store the comfort guide, squeeze the belt edges together so that the seat belt can be removed from the guide. Slide the guide back into its storage pocket on the side of the seatback.