Pontiac 2002 Montana User manual

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2002 Pontiac Montana
Owner’s Manual
Litho in U.S.A. E Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/22/01
Part Number 10315371 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name
MONTANA are registered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division whenever it
appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will
be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road.
If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the new owner can use it.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

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How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you
do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t
let this happen.”

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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different
colors or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle may be equipped with components and
labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols,
used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
D “Engine Compartment Overview”
D “Instrument Panel”
D “Comfort Controls”
D “Audio Systems”
Also see “Warning Lights and Gages” in the Index.

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These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:

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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Seat Controls
1-6 Rear Seats
1-28 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
1-33 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts -- and the Answers
1-34 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
1-34 Driver Position
1-42 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1-43 Right Front Passenger Position
1-43 Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS)
1-52 Safety Belt Pretensioners
1-52 Rear Seat Passengers
1-56 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults
1-58 Center Passenger Position (Bench Seat)
1-60 Center Passenger Position (Bucket Seat)
1-61 Children
1-65 Built-in Child Restraint (Option)
1-76 Restraint Systems for Children
1-95 Older Children
1-99 Safety Belt Extender
1-99 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1-100 Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash

1-2
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to
adjust them, take them out, put them back in, fold
and unfold them.
Driver’s Four-Way Manual Seat
Use the lever located on
the front left side of the
seat to adjust the seat
forward or rearward.
Pull up the lever to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to
where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
To raise the seat, pull up
on the lever located on the
front right side of the seat.
To lower the seat, push the lever down. Adjust the seat
and release the lever.
CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.

1-3
Manual Front Passenger’s Seat
To move the seat, pull up
the lever located on the
front of the seat to unlock it.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
Six-Way Power Seat (Option)
If your vehicle has this
option, the six-way power
seat control is located on
the outboard side of both
the driver’s and the front
passenger’s seats.
D Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
D Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the
rear portion of the cushion up or down.
D Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
D To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control forward or rearward.

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Heated Front Seats (Option)
If your vehicle has this
option, the heated seat
switches are located in the
instrument panel switchbank.
This feature will quickly heat the lower cushions and
lower back of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats
for added comfort.
The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right
switch is for the front passenger’s seat. Press the bottom
of the switch to turn the heater on. The indicator light on
the switch will glow. Press the top of the switch to turn
the heater off. The heated seat switch will turn off when
the ignition is turned to OFF and will resume operation
when the ignition is turned to RUN, unless the switch is
manually turned off.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
All front seats recline.
To adjust the seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard sides of both the driver’s and the front
passenger’s seats. It is easier to recline the seat if you
lean forward, taking your weight off the seatback.

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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

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Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces
the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The front seat head restraints in your vehicle are
adjustable. Slide the restraint up or down to adjust it.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be
adjustable. They work the same as the front seat
head restraints.
Rear Seats
Seat Controls
The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps
used to adjust, remove and reinstall the seats. By using
the levers and straps, in the correct order, you can easily
remove the seats from your vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be sure to
follow the label on the back of the seat for proper location.
Second Row Safety Belt Stowage
If your vehicle has a split bench seat in the second row,
use the clip on the safety belt to secure the belt after it is
disconnected from the mini-buckle. When removing the
second row split bench seat, secure the loose end of the
safety belt in this clip. This will keep the safety belt
from dangling and possibly striking something.
Do not have the second row outside safety belt stored if
someone is sitting in the second row outside position.

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Flip and Fold Feature
The rear seats in your vehicle can be folded forward.
Use this feature for exiting and entering third row seats.
1. If the seats have the adjustable head restraints,
push them fully down.
2. Fold the seatback flat on the seat, by either pulling
on the nylon strap on the rear of the seat or lifting
up on the lever located on the front of the seatback.
If the seat adjusts forward, slide it all the way back.
3. Release the rear set of hooks from the floor pins by
pulling the nylon strap located at the base of the seat;
hang on to the strap as the seat folds forward.
To return the seat(s) to the normal position,
do the following:
1. Push the seat back and firmly push the rear hooks
onto the rear floor pins by pushing down on the rear
of the seat.
2. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat and raise the seatback until it
locks upright.
4. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it
is locked.

1-8
Split Bench Seats (If Equipped)
If you have the split bench seat (50/50 or 40/60), the
seatbacks can be folded forward or reclined individually
and the seats can be removed individually. The second
row (40/60) sections can also be adjusted forward or
rearward individually.
The second row (40/60) split bench may be equipped
with a built-in child restraint. See “Built-In Child
Restraint” in the Index.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
The seatbacks on each section of the split bench seat
can be either folded forward or reclined. The following
explains how to use the nylon strap to fold or recline
the seatbacks.
To fold the seatback
forward, pull this nylon
strap located on the rear
of the seat. The seatback
will lock into place.
To raise a seatback, pull the nylon strap while raising
the seatback until it locks upright. Push and pull on the
seatback to check that it is locked into place.
To recline the seatback, pull the nylon strap. Press back
on the seatback until you reach the desired position then
let go of the nylon strap.
To return the seatback to an upright position, pull on
the nylon strap without putting any pressure on the
seatback. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it
is locked into place.

1-9
The following explains how to use the recliner lever to
fold or recline the seatbacks.
To fold the seatback
forward, lift up on the
recliner lever located on
the front of the seatback.
The seatback will lock
into place.
To raise a seatback, lift the recliner lever while raising
the seatback until it locks upright. Push and pull on
the seatback to check that it is locked into place.
To recline the seatback, lift the recliner lever. Press back
on the seatback until you reach the desired position then
let go of the recliner lever.
To return the seatback to an upright position, lift the
recliner lever without putting any pressure on the
seatback. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure
it is locked into place.
Adjusting the Split Bench Seats (Second Row)
The second row bench seats are adjustable. There are
two adjustment levers on each section of the split bench
seats to adjust the seat forward or rearward.
One is located below the center, in the front of each
section of the split bench.

1-10
The other lever is located
on the rear of the seat.
Lift up either lever and slide the seat forward or rearward.
Release the lever. Push and pull on the seat to make sure
it is locked into place.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position.
1. For the second row split bench, with the seatback in
the upright position, unhook the side attachment for
the safety belt. This mini-buckle is located on the
right side of the seat.
2. Push the red center
of the buckle up
with a small pointed
object -- like a key or
a pen -- to remove the
seat belt, if needed.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat to fold the seatback forward.
4. If the seat is in the second row, slide it all the way
back by lifting one of the adjustment levers and
sliding the seat fully rearward.

1-11
5. From behind the bench seat, pull the nylon strap at
the center of the base of the seat to release the rear
latches from the floor pins.
Do not let go of the strap until the seat is folded all
the way forward.
6. To unlatch the front latches, squeeze the angled bar
toward the straight crossbar.
7. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly forward, then
toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.

1-12
Replacing the Split Bench Sections
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.
CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After installing the seat, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and are not twisted.
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position and the
safety belts are on the correct section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so they face
rearward because they won’t latch that way. If you want
more storage room behind the second row seat, adjust
each section by sliding it forward.
The split bench seats have seat position labels, located
on the back of each seat, showing where the seat must
go. Follow that diagram.

1-13
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
Make sure the seat is in the full rear position before
beginning this procedure.
1. Squeeze the angled bar toward the solid crossbar
while placing the front hooks of the bench seat onto
the front two floor pins.
2. Make sure the
bench seat is
angled so that the
front hooks clear
the floor pins.
If the front legs are not attached correctly, the rear
legs will not attach to the rear set of floor pins.

1-14
If the front latches are not attaching correctly, check
that the seat is in the full rear position.
3. Firmly push the rear hooks onto the rear floor pins
by pushing down on the rear of the seat.
4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat and raise the seatback until it
locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it
is locked.
7. If you have the 40/60 seat, attach the mini-buckle so
that the safety belt is ready for use when a passenger
uses the seat.
The buckle reattaches by pushing the latch into the
buckle until the red center pops out again.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.
Bucket Seats (If Equipped)
If you have the rear bucket seats, the seatbacks can be
folded down or reclined. The seats can also be adjusted
forward or rearward and removed.