engine CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.G Workshop Manual
Page 51 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ‘I 
3. Be sure that  the belt is  not twisted and  it lies flat. 
The  elastic cord must  be under the belt and 
the 
guide  on top. 
4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as 
described in “Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions- 
earlier  in this section. Make sure that the shoulder 
belt crosses the shoulder. 
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the 
belt edges together 
so that  you can take them  out from 
the guides.  Slide the guide onto the storage clip. 
1-37   
Page 52 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Center  Passenger  Position 
(Bench  Seat) 
Lap Belt 
If your vehicle has  rear  bench  seats, someone  can  sit  in 
the  center  positions. 
I 
When you sit  in  a  center  seating  position,  you  have  a  lap 
safety  belt,  which  has  no  retractor. 
To make  the  belt 
longer,  tilt the latch  plate  and  pull 
it along  the  belt.   
Page 53 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buckle,  position  and release it the same  way as the  lap 
part 
of a lap-shoulder  belt. If the  belt  isn’t long enough, 
I see “Safety  Belt  Extender” at  the end of this section. 
Make sure  the  release  button 
on the buckle  is  positioned 
so you would  be  able to unbuckle  the  safety  belt  quickly 
if 
you ever  had  to. 
Children 
Everyone in a vehicle  needs  protection! That includes 
1 infants  and  all  children smaller  than adult size.  Neither 
the  distance  traveled  nor  the  age and  size  of  the  traveler 
changes 
the need,  for everyone,  to  use  safety  restraints. 
In  fact, 
the law  in  every state in the United  States and  in 
every  Canadian  province says children  up to some  age 
must  be  restrained  while  in  a vehicle. 
To make the belt  shorter,  pull  its  free end as shown until 
the  belt is snug. 
1-39   
Page 54 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Smaller Children and Babies 
(Except Cargo Vans) 
A CAUTION: 
Children  who are  up  against,  or  very close to,  any 
air  bag  when it  inflates  can  be  seriously  injured 
or killed.  This  is  true even  if your  vehicle  has 
reduced-force  frontal 
air bags.  Air  bags  plus 
lap-shoulder  belts  offer  the  best  protection  for  adults,  but  not  for  young  children  and  infants. 
Neither  the  vehicle’s safety  belt  system  nor  its  air 
bag  system 
is designed  for  them. Young  children 
and  infants  need the  protection  that  a  child 
restraint  system can provide.  Always secure 
children  properly  in  your  vehicle. 
-- 
Smaller  children  and  baL-3  should  always  be 
restrained  in  a  child  or  infant  restraint.  The 
CAUTION:  (Continued) 
1 
CAUTION:  (Continued) 
instructions 
for the  restraint  will say whether  it 
is  the  right  type  and  size for  your  child. 
A very 
young  child’s  hip bones  are 
so small  that  a 
regular  belt  might  not  stay  low on  the  hips,  as  it 
should.  Instead,  the  belt  will likely  be  over  the 
child’s  abdomen.  In 
a crash,  the  belt  would apply 
force  right  on the  child’s  abdomen,  which  could 
cause  serious  or  fatal  injuries. 
So, be  sure  that 
any  child  small  enough  for  one  is  always  properly 
restrained  in  a  child  or  infant  restraint. 
Infants  need  complete  support,  including  support  for  the 
head  and  neck.  This 
is necessary  because  an  infant’s  neck 
is  weak  and  its  head  weighs 
so much  compared  with  the 
rest  of 
its body.  In  a  crash,  an  infant  in  a  rear-facing 
restraint  settles  into  the  restraint, 
so the  crash  forces  can 
be  distributed  across  the  strongest  part  of  the  infant’s 
body,  the  back  and  shoulders. 
A baby  should  be  secured 
in 
an appropriate  infant  restraint.  This is  so important  that 
many  hospitals  today  won’t  release  a  newborn  infant 
to 
its  parents  unless  there  is  an  infant  restraint  available  for 
the  baby’s  first  trip  in 
a motor  vehicle. 
1-40   
Page 55 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1 A CAUTION: 
Never  hold a baby  in  your  arms while riding  in  a 
vehicle. 
A baby  doesn’t  weigh much -- until  a 
crash.  During 
a crash  a  baby  will become so 
heavy  you can’t  hold  it. For  example,  in a crash 
CAUTION:  (Continued)  CAUTION:  (Continued) 
at  only 
25 mph  (40 km/h), a 12-1b. (5.5 kg) baby 
will  suddenly  become  a  240-1b. 
(110 kg) force  on 
your  arms.  The  baby  would  be almost  impossible 
to  hold. 
Secure  the  baby  in  an  infant  restraint. 
1-41   
Page 56 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Smaller  Children  and  Babies  (Cargo  Vans) 
Children who are  up  against,  or  very  close to, any 
air  bag  when it  inflates  can  be  seriously  injured 
or  killed.  This is true  even 
if your  vehicle  has 
reduced-force  frontal  air  bags. Air  bags  plus 
lap-shoulder  belts  offer  the  best  protection  for 
adults,  but  not for  young  children  and  infants. 
Neither  the  vehicle’s safety  belt  system  nor  its  air 
bag  system  is designed  for  them.  Young children 
and  infants  need  the  protection  that  a  child 
restraint  system can provide.  Always secure 
children  properly  in  your  vehicle. 
-- 
I A CAUTION: 
A very  young child’s hip  bones  are so small that a 
regular  belt  might  not  stay  low on  the  hips, 
as it 
should.  Instead,  the  belt  will likely  be  over  the 
child’s  abdomen.  In  a  crash,  the  belt  would apply 
force  right  on  the  child’s abdomen,  which  could 
cause  serious  or  fatal  injuries.  Smaller  children 
and  babies  should  always  be  restrained  in  a  child 
restraint.  However,  infants, who should  be 
restrained  in  a  rear-facing  child  restraint,  cannot 
ride  safely  in  this  vehicle.  The  instructions  for  the 
restraint  will say whether 
it is the  right  type  and 
size  for  your  child. 
If a  forward-facing  child 
restraint  is suitable  for  your  child,  be  sure  the 
child  is always  properly  restrained  while riding  in 
this  vehicle.   
Page 57 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION: 
Never  hold a baby  in  your  arms while riding  in  a 
vehicle. 
A baby  doesn't  weigh much -- until a 
crash.  During a crash  a  baby  will become so 
heavy  you can't  hold it. For  example,  in  a  crash 
at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a  12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby 
will  suddenly  become 
a 240-1b.  (110 kg) force  on 
your  arms.  The  baby  would be almost  impossible 
to hold. 
1-43   
Page 58 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Built-in  Child  Restraint  (Option) 
e 
If  your  vehicle  has  this  option,  there’s  a  built-in  child 
restraint  at each outboard  position  of  the second row 
bench  seat. 
This  child  restraint  system conforms 
to all applicable 
Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standards.  Each 
child  restraint  is designed  for use only  by  children 
who  weigh  between  22 and 
60 pounds (10 and 27 kg) 
and  whose  height  is  between  33.5  and 
5 1 inches 
(850  and 
1 295 mm) and who are capable of sitting 
upright  alone. 
The  child  should 
also be  at  least one year old. It is 
important to  use  a  rear-facing  infant restraint  until  the 
child  is  about  a  year  old.  A rear-facing  restraint  gives 
the  infant’s  head,  neck  and body  the support  they  would 
need  in 
a crash.  See “Child  Restraints”  later  in this 
section  for more  information. 
@ What  if  the  top of my child’s  shoulders  is above 
the  shoulder  belt  slots  for the  five-point  child 
restraint  harness  system? 
A: A child  whose  shoulders are above  the shoulder 
belt  slots  for the  five-point  child restraint  harness 
system  shouldn’t  use  the harness.  Instead,  the  child 
should  sit 
on the  vehicle’s  regular  seat  cushion  and 
use the  vehicle’s  adult  safety  belts. 
1-44   
Page 59 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BEFORE YOU USE THIS  CHILD  RESTRAINT, 
BE  SURE  THE  TOP  OF  THE  CHILD’S 
SHOULDERS  IS  BELOW  THE  SLOTS  THAT 
THE  HARNESS  GOES  THROUGH.  IF 
A 
CHILD  WHOSE  SHOULDERS  ARE  ABOVE 
THOSE  SLOTS  USES THIS  CHILD 
RESTRAINT,  THE  CHILD  COULD  BE 
IN JURED  DURING A SUDDEN STOP  OR 
CRASH.  IF  THE  TOP  OF  THE  CHILD’S 
SHOULDERS  IS  ABOVE THE  SLOTS,  DON’T 
USE  THIS  CHILD  RESTRAINT  WHILE  THE 
VEHICLE  IS 
IN MOTION. 
Securing  a  Child in  the  Built-in 
Child  Restraint 
1. Lower  the  child  restraint  cushion. 
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Page 60 of 414
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You’ll be using  the child  restraint’s  hg-ness (A) 
to  secure  your child. Don’t use  the vehicle’s 
safety  belts. 
I 
Using  the vehicle’s  regular  safety  belts  on  a  child 
seated  on  the  child  restraint  cushion  can  cause 
serious  injury  to  the  child  in  a  sudden  stop  or 
crash. 
If a  child  is the  proper  size for  the  built-in 
child  restraint,  secure  the  child  using  the  child  restraint’s  harness,  But  children  who are too 
large  for  the  built-in  child  restraint  should 
sit on 
the  vehicle’s  regular  seat  and  use the  regular 
safety  belts. 
WARNING!  FAILURE  TO FOLLOW  THE 
MANUFACTURER’S  INSTRUCTIONS  ON THE 
USE 
OF THIS  CHILD  RESTRAINT  SYSTEM 
CAN  RESULT  IN YOUR  CHILD  STRIKING  THE 
VEHICLE’S  INTERIOR  DURING  A  SUDDEN 
BELTS  PROVIDED  WITH  THIS CHILD 
RESTRAINT  AROUND  YOUR  CHILD. 
STOP 
OR  CRASH.  SNUGLY  ADJUST  THE 
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