Oldsmobile Achieva 1995 s Owner's Guide

Automatic Lap-Shoulder Belt
This safety belt is called “automatic” because you don’t
have to buckle up when you get into your vehicle. And you
don’t have to unbuckle when you
get out.
Just get into your vehicle. Then close and lock the door.
Adjust the seat (to see
how, see “Seats” in the Index) so
you can sit up straight.

The lap belt should be worn as low on the hips as
possible.
In a crash, this applies force to the strong
pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the
lap belt.
If you slid under it, the belt would apply force
at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash.
It’s possible that
an automatic belt could keep you from
fully opening
a door. That can happen if the door was
slammed shut very hard. Just close the door all the way,
then slowly open it.
If that doesn’t fix it, then your
Oldsmobile needs service.

We hope you’ll always keep your automatic belt
buckled. However, you may need to unbuckle it in
an
emergency. To unbuckle the automatic belt, just push the
button
on the buckle.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
-
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
To reattach the automatic belt:
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
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What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection this way.
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@ What’s wrong with this?
6
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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What's wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be
worn over the shoulder at all times.
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I

@ What's wrong with this?
L
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
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Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
This part explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag.
Your Oldsmobile has an air bag for the driver.
Here
are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag
readiness light
on the
instrument panel,
which
shows AIR
BAG.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you
if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air
Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
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How the Air Bag System Works
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
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When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to
a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed
in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and
related hardware are all part of the air bag module
packed inside
the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel.
The air bag supplements the protection provided by
safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not
help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers
and rear and side impacts, primarily because an
occupant’s motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement
to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
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