BUICK REGAL 1995 Owner's Guide

A
A ,CAUTION:
Qoq
‘l’here is an air bag readiness
light
on the instrummt
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 lndex
for more information.
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How the Air Bag System Works
P
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel. The right front passenger’s air bag
is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
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I
I A CAUTION:
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 modules
packed inside
the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel
in front of the right front passenger.
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How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants
can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. 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.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module
in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, will
be
hot for a short time, but the part of the bag that comes
into contact with you
will not be hot to the touch. There
will be some smoke and dust coming from vents
in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation will not prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor will
it stop people from leaving the vehicle. In
many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate,
you’ll need some new parts for your air
bag system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you
in another crash.
A
new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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a
a
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module,
which records information about the air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of the system, when the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your
air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for
service.
I NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly.
You may have to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Buick
Air bags affect how your Buick should be serviced.
There
are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system
to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Buick dealer and the 1995 Regal Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system.
To purchase a service manual, see “Service
Publications” in the Index.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
I I
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible
throughout the pregnancy. The best
way to protect the fetus
is to protect the
mother. When
a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t
be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position,”
earlier
in this section.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will
lock. If
it does, let it go back all the way and start again,
Center Passenger Position
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Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a bench seat, someone can sit in the
center position.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt is snug.
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. Buckle,
position and release it the same way
as the lap
part
of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn’t long enough,
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.
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Rear Seat Passengers Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! (2-Door Models)
Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear
seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts. n
Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown
out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
U
If you have a four-door model, see “Rear Seat Outside
Passenger Positions (4-DOOr Models)” later in this
section.
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Lap-Shoulder Belt (2-Door Models)
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks. If
the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch
plate and keep pulling until
you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt
is not long enough, 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.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up
on the shoulder part.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. 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.
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