CADILLAC ELDORADO 1998 10.G Workshop Manual

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I A CAUTION:
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child or infant restraint. The
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I CAUTION: (Continued) I
at only 25 mph (40 km/h), a 12-1b. (5.5 kg) baby
will suddenly become
a 240-lb. (110 kg) force on
your arms. The baby would be almost impossible
to hold.
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
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)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Child Restraints
Every time infants and young children ride in
vehicles, they should have protection provided by
appropriate restraints.
Q: What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints are available in four basic
types. When selecting
a child restraint, take into
consideration not
only the child’s weight and size.
but also whether
or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle
in which it will
be used.
An infant car bed
(A) is a special bed made for use
in a motor vehicle. It’s an infant restraint system
designed to restrain or position a child on a
continuous flat surface.
With an infant car bed,
make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the
center of the vehicle.
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A rear-facing infant restraint (B) positions an infant
to face the rear of the vehcle. Rear-facing infant
restraints are designed for infants of up to about
20 lbs. (9 kg) and about one year of age. This type of
restraint faces the rear so that the infant's head. neck
and body can have the
support they need in a crash.
Some &ant seats
come in two parts -- the base stays
secured
in the vehicle and the seat part is removable.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A forward-facing child restraint (C-E) positions a
child upright to face forward in the vehicle. These
forward-facing restraints are designed to help protect
children
who are from 20 to 40 Ibs. (9 to 18 kg) and
about
26 to 40 inches (66 to 102 cm) in height, or up
to around four years of age. One type, a convertible
restraint. is designed
to be used either as a rear-facing
infant seat or a forward-facing child seat.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children who are
abut 40 to 60 lbs. (18 to 27 kg) and about four to
eight years
of age. It's designed to improve the fit of
the vehicle's safety belt system. Booster seats with
shields use lap-only belts; however, booster seats
without
shields use lap-shoulder belts. Booster seats
can also help a child to see out the window.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint
is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is. it
will have a label saying that
it meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then follow the instructions for
the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in
a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint
to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will show
you how to do that. Both the owner’s
manual and
the child restraint instructions are important,
so if either one of these is not available, obtain a
replacement copy from the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that
you put your
child restraint in the rear seat. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here‘s why:
A CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates. This
is because the back of a
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating air bag. Always secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You may, however, secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat. Before you secure
a forward-facing child restraint, always move the
front passenger seat
as far back as it will go. Or,
secure the child restraint in the rear seat.
Wherever
you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in
mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around
in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint
in your vehicle -- even when no child is in it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Top Strap If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If
you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Cadillac dealer to put it in for you. If you
want to install an anchor yourself. your dealer can tell
you how to do it.
Canadian law requires that child restraints have a top
strap, and that the strap be anchored.
If your child restraint has a top strap,
your dealer can
obtain
a kit with anchor hardware and installation
instructions specifically designed for this vehicle. The
dealer can then install the anchor for you.
In Canada,
this work will be done for you free of charge. Or.
you
may install the anchor yourself using the instructions
provided
in the kit.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
n
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the
top strap if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to
follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child
in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s
safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you
how.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face
or neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
4. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on the child restraint. If you're using
a forward-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as
you tighten the belt.
directions to be sure it
is secure.
5. Push and pull the child restraint in different
To remove the child restraint. just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let
it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready
to work for an adult
or larger child passenger.
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