belt CHEVROLET ASTRO 1996 Owner's Manual

Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
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.
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service.
0 Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle 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
GM dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To
purchase a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications”
in the Index.
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.
.
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Adding Equipment to Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
@ If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the
front
of my vehicle, will it keep the air bags
from working properly?
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is
attached
to your vehicle so that the vehicle’s basic
structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep the
air bags from working properly in a crash.
Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the air bags from
working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or
height, they may keep the air bag system from working properly. Also, the air bag system may not
work properly if
you relocate any of the air bag
sensors. If you have any question about this,
you
should contact Customer Assistance before you
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.
modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two
of the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure”
in the Index.)
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mQther. 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 lap belt
is pulled out all the way, it will lock.
If
it does, let it go back all the way and start again.
Rear Seat Passengers
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt’
1 I It’s important for rear seat .passengers to buckle These positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here’s‘how to
; Accident statistics show that unbeited people in the rear wear one properly,
i seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are
wearing safety. belts.
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.
..
1. .I :, ..
..
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1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t
let it get twisted. 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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i
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
. likelyto 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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I A CAUTION:
t -
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose. In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should
fit against your body.
c
..
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
Center Passenger Position
(Bench Seat)
I Lap Belt
If your vehicle has rear bench seats, someone can sit in
the center positions.
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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.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt
is snug.
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 Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. This feature will provide added safety belt
comfort for children who have outgrown child restraints
and for small adults. When installed on a shoulder belt,
the comfort guide pulls the belt away from the neck and
head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position in
the rear seats. To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed on
the shoulder belts. Here's how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the side of
the seatback.
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I
2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under
the belt. Then, place the guide
over the belt, and insert the two edges
of the belt into
the slots
of the guide.
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.
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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, just perform
these steps in reverse order. Squeeze the belt edges
together
so that you can take them out from the guides.
Slide the guide onto the clip. Rotate the guide and clip
inward along the side of the seatback, leaving only the
loop of elastic cord exposed.
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! That includes
infants and
all children smaller than adult size. 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.
Smaller Children and Babies
(Exce: A Cargo Vans)
I--
Smaller children and babies should vays 1
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.
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