CHEVROLET ASTRO 1997 2.G Service Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 questions about this, you
should contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are
in Step Two
of the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure” in
the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people
in the rear
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.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
These positions have lap-shoulder belts, Here’s how to
wear one properly.
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.
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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. 3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Center Passenger Position
(Bench Seat)
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has rear bench seats, someone can sit in
the center positions.
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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.
I
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
(Except Cargo Vans)
r-
I
Smaller children and babies si dd 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
1 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
i restrained in a child or infant restraint.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - --
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) at
only 25 mph
(40 kmk), a 12-1b. (5.5 kg) baby
will suddenly become a 2404b. (110 kg) force on
your arms. The baby would be almost impossible
to hold.
Secure the baby in an infant restraint.
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