engine CHEVROLET ASTRO 1998 2.G Service Manual

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1 CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
air
bags. The driver should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
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A CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, an
air bag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. This is true even if your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal
air bags. Air bags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer the best protection for
adults, but not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air
CAUTION: (Continued)
I CAUTION: (Continued)
bag system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that
a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle.
To read how,
see the part of this manual called “Children” and
see the caution labels on the sunvisors and the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
BAG
shows AIRBAG.
The system checks the air bag 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
I The right front passenger's air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
Where are the air bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between
an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering. And don’t hang anything from the
assist handle on the passenger’s side of the
instrument panel.
When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. 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
1 1 to 16 mph (1 8 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
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact
of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. Air bags supplement 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, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily
because
an occupant’s motion is not toward those air
bags. 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 an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize
the air bag
inflated. Some components
of the air bag module -- 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. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
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/A CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 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.
NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, the bag 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 coverings.
If your vehicle ever gets into a lot of water
-- such as
water up to the carpeting or higher
-- or if water enters
your vehicle and
soaks the carpet, the air bag controller
can be soaked and ruined. If this ever happens, and then
you start your vehicle, the damage could make the air
bags inflate, even if there’s no crash. You would have to
replace the air bags as well as the sensors and related
parts. If you vehicle is ever in a flood, or if it’s exposed
to water that
soaks the carpet, you can avoid needless
repair costs by turning off the vehicle immediately.
Don’t let anyone start the vehicle, even to tow it, unless
the battery cables are first disconnected.
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
dealer and the
GM 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.
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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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 y01- - Jd 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.)
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

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I‘ 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.
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1 A CAUTION:
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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.
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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:
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1. Remove the guide from its storage clip on the side of
the seatback.
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.