CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN 2000 2.G Owner's Manual

1-9
Removing the Rear Seats
To remove the rear seats, do the following:
1. If you are removing the
center seat, remove the
right lap
-shoulder belt.
To do this, press the tip
of a key into the release
hole of the safety belt
attachment while pulling
up on the safety belt.
2. If you have a safety belt
guide on your seat,
pull the safety belt all
the way out through
the guide.
3. To store the safety belt while the second row seat is
removed, pull the belt out and put both buckles in the
passenger's side rear storage bin.
Route the belt out of the forward edge of the storage
bin. Close the cover to retain the belt.
4. Pull up on the seatback latch on the right rear of the
seat. Push the seatback down until it locks in place
(non
-touring bench seats only).

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5. Lift up on the left and the right seat release levers at
the same time. The latches are near the floor on the
rear legs of the seat.6. Lift up on the rear of the seat to remove the seat
assembly from the rear latch pins. Then, pull back
and lift the seat out of the vehicle.
Your seat release latch lever is sprung with a
two
-stage mechanism. To fully release the latch, two
levels of lift effort will be required. First, a low effort
to overcome the first stage and then a moderate
effort to fully release the latch.

1-11
Replacing the Rear Seats

Lower the seat into position. Make sure the front
retainers are hooked onto the anchor pins.

Pull the seat down to latch the rear retainers. Make
sure the seat is locked in by pulling up and down on
the seat.
CAUTION:
A seat that isn't locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.

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To raise the seatback on vehicles equipped with the
non
-touring seat:
A. Unlock the seatback latch by pushing up on the
latch release lever at the right rear of the seat,
while pushing down on the upper edge of
the seatback.
B. Move the seatback into the upright position.
C. Make sure the seatback is locked when it is back
in the upright position.
If you are replacing the center seat, connect the right
lap
-shoulder belt to the attachment on the seat
cushion. If you have a safety belt guide on your seat,
pull the belt through the guide before reattaching the
lap
-shoulder belt to the side of the seat. The release
hole should be facing outward.
If you installed the safety belt with the release hole
facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic
cover up so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the
seat belt. Slide the cover back down and reinstall the
belt correctly.
CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won't provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person wearing
the belt could be seriously injured. After
installing the seat, always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.

1-13
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.

1-14
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat
on wheels.

1-15
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.

1-16
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...or the instrument panel ...

1-17
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be
in most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts
-- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.

1-18
Q:If I'm a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you're in an
accident
-- even one that isn't your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn't protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different rules
for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see the part of this manual
called ªChildren.º Follow those rules for
everyone's protection.
First, you'll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We'll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here's how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see ªSeatsº in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.