CHEVROLET BLAZER 1998 2.G Service Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A
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 though 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.
Neitherthe vehicle’s safety belt system nor
its air
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.
$1 There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air
bag symbol.
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
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.
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
14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 kdh). 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.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving’’
in the Index for more tips on off-road driving.
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.
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 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 your 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.
/A CAUTION:
For up to two 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 bf ii 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.
e.’’ 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.)
Center Front Passenger Position
(4-Door Models)
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit in
the center position.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you sit in the center front 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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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
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted. The shoulder belt may
lock if
you pull the belt across you very quickly. If this
happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it.
Then pull the belt across you more slowly.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it
will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I I I I
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.
The safety belt also locks if
you pull the belt very
quickly out of the retractor.
I
CAUTIi- N:
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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