belt OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1994 Owner's Manual

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3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the
lap and shoulder portions of the
vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show you
how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front
of the child’s face or neck, put it
behind the child restraint.
release button is positioned
so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety
belt quickly
if you ever had to.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the
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5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock. 6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt
back into the retractor while you
push down on the child restraint.
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Seats & Restraint Systems
7. Push and pull the child restraint in
different directions to be sure it
is
secure. Adjust the bucket seat
forward until the lap portion of the
safety belt holds the restraint firmly.
But don't move it any more than
needed to tighten the lap belt.
To remove the child restraint, just
unbuckle the vehicle's safety belt and
let it go back all the way.
The safety belt will move freely again
and be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child
restraints should wear the vehicle's
safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should si1
next to a window
so the child can wear
a lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder belt can
provide.
Children who aren't buckled up can
Children who aren't buckled up can
be
thrown out in a crash.
strike other people who are.
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Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-
shoulder belt, but the child is so
small that the shoulder belt is very
close to the child’s face or neck?
A Move the child toward the center of
the vehicle, but be sure that the
shoulder belt still
is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the
child’s upper body would have the
restraint that belts provide.
If the
child is
so small that the shoulder
belt is still very close to the child’s
face or neck,
you might want to
place the child
in a seat that has a
lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion
of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching the child’s
thighs. This applies belt force to the
child’s pelvic bones
in a crash.
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Seats & Restraint Systems
34
I Safety Belt Edender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to
fasten, your dealer will order
you an
extender. It’s free. When you
go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will
wear,
so the extender will be long
enough for you. The extender will be
just for you, and just for the seat in your
vehicle that you choose. Don’t let
someone else use
it, and use it only for
the seat it is made to fit.
To wear it, just
attach it to the regular safety belt.
I Checking Your Restraint
Systems
Now and then, make sure all your belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors,
anchorages and reminder systems are
working properly. Look for any loose
parts
or damage. If you see anything
that might keep a restraint system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
I Replacing Safety Belts A#er
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new
belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing
may be necessary. But if the belts were
stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you
need new belts.
If you ever see a label on a right front
safety belt that says to replace the belt,
be sure to
do so. Then the new belt will
be there to help protect you in an
accident.
You would see this label on
the belt near the door opening. If
belts are cut or damaged, replace
them. Collision damage also may mean
you will need
to have safety belt or seat
parts repaired or replaced. New parts
and repairs may be necessary even if the
belt wasn’t being used at the time of the
collision.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is torn.
Torn or frayed belts may not protect
you in a crash. They can rip apart undel
impact forces. If a belt is torn or frayed,
get
a new one right away. Before replacing
any safety belt, see
your dealer for the correct part number.
You’ll need the model year and model
number for your vehicle. The model
year is on your title and registration.
And you can find the model number on
the CertificatiodTire label of your
vehicle. See
Certification/Tire Label in
the
Index.
The model number on the replacement
belt must be listed on the safety belt you
want
to replace. Pull the shoulder belt
all the way out to see this label.
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The oil light could also flash on in three
other situations:
. When the ignition is on (in the Run
position) but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a
test to show you it is working, but the
light will
go out when you turn the
ignition to
Start. If it doesn't come on
with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the fuse. Have it fixed
right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling
at a stop, the light may flash on and
off. This is normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light may
come on for a moment. This is normal.
0-
A \
Voltmeter (ELEcmoNIc CLUSTER)
Your charging system gage will show
the rate of charge when the engine is
running. When the engine
is not
running but the ignition is on (in the
Run position), the display measures the
voltage output
of your battery, and will
flash until you turn the ignition to
Start.
The reading will change as the rate of
charge changes (with engine speed,
etc.), but readings between the warning
zones indicate the normal operating
range. Readings in either warning zone
indicate a possible problem with your
charging system. Have your Oldsmobile
serviced immediately. You
also have a warning light.
A box
around the battery symbol will flash
when the charging system needs
service.
If it comes on while you are driving, you
may have a loose belt or other problem
with the electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your
battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with
the light on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and
air conditioner.
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Features & Controls
90
CHECK
OAGES
Battery Light (STANDARD CLUSTER)
The battery light will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition as a
check to show you it is working. It
should go out once the engine
is
running. If it stays on, or comes on
while you are driving, you may have a
loose belt or other problem with the
electrical charging system. Have it
checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with
the light
on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and
air conditioner.
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CHECK
GAGES
Check Gages Ljght
(STANDARD CLUSTER)
This light will come on briefly when you
are starting the engine. If the light
comes on and stays on while you are
driving, check your various gages to see
if they are in the warning zones.
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Your Driving and the Road
106
Dejiensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with
a very important safety
device in your Oldsmobile: Buckle up. (See
Safety Belts in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other
drivers are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural
driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a national
tragedy. It’s the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands
of victims every year.
Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that almost half of
all motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol
- a driver, a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. About
20,000
motor vehicle-related deaths occur each
year because of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured. Just
how much alcohol is too much
if a
person plans to drive? Ideally,
no one
should drink alcohol and then drive.
But if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can be a lot less than many
might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some
general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol.
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Your Driving and the Road
112
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find
a truck stopped in your lane,
or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you.
You
can avoid these problems by braking -
if you can stop in time. But sometimes
you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the
time for evasive action
- steering
around the problem.
Your Oldsmobile can perform very well
in emergemies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as
much speed as
you can from a possible collision. Then
xeer around the
problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close
attention and
a quick decision. If you
are holding the steering wheel at the
recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions,
you can turn it a
full 180 degrees very
quickly without removing either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is
a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times
and wear safety belts properly.
, IOFF ROAD RECOVERY /
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle
straddles the edge of the pavement.
You
can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4
turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to
go straight down the
roadway.
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Your Driving and the Road
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change
lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your
signal when they are not, It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well. On
a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed
to around 45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more than
3,000 pounds (1 350 kg), it’s
best to drive in
D instead of Overdrive
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). This
will minimize heat build-up and extend
the life of your transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of
the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt,
cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual,
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