OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1996 Service Manual

Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. Anchor brackets for the rear outside seat
positions are located on the
floor in the cargo area. Don’t
use the front set
of tie-down brackets. Anchor the
top strap to the rearmost bracket on the same side of the
vehicle as the child restraint.
Once you have the top strap anchored,
you’ll be ready to
secure the child restraint itself.
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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1.
2.
3.
Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
Secure
the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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 fixe or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
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5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure
it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let
it go back a11 the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for
an adult
or larger child passenger.
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Center Seat Position
Don’t use child restramts in these positions. The
restraints won’t work properly.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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
yo~l how.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
1-36
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4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint.
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.
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Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window
so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint
a shoulder belt can provide.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are.
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I Never do this..
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly.spread the impact forces.
In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
4 belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
What if a child is weai-ing
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 sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” in the Index. 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.
1-40
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Never do this.
Here
a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child. If the child wears the belt in this
way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
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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Safety Belt Extender
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
retailer 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.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep
a safety belt system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect
you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced.
(The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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