Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1996 s Owner's Guide

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. The
air bag supplements 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 the
air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anydung 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 the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in
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 part of the bag that comes
into contact with you may be warm, but it will never be
too hot
to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor will 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.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger’s air bag.
The 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.
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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.
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 retailer
for service.
I NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they 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 covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Oldsmobile
Air bags affect how your Oldsmobile should be serviced.
There are parts of the
air bag system in several places
around your vehcle.
You don’t want the system to inflate
while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Oldsmobile retailer and the Cutlass Supreme 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 seconds 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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!

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
- seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts. The
best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position,”
earlier in this section.
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.
,Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a bench seat, someone can sit in the
center position.
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When you sit in a center seating position, you have a lap To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
To make the belt the belt is snug.
safety belt, which has no retractor.
longer, tilt the latch plate and pull
it along the belt.
-
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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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
(2-Door
Models)
If you have a four-door model, see “Rear Seat Outside
Passenger Positions (4-DOOr Models).” later in
this section.
i
Lap-Shoulder Belt (2-Door Models)
The positions next to the windows 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.
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If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the latch 3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it. end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder
part.
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.

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
shduld 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.
1
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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Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions (4-Door Models)
U
If you have a two-door model, see “Rear Seat Outside
Passenger Positions (2-Door Models)” earlier in
this section.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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Lap-Shoulder Belt (4-Door Models)
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how
tn wear nne prnndy.
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.
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.
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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,
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