belt Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1996 s Service Manual

1 7
7. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into
the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure.
I
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a chi.ld should sit next to a
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. window so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
1
1-48

seat position, the one that has only a lap belt.
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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 arouna 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 on$ 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.)
Replac’ing Restraint System Parts
After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothng 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 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.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.

Door Locks
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and
fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open
it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be
far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your door key or Remote Lock
Control transmitter, if your vehicle has this option.
On two-door models, the door lock will light up for about
15 seconds if you pull the door handle. The light can help
you find where to put your key when it’s dark outside. From
the inside, push the lever down to lock the door.
To unlock, push the lever up.
Power Door Locks
Press the power door lock switch to lock or unlock
all doors.
On four-door models, the rear doors do not have power
door lock switches. The lever on each rear door works
only that door’s lock. It won’t lock or unlock
all the doors.
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Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle. When
one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you
are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds
to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay
on until the driver’s belt
is buckled.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which. shows AIR BAG or the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes the air bag sensors,
the air bag modules, the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more information on
the air
! bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to RUN or START. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays
on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Charging ‘System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, as
a check to show you it’s
working. Then it should
go out.
.If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving,
you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose drive belt or another
electrical problem. 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.

Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer. If you notice a reduction
in sound quality,
try a known good .cassette to see if the
tape or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette
has no improvement in sound quality, clean the
tape player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub.
the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning. Insert
the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough
cleaning.
A scrubbing action cleaning cassette is
available through your Oldsmobile retailer. You may
also choose a.non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject. It may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing
type cleaner.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure that the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.

I Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different
kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve
also included many other useful tips on driving.
Defensive 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.
4-1

. 5. . ' Ari emergency like this reqtiires dose: 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, shier quickly, and
' .I. - just , as quickly spaighten'the wheel once you have !
4.- I avoidec€,the object.
, . The fact that such emergency situations are always
.I
., (possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving 'at
''L ' all times and wear safety belts prpperly. .- ..- .
! "
If the level of the shoulder. is only slightly below the . '
pavement, recovery shbuld be f&ly easy. Ease off the. '.
acceierator and theb, 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 one-quarter turn until the
right hnt
tire. contacts the pavement edge.' Then turn your
steerhg wheel to go straight down the .. roadway.
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