belt OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 Owner's Manual

Seats di Restraint Systems
38
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap belt. See the
:arlier section about the top strap
if the
:hild restraint has one.
I. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow
the instructions for the child
restraint.
as the instructions say.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint
3. Pull the lap belt all the way out
4. While holding it out, run the belt
without
stopping.
through or around the child restraint.
The child restraint instructions will
show you how.
5. 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.
i
ProCarManuals.com

6. To tighten the belt, feed it 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 all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to
work for an adult or larger child
passenger.
I
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.
39
ProCarManuals.com

Seats & Restraint Systems
40
Children who aren’t buckled up can
strike other people who are.
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.
ProCarManuals.com

I I
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.
I 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 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.
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 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.
41
ProCarManuals.com

Seats & Restraint Systems
42
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 under
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 Certification/Tire 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.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
132
I 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.
I 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.
ProCarManuals.com

What should you do if this ever
happens? Ease up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you
approach a curve, do it before you enter
the curve, while your front wheels are
straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can
“drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
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 emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes.
It is better to remove as
much speed
as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer 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.
139
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
156
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 choclts under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
P (Park).
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
Affer 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 transaxle fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each of
these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quicltly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
ProCarManuals.com

i TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new
tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when you.
tires have only
2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if:
You can see the indicators at three or
You can see cord or fabric showing
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
more places
around the tire.
through the tire’s rubber.
or snagged deep enough to show cord
or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because
of the size or location of the
damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires
you need, look at the Certification/Tire
label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when
it was new had a Tire Performance
Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When
you get new tires, get ones with that
same TPC Spec number. That way, your
vehicle will continue to have tires that
are designed to give proper endurance,
handling, speed rating, traction, ride
and other things during normal service
on your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-
season tread design, the TPC number
will be followed by
a “MS” (for mud
and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type
(bias, bias-belted or radial) as your
original tires. Iz
209
ProCarManuals.com

Service & Appearance Care
I If a stain remains, follow the foam-
type instructions described earlier.
If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit
or urine, treat the area with a
waterbaking soda solution:
1
teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1
cup (250 ml) of lukewarm water.
If needed, clean lightly with solvent-
type cleaner.
Combination Stains
Such as candy, ice cream, mayonnaise,
chili sauce and unknown stains.
9 Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
clean with cool water and allow to
dry.
solvent-type cleaner.
If a stain remains, clean it with
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warn1 water and a clean cloth.
Rub with a clean, damp cloth to
remove dirt.
You may have to do it
more than once.
polish will stain if you don’t get them
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe
214
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and a
solvent-type vinyl cleaner.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water
and a mild soap or saddle soap.
For stubborn stains, use a mild
solution of
10% isopropyl alcohol
(rubbing alcohol) and
90% water.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-
based or abrasive cleaners, furniture
polish or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled leather should be cleaned
immediately.
If dirt is allowed to work
into finish, it can harm the leather.
Cleaning the Top of the
Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean
the top surfaces
of the instrument
panel. Sprays containing silicones
or
waxes may cause annoying reflections
in the windshield and even make it
difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions. Vacuum
the carpeted area as needed,
and clean as you would any other
carpet.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
I
I
ProCarManuals.com