OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1997 Manual Online

1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling
it along the belt.
5.
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for
the child restraint. 6.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
4. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint.
The child restraint instructions will show
you how. 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.
To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint.
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7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure. If it isn’t, secure the
restraint
in a different place in the vehicle and
contact the child restraint maker for their advice
about how to attach
the child restraint properly.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger
child passenger.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a front passenger air bag. Never put a
rear-facing child restraint
in this seat. Here’s why:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured
if the front passenger’s air bag
inflates. This is because the back of a rear-facing
child restraint would be very close to the inflating
air bag.
If your vehicle is a passenger van, always
secure a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat.
If your vehicle is a cargo van,
do not use a
rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle. If a
forward-facing child restraint is suitable for your
child, always move the passenger seat
as far back
as it will
go.
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You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Because your vehicle has a front passenger air bag,
always move the seat as far back
as it will go before
securing a forward-facing child restraint. (See
“Seats”
in the Index.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
4. 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. 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.
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6. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
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I
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.
To re~nove 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.
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are.
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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.
A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
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 sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides”
in the Index. If
the child is so s~nall 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.
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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. If your vehicle has
a
built-in child restraint, also periodically make sure the
harness straps, latch plates, buckle, clip, child head
restraint and anchorages are working properly. Look for
any other loose or damaged safety belt and built-in child
restraint system parts.
If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt or built-in child restraint 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.
If your vehicle has the built-in child restraint, torn or
frayed harness straps can
rip apart under impact forces
just like torn or frayed safety belts can. They may
not
protect a child in a crash. If a harness strap is torn or
frayed, get
a new harness 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.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new safety belts or
built-in child restraint parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary. But
if
the safety belts or built-in child restraint harness straps wer\
e
stretched, as they would be
if worn during a more severe
crash, then you need new safety belts or harness straps.
If safety belts or built-in child restraint harness straps are cut
or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also may mean
you
will need to have safety belt, built-in child restraint or
seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs may be
necessary even
if the safety belt or built-in child restraint
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.
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Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Oldsmobile, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that
tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2-2 2-4
2-7
2-
10
2- 12
2-13 2-15
2-19
2-23
2-26 2-26
2-28 2-29
2-3 1
2-35
2-37
2-4
1
2-50 Important Information About Keys
Door Locks
Remote Lock
Control
Battery Replacement for RKE
Switchbanks
Sliding Door
Power Sliding Door
Operation of Sliding Door Security Locks
Preventing Theft
of Your Vehicle
New Vehicle "Break-In"
Ignition Positions
Tips on Starting
Your Engine
Using the Engine Coolant Heater
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake Guidelines
Important Information on Engine Exhaust
Locks and Lighting Choices
Windows 2-52
2-52
2-53
2-54
2-55
2-59
2-59
2-6
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2-66
2- 67
2-7
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2- 84
2-85
2- 86
2-88
2-92 Adjusting the
Tilt Steering
Wheel
Functions of the Multifunction Lever
How to Use
the High/Low Beam
Headlamp Changer
Windshield Wipers and Fluid
Using Cruise Control
Exterior Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Interior Lamps
Rearview Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Driver Information Center
Accessory Power Outlets
S u nroo f
Air Inflator System
Instrument Panel Overview
All About Your Warning Lights and Gages
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Keys
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Leaving young children in a vehicle with the
ignition key is dangerous
for many reasons.
A child or others could be badly injured or
even killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don't
leave the keys
in a vehicle with young children.
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