OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 Service Manual

Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
You can be serious., injured if you wear -~->
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move
too far forward, which would
increase the chance
of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, which aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
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Q: What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you wouldn't have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces.
If a belt is
twisted, make
it straight so it can work
properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.
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To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out of the way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of
the way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and your vehicle.
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.
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.
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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.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, see
Driver Position on page 7-28.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt
- except for one thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the
way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Center Passenger Position
(Bench Seat)
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a third row rear bench seat, someone
can sit in the center position.
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When you sit in the center position of the bench seat,
you have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it
along the belt.
TO make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug.
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 on page 7-44.
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
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u
Lap-Shoulder Belt
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.
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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2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
In the third row, if the belt stops before it reaches
the buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep pulling
until you can buckle it.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page
1-44.
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.
Third
Row Outside Passenger Position
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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
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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
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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.
The
safety he!t !ncks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash;
or if you pull the belt very quickly out
of the retractor.
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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.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have rear shoulder belt comfort
guides. This feature will provide added safety belt
comfort for older children who have outgrown booster
seats and for smaller adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
If your vehicle has a split bench seat in the third row,
there is one guide for each outside passenger position.
To provide added safety belt comfort for children
who have outgrown child restraints and booster seats
and for smaller adults, the comfort guides may be
installed on the shoulder belts. Here’s how to install a
comfort guide and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the
side of the seatback.
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