PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1998 Service Manual

Child Restraints
Every time infants and young children ride in
vehicles, they should have protection provided by
appropriate restraints.
@ What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints are available in four basic
types. When selecting a child restraint, take into
consideration not only the child’s weight and size,
but
also whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be
used.
An infant car bed (A) is a special bed made for use
in a motor vehicle. It’s an infant restraint system
designed to restrain or position a child on a
continuous flat surface. With an infant car bed,
make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the
center of the vehicle.
1-34

A rear-facing infant restraint (B) positions an infant
to face the rear
of the vehicle. Rear-facing infant
restraints are designed
for infants of up to about
20 lbs. (9 kg) and about one year of age. This type
of restraint faces the rear
so that the infant’s head,
neck
and body can have the support they need in a
crash. Some infant seats come in two parts -- the
base stays secured in the vehicle and the seat part
is removable.
1-35

A forward-facing child restraint (C-E) positions a
child upright to face forward in the vehicle. These
forward-facing restraints
are designed to help
protect children
who are from 20 to 40 lbs.
(9 to 18 kg) and about 26 to 40 inches
(66 to 102 cm) in height, or up to around four years
of age. One
type, a convertible restraint, is
designed
to be used either as a rear-facing infant
seat or a forward-facing child seat.
1-36

A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children who
are about 40 to 60 lbs. (18 to 27 kg) and about four
to eight years of age. It’s designed to improve the
fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Booster seats
with shields use lap-only belts; however, booster
seats without shields use lap-shoulder belts.
Booster seats can
also help a child to see out
the window.
1-37

When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle.
If it is, it
will have a label saying that it meets Federal Motor
Vehicle
Safety Standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint.
You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or
in a
booklet, or
both. These restraints use the belt system in
your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within
the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury.
The instructions that come with the infant or child
restraint will
show you how to do that. Both the owner’s
manual and the child restraint instructions
are important,
so if either one of these is not available, obtain a
replacement copy
from the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that you put
your
child restraint in the rear seat. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in
the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
A child in a rearfacing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates, even though your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal
air bags. This is because
the
back of the rearfacing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating air bag. Always
secure a rearfacing child restraint in a rear seat.
You may, however, secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, but before
you
do, always move the front passenger seat as far
back
as it will go. It’s better to secure the child
restraint
in the rear seat.
1-38

A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured by the right front passenger
air bag if it inflates, even though your vehicle has
reduced-force frontal
air bags. Never secure a
child restraint in the center front seat. It’s always
better to secure a child restraint in the rear seat.
You may secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front passenger seat, but before you
do, always
move the passenger seat as far back as
it will go. It’s better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
I Top Strap
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can move
around in a collision or sudden stop and injure people in
the vehicle. Be sure to properly secure any child
restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child is in it.
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Pontiac dealer to put
it in for you. If you
want to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell
you how to
do it.
Canadian law requires that child restraints have a top
strap, and that the strap be anchored.
1-39

If your child restraint has a top strap, your dealer can
obtain
a kit with anchor hardware and installation
instructions specifically designed for
this vehicle. The
deder can then install the anchor for you. In Canada,
this work will be done for you free of charge. Or, you
may install the anchor yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap
if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came
with the child
restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. 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.
3. Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put
it behind the child restraint.
1-40

4. 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.
5.
6.
To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you
push down on the child restraint. If you’re using
a forward-facing child restraint, you may find
it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint
as you tighten the belt.
Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
1-41

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.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Rear Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap belt. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child
in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured or killed by the right front
passenger
air bag if it inflates, even though your
vehicle has reduced-force
frontal air bags. Never
secure a child restraint in the center front seat.
It’s always better to
secure a child restraint in the
rear seat.
You may secure a forward-facing child
restraint
in the right front passenger seat, but
before you do, always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go. It’s better to secure
the child restraint in
a rear seat.
See the earlier part about the top strap if the child
restraint
has one.
1-42

f
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle’s safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how. plate and pulling
it along the belt.
4.
5.
6.
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. If you’re using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find
it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint
as you tighten the belt.
Push and pull the child restraint in different directions
to be sure it is secure.
1-43