child restraint PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owners Manual

Here you’ll find information
about the seats in
your
Pontiac and how to use your
safety belts properly.
You can
also learn about
some things
you should
not do with safety
belts.
Part 1
Seats & Restraint Systems
..’,
Seats and Seat Controls ............ ........... 8
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
........ ..................... 14
Why Safety Belts Work ............................................. 15
Here Are Questions Many People
Ask about Safety Belts - and the Answers . . 17
Safety Belt Reminder Light
.......................................... 18
How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................................... 19
Children ................................. ..................... 30
Child Restraints
...... .............. ..................... 31
Larger Children
........................... ..................... 38
SafetyBeltExtender
............................................... 39
Checking Your Restraint Systems
..................................... 40
Replacing Safety Belts after a Crash ................................... 40
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How to Wear Safety
Belts Properly
Adults
This section is only for people of adult
size.
Be aware that there are special things to
know about safety belts and children. And
there are different rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be
riding in your Pontiac, see the section
after this one, called “Children.” Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
I
First, you’ll want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s
restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s
how to wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see
“Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up
straight.
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This vehicle has AIR BAGS for front occupants.
A CAUTION: YOU NEED YOUR SAFETY BELT, EVEN WITH AN AIR BAG.
AND HERE’S WHY
Air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers or in rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for air bag inflation
in a crash.
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small children. Follow t\
he instructions on the passenger
safety belt Caution label.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS NOT REQUIRED. If the
air bag readiness light comes on while you are driving, or doesn’t come on when you first start
your vehicle, see your dealer for service.
PRINTED IN USA. See your Owner’s Manual for more information. PART NO C20-30-355
Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint System
(Air Bags)
Here are the most important things to
know:
rhis section explains the Supplemental
[nflatable Restraint (SIR), or “air bag,”
system. Your Pontiac has an air bag
For both the driver and the right-front
Jassenger.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
To unlatch the belt, just push the
button
on the buckle.
Everyone. in a vehicle needs protection!
That includes infants and
all children
smaller than adult size. In fact, the law in
every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up
to some age must
be restrained while in a
vehicle.
Smaller Children and Babies
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Child Restraints
Be sure to follow the instructions for
the restraint.
You may find these
instructions
on the restraint itself or in
a booklet, or both. These restraidi use
the belt system in your vehicle, bkt 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.
I
Where to Put the Restraint
4ccident statistics show that children
are safer if they are restrained in the
:ear rather than the front seat.
We qt
3eneral Motors therefore recommend
hat you put your child restraint in the
-ear seat.
NEVER put a rear-facing
:hild restraint in the front passenger
;eat. Here's why:
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Seats and Restraint Systems
Nherever you install it, be sure to secure
he child restraint properly.
Ceep in mind that an unsecured child
-estraint can move around in a collision
x- sudden stop and injure people in the
iehicle. Be sure to properly secure any
:hild restraint in your vehicle
- even
when no child is in it.
Top Strap
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.
[f you have a convertible, don’t use a
restraint that has a top strap
in your
vehicle because the top strap anchor
cannot be installed properly.
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.! , 'y
For cars first s0;Id in Cqada, child
restrairits with a top strap must
he
anchored according to Canadian Law.
Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit
and install it for
you, or you may install it
yourself using the instructions provided
with
ule kit.
Use the tether hardware kit available from
the dgaler. The hardware and installation
instructions were spem€tcally.a3esigned
:.
for thi.s vehicle.
U
ieeuring a Chi'ld Restraint in the Rear
kat
Cau'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See
he earlier section about the top
strqp if
he child restraint has one.
. Put the restraint on the seat. FO~~OW
the instructions for the child restraint.
I. Secure the child in the child restraint
as
.the instructions say.
1. Pick up the latch pl,ate, and run th.e la1
and shoulder'portions
of. the vehicle's
saGty Wit
thiough &'around the
re$traint. The child restraint
instructitans will show you how. Tilt
the latch plate to adjust the belt if
needed. child's
face
or neckrput it behind the
&ld restraint.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release
button
is positioned so you wnpld be
able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if you ever had to. 5.
To tighten the
belt, pull up on the
shoulder belt while you push down on
the child restraint. 6. 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.
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TI-
ecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
‘ront Seat
bur vehicle has a right-front passenger’s
ir bag.
NEVER put a rear-facing child
:straint in this seat. Here’s why: You’ll be using the
lap-shoulder belt. See
the earlier section about the top strap if
the child restraint has one.
You’ll need a safety locking clip to
properly secure a child restraint in this
position. You can get a locking clip
where child restraints are sold, or
from
your Pontiac dealer (GM Part No.
94844571). The locking clip must be
the same as the one shown here.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
Until you have this clip, secure a child
restraint only in the rear seat. See the
earlier section about securing a child
restraint in the rear seat. Once you have
the clip, follow these instructions:
1. Because your vehicle has a right-front
passenger’s air bag, always move the
seat as far back as it will go before
securing a front-facing child restraint.
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.
4. Lap Belt Portion
B. Latch Plate
C. Buckle
D. Shoulder Belt Portion
E. Locking Clip
6. Then thread both lap and shoulder belt
portions through
the locking clip.
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