child seat PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owners Manual

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there
are special things to know about
safety belts add children. And there are Merent rules for
smaller chldren and babies.
If a child wilI be riding in
your Pontiac, see the part of this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to
know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part 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.
3. Pick-up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
On convertible models, 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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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Child Restraints
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.
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:
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1
L
I
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates.
This is because the back of a
reapfacing child restraint would be very close to
the inflating
air bag. Always secure a rearfacing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You may, however, secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat. Before you secure
a forward-facing child restraint, always move the
front passenger seat
as far back as it will go. Or,
secure the child restraint
in the rear seat.
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.
1-32
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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt: See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has, one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
hr the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
3. 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 shw you how.
Tilt’the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder b’elt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
1-34
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Securing a Child Restraint in me
Right Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. 1 :e’s why:
A
child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right
front passenger’s air
bag inflates, This is because the back of a
rear-facing chiId
restraint would be very close to
the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rearfacing
child restraint in the rear seat.
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 right 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 instmctions
for
the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions sqy.
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.
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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;
people who
are.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
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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.
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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
wodd then b’e applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious
or
fataligjuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should
be worn low and snug on the hips, just tou’ching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
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Towing a Trailer
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in
a crash.
0 Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
0 Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
Try to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
0 Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you cdrry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
0 Don't leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
9- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Pontiac dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Pontiac
dealer
for important information about towing a
trailer with your vehicle.
4-31
,
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Brake Adjustment
.................................. 6-36
Master Cylinder
.............................. 6-33
Parking
..................................... 2-36
Pedal Travel
................................. 6-36
Replacing System Parts
........................ 6-36
System Warning Light
......................... 2-78
Fluid
....................................... 6-33
Trailer
...................................... 4-35
Transmission Shift Interlock
.................... 2-39
Wear
....................................... 6-35
Brakes. Anti-Lock
............................... 4-6
Braking
........................................ 4-5
Braking in Emergencies .......................... 4- 10
Break-In. New Vehicle
.......................... 2-21
Brightness Control .............................. 2-53
BTSI ......................................... 2-39
BTSICheck
................................... 7-41
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-37
Canadian Roadside Assistance
.................... 8-6
Capacities and Specifications
...................... 6-69
Carbon Monoxide
.................... 2-40,4-28. 4-35
Cassette Deck Service
........................... 7-39
Cassette Tape Player
........................ 3-6. 3-10
Care ....................................... 3-22
Errors .................................. 3-8, 3.11
CD Player Theft-Deterrent Feature ................. 3- 18
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
Bulb Replacement .... 6-40
Certification Label .............................. 4-30
Chains. Safety ................................. 4-35
Chains. Tire
................................... 6-52 Changing
a Flat Tire ............................. 5-27
Chechng Your Restraint Systems
.................. 1-41
Chemical Paint Spotting .......................... 6-60
Child Restraints
................................ 1-32
Securing in a Rear Seat Position
................. 1-34
Securing in the Right Front Seat Position
.......... 1-36
TopStrap
................................... 1-33
Where
to Put ....................... ... 1-32
Cigarette Lighter
............................... 2-59
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
....................... 6-64
Cleaner. Air
................................... 6-16
Cleaning
...................................... 6-53
Aluminum Wheels
.................... ... 6-59
ConvertibleTop
............................... 6-59
Check Gauges Light
............................. 2-87
Fabric
...................................... 6-54
Glass ....................................... 6-56
Inside
of Your Pontiac ......................... 6-53
Instrument Panel
............................. 6-56
Leather
..................................... 6-56
Outside of Your Pontiac
........................ 6-58
Removable Roof Panel
......................... 6-57
Stains
...................................... 6-55
Tires ....................................... 6-59
Wheels
..................................... 6-59
Special Problems
............................. 6-55
.Vinyl
....................................... 6-55
Windshield and Wiper Blades
................... 6-57
Climate Control System
........................... 3-1
Clock, Setting the
................................ 3-6
Close-Out Panel
................................ 2-58
Clutch, Hydraulic
............................... 6-25
Comfort Controls
................................ 3-1
2 . .
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Rain. Driving In ................................ 4- 17
ReadingLamps
................................ 2-54
Rear Axle
........................................ 6-26
Lamp Bulb Replacement
.................. .... 6-41
Seat Passengers
............................... 1-27
Sidemarker Bulb Replacement
................... 6-42
Storage
..................................... 2-57 .
Towing ..................................... 5-11
Win'dow Defogger
............................. 3-4
Rearview Mirror, Inside Daymight
................. 2-55
Reclining Front Seatbacks
......................... 1-4
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
............... 7-44
Recovery Tank, Coolant
.......................... 5-17
Refrigerants,
Air Conditioning .................... 6-7 1
Remote
Hatch Release ................................ 2-10
Lock Control
................................. 2-5
Lock Control Verifkation
...................... 2-18
RAP ......................................... 2-54
Replacement Bulbs
...................................... 6-68
Parts
....................................... 6-71
. Wheel ...................................... 6-51
Replacing Safety Belts
........................... 1-4 1
Reporting Safety Defects
..................... 8-9, 8-10
Restraints Checking
................................... 1-41
Child
........................................ 1-32
Head
........................................ 1-5
Replacing
Puts After a Crash ................... 1-4 1
System Check
................................ 7-40
Retained Accessory Power
........................ 2-54 Reverse. Automatic Transmission
.................. 2-28
Reverse. Manual Transmission
............... 2-32. 2-33
Right Front Passenger Position
.................... 1-26
Roadside Assistance
....................... : ...... 8-5
Roadside Assistance. Canadian ..................... 8-6
Rocking Your Vehicle
........................... 5-42
Roof Panels. %in Lift-off
....................... 2-61
Rotation. Tires
.................................. 6-47 ... ... . --,.-, ... ..... . . ..
Safety Belt Extender ... ; .............. ...... 1-41
Safety Belts
.................................... 1-7
Adults
............................. ...... 1-12
Care
....................................... 6-56
Children
.................................... 1-30
DriverPosition ............................... 1-12
Extender ..................................... 1-41
How to Wear Properly .......... .) .............. 1-12
Lap-Should&
.............. I ............ 1- 12. 1-27
LargerChildren
.............................. 1-38
Questions
and Answers ........................ 1-11
Rear Seat Positions ............................ 1-27
Reminder Light
.......................... 1-7. 2-76
Replacing After a Crash
........................ 1-41
Right Front Passenger Position .................. 1-26
Smaller Children and Babies
.................... 1-30
Why They Work ........... .................... 1-8
SafetyChains
.................................. 4-35
Safety
Warnings and Symbols ....................... iii
Scheduled Maintenance Services .................... 7-3
Incorrect Usage .................... 1-15. 1-39. 1-40
Use During Pregnancy
......................... 1-26
Safety Defects. Reporting
.................... 8-9. 8-10
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Seatback FoldingRe ar
.................................. 1-6
Front Latches
................................. 1-6
Reclining Front
.............................. 1 1-4
Seats Four-Way Manual
............................. 1-2
Fully Articulating Sport
......................... 1-3
Lumbar Control
............................... 1-3
Manual Front
............................... 1 - 1
Power ........... .................. 1-2
Restraint Systems
....... ................ 1-1
Seat Controls .................................. 1 - 1
Securing a Child Restraint
...................... 1-32
Second Gear, Automatic Transmission
.............. 2-29
Second Gear, Manual Transmission
............ 2-32, 2-33
Second-Gear Start
.............................. 2-3 1
Service ......................................... 6-1
Bulletins, Ordering ............................ 8- 1 1
En~neSoonLight ............................ 2-83
Manuals, Ordering ............................ 8-11
Parts Identification Label
....................... 6-62
Publications, Ordering
......................... 8- 11
Work, Doing Your Own ......................... 6-1
Service and Appearance Care ...................... 6-1
Service and Owner Publications ................... 8- 11
Service Publications .............................. 8- 11
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Pontiac ........... 1-25
Shi€tLever
.................................... 2-27
Shift Speeds .................................... 2-34
Shifting
Automatic Transmission ....................... 2-27
Sheet
Metal Damage
............................ 6-60
Into Park (P)
................................. 2-37
Out pf Park .................................. 2-39 Shifting.
Manual Transmission
............... 2-3 1. 2.33
Signaling Turns
................................ 2-44
Sixth Gear, Manual Transmission
.................. 2-33
Skidding
...................................... 4-14
Skip Shift Light
................................ 2-34
Sound Equipment, Adding
........................ $3-21
Spare Tire, Compact ............................. 5-40
Specifications and Capacities ...................... 6-69
Specifications, Engine
........................... 6-69
SRS
......................................... l-19
Speech
Impaired, Customer Assistance ............... 8-4
Speedometer ................................... 2-75
Sportseat
....................................... 1-3
Stains, Cleaning
................................ 6-55
Standard Differential. Rear Axle
................... 6-26
Starting Your Engine
.................. 2-23,2-24, 2-25
Starter
Switch Check
............................ 7-41
Steam
............... .................... 5-13
Steering
Column Lock Check ........................ 7-42
Power
...................................... 4-10
Tips
......................................... 4-10
Wheel Touch Controls ......................... 3-20
In Emergencies ............................... 4-11
Wheel, Tilt .................................. 2-43
Storage Areas
.................................. 2-57
Storage, Vehicle
................................ 6-37
Sunshades, T-Top ............................... 2-64
Supplemental Restraint
.......................... 1-19
Symbols, Vehicle .................................. v
Synchronization ................................. 2-7
Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
.................. 5-42
Sunvisors
.................................... 2-60
9-9
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