PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 User Guide
Manufacturer: PONTIAC, Model Year: 1996, Model line: GRAND-AM, Model: PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996Pages: 356, PDF Size: 17.17 MB
Page 11 of 356

CENTER CONTROL (B): Move the seat forward or
back by holding the control
to the front or back.
Move the seat higher by holding the control
up. Lower
the seat by holding the control
down.
REAR CONTROL (C): Raise the rear of the seat by
holding the switch up. Lower the rear of the seat by
holding the switch down.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side
of the seat and move the seatback where you want it.
Release the lever to lock the seatback. Pull up on the
lever and the seat will go to an upright position.
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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
I
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be.against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a ‘crash you could go into it,
receiving neck OF other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt c&ld go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces wouldl be there, not at your .pelvic bones.
This could’ cause seri’ous internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
~. .
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Page 13 of 356

Head Restraints Seatback
Latches (2-Door Models)
Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable
on others. Slide
an adjustable head restraint up or down
so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of
your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward
also. ., . .. $, ,' A ..
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The front seatback folds forward to let people get into
the back seat.
To fold a front seat forward, lift the seatback latch.
When
you return the seatback to its original position, the
seatback will lock.
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Page 14 of 356

Easy Entry Seat (2-Door Models)
I .>
Q:
11 an easy entry rlgnr rronr seat isn’t locked, it
can move. In a sudden stop or crash, the person
sitting there could be injured. After you’ve used
it,
be sure to push rearwa‘rd on an easy entry seat
to be sure it is locked.
Rear Seats
The right front seat of your vehicle makes it easy to get
in and out of the rear seat.
Tilt the right front seatback Completely forward and
whole seat will slide forward.
Folding the Rear Seat (Option) , ~~ ?.L-
Move the right front seatback to its original position
after someone
gets into the rear seat area. Then move TO open, pull forward on the seat tab.
the seat rearward until it locks. To close, push the seatback up to its original. position.
Push the seatback completely up against the back plate
to ensure that the latch will, hook. Tilt the seatback completely forward again to get
out.
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Page 15 of 356

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety b’elts
properly, It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS),
or
air bag system.
- -
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or
be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be
if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too. Your
vehicle has a light that
comes
on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt
Reminder Light” in the
Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
Put someone on it.
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Page 17 of 356

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The
person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
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or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts,
you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces.
That’s why
safety belts make such
good sense.
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Page 19 of 356

Here Are Questions Many People Ask If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
Aboutsafety Belts -- and the Answers home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:
Q.:
A:
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident’if I’m wearing a safety belt?
You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle
a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
Air bags are in many vehicles. today and will be in
most of them
in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts --. not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s
true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control,
such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 h/h). ~
Safety belts are for everyone.
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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are specid things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different des
for smaller children and babies. If a child will be riding
in your Pontiac, see the part of this manual called
“Childrin.’’ Follow those rules
for everyone’s
protection.
’
First, you’ll want to know which restrakt systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll
start with the driver position.
,
Driver Position
This part describes the drives’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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t let it get twisted.
, .(’.
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