PONTIAC GRAND-AM 1996 Workshop Manual

Larger Children
6. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
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.
you push down on the child restraint.
directions
to be sure it is secure. Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window
so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
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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
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
a crash.
people who are.
#
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.
e.’ 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. If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt
Comfort Guides” in the Index.
If the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close
to the child’s face or neck, you might
want to place the child in the center seat position,
the one that has only a lap belt.
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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 would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause
serious or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child
sits, the lap portion of the belt
should
be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the. child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s ‘safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be lsng enough
for you. The extender will
be just for you,
and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat
it is made t’o fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Sys’tems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system
parts. If you see ’
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can
rin apart under impact forces. If a belt is
torn or frayed, gc . .I new one right away.
Also look
for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very
minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But
if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more s’evere crash, hen you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage.
also may mean you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New
parts and repairs
may be necessary even.if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time
of the collision,
If your seat adjuster won’t work after a crash, the special
part of the safety belt that goes ‘through the seat to the
adjuster may need to be replaced.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier
in this siction.
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NOTES
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NOTES
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Section 2 Features and Controls
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the
ignition bey
is dangerous for many reasons. A
child or others could be badly injured or even
killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don’t
leave the keys in
a vehicle with young children.
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One key is used for the If you need a new key, go to your Pontiac dealer for
igdtion,
the doors and all the correct key code. Remember to carry &e pre-cut
other locks. emergency key which Pontiac sends
after delivery. h
an emergency, call the Pontiac Roadside Assistance
Program at 1-8'00-ROADSIDD or 1-800-762-3743.
NOTICE:
Your Pontiac has a number of new features that
can help prevent theft, therefore, you
can have a
lot of trouble getting'into your vehicle if you ever
lock your keys inside.
You may even have to
damage your vehicle
to get in. So be sure you
have extra keys.
'
When a new Grand Am is delivered, the dealer removes
the tags firom the keys, and gives them to the first owner.
Each tag has a code on
it that tells your dealer or a
qualified locksmith
how to make extra keys. Keep the
tags
in a safe place. If you lose your keys, you'll be able
to have new ones made easily using these tags.
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Door Locks
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Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-9 especially children -9 can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t.open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when
you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This
may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly,
lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There
are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, you can use your key in the door lock.
You
can also use the Keyless Entry System if your
vehicle has this option.
From the inside, you can lock the door by sliding the
locking lever rearward.
To unlock the door, slide the locking lever forward.
The
lock control will show orange when in the unlock
position.
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Power Door Locks
With power door locks, you can lock
dr unlock all the
doors
of your vehicle from
the driver or front passenger
door lock switch.
.,
4’. . , ’
On four-door models, slide the lock lever on each rear
door to lock or unlock that door.
Automatic Door Locks
Just close your doors and turn on the ignition. If you
have
an autom’atic transaxle, all of the doors will lock
when you move
your shift lever out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N). I€ you havg: a manual transaxle, all
of the doors will lock when the vehicle reaches about
8 mph (13 lqn/h). If someone needs to get out while
the vehicle is running, have that person use the manual
or power lock. When the door is closed again, it will
lock automatically when you
move your shift lever out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). If you have a manual
transaxle, the doors will lock when the vehicle reaches
about
8 mph (1 3 km/h). All doors will automatically
unlock when the key
is turned to the OFF position.
If you don’t want the doors to automatically unlock
when the
key is turned to the OW position, you can
remove the
DR UNLK fuse from the vehicle fuse block.
For
fuse location, see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in
the Index.
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