PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Owner's Guide

The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel on
the passenger’s side.
I A CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into
that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and
an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything
on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
I
1-24

When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed “threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about 9 to 14 mph (14 to 23 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation
is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all
part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or
the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags
would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts,
and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
1-25

What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the
air bag
inflated. Some components of the
air bag module -- the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s
air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
bag
-- will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be
warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people
from leaving
the vehicle.
I
CAUTION:
I
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with
a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid
this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon
as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the
right front passenger
air bag.
0
0
Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they
inflate, you’ll need some new parts for
your air bag
system.
If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there
to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts.
The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing
and diagnostic module, which records information
about the
air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness of the system, when
the sensors are activated and driver’s safety belt
usage
at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work
on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your
air
bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
1-26

NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, the bag may not
work properly. You may have to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
If your vehicle ever gets into a lot of water -- such as
water up to the carpeting or higher
-- or if water enters
your vehicle and
soaks the carpet, the air bag controller
can be soaked and ruined. If this ever happens, and then
you
start your vehicle, the damage could make the air
bags inflate, even if there’s no crash. You would have to
replace the air bags as well as the sensors and related
parts.
If your vehicle is ever in a flood, or if it’s exposed
to water that soaks the carpet, you can avoid needless
repair costs by turning
off the vehicle immediately.
Don’t let anyone start the vehicle, even to tow it, unless
the battery cables are first disconnected.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone
is working on your vehicle. Your
dealer and the Grand Am Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
n I
1 A CAUTION:
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
I
1-27

Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear
seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown
out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t
let
it get twisted.
1-28

If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end
of this section. Make sure the
release button on the buckle is positioned
so you
would be able
to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if
you ever had to.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
1-29

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the
thighs. In a crash, this applies
force
to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely
to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
r
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose.
In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should
fit against your body.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
1-30

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for children who have outgrown
child restraints and for small adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide pulls the belt away
from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in
the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort for
children who have outgrown child restraints and for
smaller adults, the comfort guides may be installed
on
the shoulder belts. Here’s how to install a comfort guide
and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
1-31

2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic
cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide
over the belt, and insert the two edges of the belt into
the slots
of the guide.
3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.
The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide
on top.
1-32

4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described
in “Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions”
earlier in
this section. Make sure that the shoulder
belt crosses the shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together
so that you can take them out from
the guides. Pull the guide upward to expose its storage clip, and then slide the guide onto the clip. Rotate
the
guide and clip inward and in between the seatback and
the interior body, leaving only the loop
of elastic
cord exposed.
Center Passenger Position
1-33