PONTIAC GRAND AM 1998 Workshop Manual

2. 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.
-
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck,
put it behind the child restraint.
3. 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.
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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.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Rear Seat Position
U
4. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on the child restraint.
If you’re using
a forward-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
directions
to be sure it is secure.
5. Ish and pull the child restraint in different You’ll be using the lap belt. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
See the earlier
part about the top strap if the child
restraint has one.
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1.
2.
3.
Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling
it along the belt.
Put the restraint on the seat.
Run the vehicle's safety belt
through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. 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.
5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on
the child restraint. If you're using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint
as you tighten the belt.
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6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It
will be ready to work for an adult or larger
child passenger.
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
directions to be sure it is secure.
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
r
A child in a rearfacing child restraint can be
seriously injured
if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates. This is because the back of a
rearfacing child
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. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
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.
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 show you how.
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A
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
4. 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.
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5.
6.
To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on
the child restraint. You may find it
helpful to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Push and pull the child restraint in different directions to be sure it is secure.
Larger Children
Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
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. 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.
I A CAUTION:
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.
~~~~
Q: 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 iqjuries.
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 long 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 to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
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.
Tom or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a 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 severe crash, then 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 section.
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b NOTES
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