PONTIAC GRAND PRIX 1998 User Guide

2-Way Manual Lumbar (If Equipped)
The knob that controls this feature is located on the
right side
of the driver's seat, about halfway down
the seatback.
Turn the knob clockwise to increase
lumbar
support. Turn the knob counterclockwise to
decrease lumbar support.
4-Way Power Lumbar Driver's Seat
(If Equipped)
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If you have this option, there will be a toggle switch on
the left side
of the driver's seat cushion, just in front of
the reclining seatback lever.
To increase or decrease
lumbar support,
push the switch forward or rearward.
To adjust the lumbar support up or down, push the
switch up or down.
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Heated Seat (If Equipped) Reclining Front Seatbacks
If your vehicle has this
option, the switch is on the
center console, just behind
the open storage bin.
Press LO to warm the seat to a lower temperature. Press
HI to warm the seat to a higher temperature. To turn this
feature off, place the switch in the center position. Lift
the lever to release the seatback, then move the
seatback to where
you want it. Release the lever to
lock the seatback in place. Pull up on the lever without
pushing
on the seatback, and the seatback will
move forward.
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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
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 or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would
be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious 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.
Head Restraints
Slide the 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.
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Seatback Latches (2-Door Models)
On two-door models, the right front seat is designed to
make it easy to get in
and out of the rear seat. Tilt the
right seatback
fully forward, The whole seat will now
slide forward.
If the seat will not tilt, lift the seatback
latch, located
on the back of the seat to tilt the seatback
forward. The whole seat will now slide forward. After someone gets into
the rear seat area, move the
right front seatback to its original position. Then move
the seat rearward until it locks.
To get out, tilt the seatback fully forward.
A CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in
a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
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Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
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.
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.
A CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In
a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or
killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any
area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone
in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
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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
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
. ‘a
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Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
r
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or the instrument panel . . .
F
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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.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: 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?
A: 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.
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&: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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 kmlh).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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 and children. And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your
vehicle,
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.
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