1981 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE: 00 not adjust a manually operated driver'. seat while· the vehicle is moving. The seat could move suddenly and unexpectecily and could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
After adjusting a manually operated seat, push forward and rearward on the
seat to be sure the seat adjusters have latched. Take the vehicle to your dealer
for service
if you find that either seat adjuster does not latch.
Front Seatback Latches
Vehicles with folding front seats have inertial seatback latches. The latches are
designed to prevent forward movement of the front seatback only during a
sudden slowing of the vehicle.
Normally, the seatback can be tilted forward
without unlatching,
to get in or out of the rear seat. But when the vehicle is "nose down," such as on a very steep hill, the inertial latch may keep the
seatback from being moved forward.
If this happens, there is a latch release
lever at the bottom, on the outboard side or in the center rear of each front
seatback.
Pull rearward slightly on the seatback while pulling up on the
seatback latch release lever. This will release the latch
and let the seatback be
mOVed forward.
The latch release lever must be in the "down" position for the inertial latch to
work properly during a sudden slowing of the vehicle. Check now
and then to
see if each seatback latch release lever moves
up and down freely. If the lever
does not move
freely, take the vehicle to your dealer for service. There is no convenient owner test of the inertial seatback latch. If you suspect the latch is
not working, ask your dealer to inspect
it.
Keep seat belt webbing and hardware clear of seat parts when you tilt fOlding
seats forward or rearward. This helps prevent damage to these belt systems.
Power Operated Front Seats (optional)
The six-way power seat control switch is located on the driver's seat left side
panel. •
The seat can be operated as follows:
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1. The front control provide~ up and down movement olthe front of the
seat.
2. The center control provides forward ~nd backward movement and up
and down movement of the entire front seat.
3 . The rear control provides up and down movement of the rear of the
seat.
HEAD RESTRAINTS (FOR BENCH SEAT)
• Head restraints are designed to help reduce the possibility of neck injuries .
• To raise or lower, just slide the head restraint up or down.
• Choose the positi6n which · places . the top of the head restraint closest to
the top of your ears.
SEAT BELTS
To help lessen the chance of injury anal or the severity of injury in accidents or
sudden stops, General Motors urges thai people riding in the vehicle be
properly restrained at
all times, using the seat belts provided. This includes
women who are
pregnant , and children of all ages. (See the following pages for
the use of restraints by .children and pregnant women.) General Motors
provides a seat
be~ at each position designed for occup""t seating.
Front. Seat Lap·Shoulder Belt
• Closes the Iront door fully. This activates the tension reliever .
•
Adjust the front seat as needed and sit up straight and well back in the seat.
• There are a number Of ways the lap-shoulder belt may be put on easily.
For example ;
• The lap-shoulder belt may be put on using one hand by; (t) Holding
the latch plate and pulling the be~ as far as n will reach across your
waist (see .lllustration). (~) Then, hold the latch plate at a right angle to
the
webbing. At the same time, slide It up the belt by raiSing it toward
the upper outside comer at the windshield. (3) Finally, pull the latch
plate down across
your body and push It into the buckle until it clicks.
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• One easy two'handed method is to hokUM webbing just behind the "",,'-",.,'-' latch plate using \he hand nearest the door. Theil bring it down across
your body. While
holding the webbing taut with one 'hand , slide the
latch plate up the beH with the other hand. Finally. hold the latch plate
and push
~ into \he buckle until ~ clicks .
• Position the "lap" portion ofthe belt across your lap as LOW ON THE HIPS as possible. If the lap portion did not snug itsen to your
satisfaction. adjust it
to a SNUG FIT by pulling the "shoulder " portion
of the beH UPWARD through the latch plate, until the lap portion is snug across your lap. This rewces the risk 01 slicing under the baH
during an accident.
CAUTION: A snug fll with the lap belt positioned low on the hips is neceSsary to help Iesaen tl'Ml· chMlce and /or severity 01 Injury in an .c:cktent. This •• acts the force 01 the lap bett oyer the strOO9 hipbone instead of acrou the 10ft .txtomen.. To he1p .....,. the chance and/or severity of injury in an accident ; never ute the ..".. belt for more than One per.an at • time; do not put the lap ben over the optional center armrest; do not wear belts twisted; and do not let ben. or belt hIIrdware become damaged by pinthing them in the seat or doOr.
• The shoulder porti sudden stop or
impact At other times ilis designed to move freely with the person .
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• For thOse who .find the shoulck!r ,belt tciQsnug, belt pressure against the
chest can , be reduced by using thetensiorl reliever built into the, retractor,
To use this' feature: (A) , Start bypulfing the shoulder belt outward far
enough so that when
yoU let go, it returns to the chEl$t (Step "A" in the illustration), (8) Then, adjust the belt tension by pulling down slightly on the
shoulder
portion of the belt and letiing'go (Step "8" in the illustration) , The
least amount of belt possible ShOuld be pulled from the retractor '(about 25
millimeters or one inch) to minimize belt pressure :
• To release the'tension reliever and get'rid of slack , pull the shoulder belt
out and let it retrl!Cl Or I,ean far forward and then bacK '. '·~·;.;·'i'·'""i''';'
CAUTION: If shoulder __ belt .sack_IS uRd to minimize 'belt pressure ,· the amount of steck shoukl be -kept to a tninknum . Too much belt -stack could reduce the amount of protection ~use the belt may not be able to prqpen.y ~tr.in you klan -accident.
"Do not wear the shoulder portion of the belt under your arm nearest the door or otherwise out of position, Such use could increase the chance andlor the severity of injury in an accident '
•
To unfasten the beIt,push in the button in the center of lhe buckle ,
•
To stow the belt, pull ,it out about 150 millimeters (six inches) and let go.
Hold the latch' plate as it retracts to keep it from' possibly striking people or
things nearby. K you forget , the retractor is designed to rewind, tl)e belt
when the front door
is, opened. ,Kneaded, slide, the ' latch plate down the
webbing to lei the belt retract fully. Be sure that the belt is fully retracted
and the latch
plate is out of lhe way batore closing the door. This will help
prevent damage to interior trim and the seat belt assemb ly. .
• On 2-door models , a shoulder belt "pick-up" is attached to the side of the
front seat or head
restraint The pick-up is designed to catch the shoulder
belt and pull it forward Whenthe 'f,ont seatbackis folded forward, to make it
easier ti:> enter the rear seat. (It is not intended 'ihat the shoulder belt pass
through the'pick-Uli-see illustration .
•

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Restraint Of Pregnant Women
General Motors urges that pregnant women use a lap-shoulder belt whenever one is present. This will help lessen the chance of a pregnant woman and her
unborn
chil .d being injured andlor will help reduce the severity of their injury in an acc ident. The tap belt should be used alone if a shoulder ben is not present
7: such as in a rear ·seat. In eitlJer case, the lap belt should be worn as low and snug over th.(hips a! f possible , as advised for regular seat belt use (see
the .preced i
ng instructions) .
SEAT BELT LIGHT/BUZZER REMINDER
,.".,." ·;t "W h'eii '1hI>'key ·is .turned to "AUn" or "Start ," a remi!)der IightilLdesigned to
corne
on for four to eight secondS,." is to remind riders to fasten their seat
. belts.
•
If the driver's seat belt has not been buCkled. before turning the key to "Aun " or "Start ", a b uzzeri. diiSigned to sOund for four to eight seconds
(or
until buckled) as a reminder.
~ the seat belt or reminder system does not work as descri~. see your dealer
tor service.
Lap Belts For Rear Seat (And Center Front Seat) Passengers
• Aear seat lap belts next to side windows have retractors which are
designed to take . up extra webbing.
• In a single motion, pull the rear seat outboard lap ben across your lap lar enough to push the latch plate Into the buckle, until it clicks . If the belt is
not
pulled outter enough to reach the buckle , let the lap belt rewind fully
into its retractor . This .unlocks it so the belt can be pulled out to the proper
length .
• These belts should be positioned , worn and released as described -above under "Front Seal LapoShouider Belt ." After fastening , check that the belt
is
SNUG by pulling the belt firmly across your lap toward the lap belt retractor . This will allow the retractor to take up slack.
• Lap belts at center seats also should be positioned, worn and released as described above : however, they do not have retractors . They should be
adjusted to a SNUG FIT by pulling on the end of the belt coming from the
adjustable latch plate.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • To lengthen the center seai lap bett,place the latch plate at a right angle to
the belt webbing and pull on the latcn plate. The belt should then slide
easily .
...,
ADDITIONAL REAR SEAT SHOULDER BELTS Offered as an
Accessory by ,Your Dealer
• When properly worn with a lap bett, a shoulder belt can give riders added protection . It can prevent or reduce impact with the iilsidesof the vehicle
by restraining the upper 'body in a collision. This is especially true in a
frO!ltal'~';".,'k '~ " ','" ' , • , ' "
• To use t~e detach8lJ1lf~Ider'belt .. place the knob on the shoulder belt end in the "keyhole " On the lap' belt latch plate (before fastening the lap
belt.)
Tilt the knob as needed to pass it through the Slot. Pull the, knob
firmly upward to seat n at theoarrow· EI/ld of the keyhole , thet;l·fasten the lap ,belt. Do this in reverse when taking'off the shoulder bett and putting it .
away.
• The 'detachable shouidElI'bilfts,can way ,as center seat lap belts.
•
The de1achable , shoulder belt should have enough slack to put a fist's
width between your chest ,and the, bett . This can be checked by putting a clenched fist between the bett and your chest. (Place the thumb side of
your fist against your.&hest with the back of your hand facingu·p.)
, 1-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CAUTION: • shoulder belt slack ia used to minimize belt pJeUUre , the amount of alack ShoUld be kept to • minimum. Too much bel slack could reduce the .mount of protection becaUN thebe" may not be able to properly restrain you in an accident.
Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm nearest the door or otherwise out of position. Such use could Increase the chance and/or the seventy of
injury in an accident. .
Seat Belt Inspection
• "Now.anQ then check that belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors, reminder
systems and guide loOps work properly . AlsO check foCloose parts or
damage that could keep the restraint system from doing its joI:!.
• Keep sharp edges and damaging objects away from the belts and other parts of the restraint system. .
• Do not. put anything into the, opening where the seat belt webbing passes through the trim panel. This may jam the retractor and/or demege the belt.
• Replace belts if they are cut or otherwise damaged. Also have belts
replaced if they have . been worn in a collision. (W the accident was a minor
one, the belts need no) be replaced .)
• W there is any question, have p!!rtsreplaced.
•
Keep belts clean and dry.
• Clean only with mild soap and·lUkewarm water.
• Do not bleach or dye belts since this maY greatly weaken them.
Infant And Child Restraint
Chi.ldren in vehicles should be restrained tc)helpl!lSSen .. the chance and/or
severity of injury in accidents or sudden maneuvers. General Motors dealers
offer restraint systems designed by G~for use.with infants and small children. For. infants who. weigh 9 kilograms (20 pounds) or less. and who are 650
millimeters
(26 inches) in height or less. General Motors recommends use of the GM "Infant Love Seat. " For children weighing between 8 and 18 kilograms
(18 and
40 pounds), and who are 1 meter (40 inches) or less in height, and
who are capable of
sitting upright alone, General Motors recommends use of
the GM "Child Love Seat. "
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The GM Child Love Seat is not recommended for use in the center front
seating position of this vehicle because it may Interfere with quick access
to all front seat belt buckles in an emergency.
To make it easier
to install a GM Child Love Seat in the rear seat of this
vehicle, at least one pre- drilled hole for the top strap anchor bracket has been
provided in the filler
panel between the rear seat and the rear window . It will be
necessary to pierce the trim panel (covering the metal panel Itself) with a hole
that corresponds
to the pre-drilled hole. T 6 find the hole, enter the trunk and
examine the underside of the filler panel. See the booklet that comes with the
Child
Seat for details on locating and mounting the top strap anchor bracket.
When the child
Seat is placed in the car, use the seating position most directly
in front of the anchor bracket and secure the seat using the top strap and the
car lap belt. In using any infant or child restraint system, be sure to read and
follow all instructionsoninstatlatlon and use that come with .the restraint
system.
When not in
use, leave the Love Seat, or other infant or child restraint system,
in place
and restrained by the car's seat belt. If that is not possible, store the
restraint in the trunk to help keep it from being thrown about and injurying
people in the car during a suddlen maneuver or an accident.
Children
small enough for the GM Infant or Child love . Seats described
above, or other such infant and child restraints, should be restrained by
such means IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. Although the following measures may
lessen the chance
andlor severity of injury fn an accident or suddlen maneuver
for such
small children , they simply cannot do SO to the dlegree that specially designed child restraints can. Take care as follows ~ a child is ricing in the
vehicle without a General Motors
(or other) infant or child restraint system:
1 . Infants who cannot sit
up· by . themselves should be restrained by placing
them in
a· bassinet, preferably cQvered and padded. Place it crossways in
the vehicle (widthwise) on the rear seat.
The bassinet should be securely
restrained with the vehicle 's regular seat belts. Another method is to place
the bassinet
so that iI rests against the back of the driver 's seat. again
crossways
in the vehicle .
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