1993 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there,
not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal injuries.
Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest
you.
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder
at all times.
A CAUTION:
I
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm.
In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which aren't
as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.
. I*.,,.
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e." What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn't have the full width of the
belt to take impact forces. If a belt is twisted,
make it straight so It can work properly, or ask
your dealer to fix it.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should
go back out of the way.
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Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage both
the belt
and your vehicle.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
System/Supplemental Restraint
System
(Air Bag)
This section explains the driver's Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint (SIR)/Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) system, commonly referred to as an air
bag. Here are the most important things to know:
A CAUTION:
I
Even with an air bag, if you're not wearing a
safety belt and you're in a crash, your injuries
may be much worse. Air bags are hot designed
to inflate in rallovers or in rear, slde or low-speed
frsntal crashes. You need to wear your safety
belt to reduce the chance of hitting things insJde
the vehicle or being ejected from it. Always wear
your safety belt, even with an air bag.
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A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an’eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag,
it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you
in position for an air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with an air bag, and sit as far back as you can
while still maintaining control
of your vehicle.
Air Bag System Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument ’
panel, which shows “INFL REST” or “INFLATABLE
RESTRAINT”. The system checks itself and the light
tells you
if there is a problem.
INFLATABLE INFL.
RESTRAINT
REST.
You will see this light flash for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition
to “Run” or “Start.” Then the light
should
go out, which means the system is ready.
A CAUTION:
F the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on
when you start your vehicle, or stays on, or
comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
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How The Air Bag System Works When is an air bag expected to inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will only
inflate if the velocity
of the impact is above the designed
threshold level. When impacting straight into a wall that
does not move or deform, the threshold level for most
GM vehicles is between 9 and 14 mph. However, this
velocity threshold depends on the vehicle design and
may be several miles-per-hour faster or slower. In
addition, this threshold velocity will be considerably
higher if the vehicle strikes an object such as a parked
car which will move and deform on impact.
The air bag
is also not designed to inflate
in rollovers, side impacts,
or rear impacts where the inflation would provide
no
occupant protection benefit.
In any particular crash, the determination of whether the
, air bag should have inflated cannot be based solely on
the level of damage on the vehicle(s). Inflation is
Where is the air bag?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel. determined
by the angle of the impact and the vehicle's
deceleration, of which vehicle damage is
only one
indication. Repair cost
is not a good indicator of
whether an air bag should have deployed.
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What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal impact of sufficient severity, sensors
strategically located
on the vehicle detect that the
vehicle is suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. These
sensors complete an electrical circuit, triggering a
chemical reaction
of the sodium azide sealed in the
inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which
inflates the cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related
hardware are all part of the air bag inflator module
packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel.
The air bag supplements 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
provide protection in many types
of collisions, including
rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement
to safety belt protection in moderate to
severe frontal and near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflation?
After the air bag has inflated, it will then quickly
deflate. This
occurs so quickly that some people may
not even realize that the air bag inflated. The air bag will
- not impede the driver’s vision or ability to steer the
vehicle,
nor will it hinder the occupants from exiting the
vehicle. There will be small amounts
of smoke coming
from vents in the deflated air bag. Some components of
the air bag module in the steering wheel hub may be hot
for
a short time, but the portion of the bag that comes
into contact with you will not be hot to the touch. The
nitrogen gas used to inflate the air bag will have vented
into the passenger compartment, and the bag will be
deflated within seconds after the collision. Nitrogen
,makes up about
80% of the air we breathe and is not
hazardous. As the nitrogen vents from the bag, small
particles are also vented into the passenger
compartment.
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A CAUTION:
a
*
Don’t attach anything to the steering whwl
pad. It might injure the driver if the air bag
inflates.
The
air bag is designed to inflate only once.
After it inflates, 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 the air bag module and
possibly other
parts. The service manual
has information
about the need ta replace
other
parts.
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.
I- D
Servicing Your Buick with the Air Bag
System
Please tell or remind anyone who works on your Buick
that it has the air bag system. 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. The air bag system does not
need regular maintenance. Your Buick dealer and the
1993 Park Avenue Service Manual have information
about the air bag system, including repair or disposal.
A CAUTION:
For up to 2 minutes after the ignition key is
turned
off and the battery 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. Be sure to follow the proper service
procedures.
When electrical work is done under the hood or inside
your vehicle,
the ignition should be in “Lock” if
possible.
Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape, or yellow
connectors. They are probably part
of the air bag
system.
But if the ignition has to be on for electrical work, or if
the steering column is to be disassembled, the air bag
system must be disconnected.
To do this:
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