1994 CADILLAC DEVILLE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the
shoulder at all times.
I A CAUTION
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. Y0.u could also severely injure
internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A
Q: What’s wrong with this?
L: 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 spread 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. I-
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out
the door on it,
you can damage both the belt and
of the way. If you slam
your vehicle.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE
RESTMNT SYSTEM
(MR BAGS)
This section explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR), or “air
bag,” system. Your Cadillac has an air bag for both the driver and the
right-front passenger.
Here are the most important things to
know:
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine r
I
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument panel. The system\

checks for electrical malfunctions, and the light tells you if there is a
problem.
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.
Remember,
if 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How The Air Bag System Works
A
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The right-front
passenger’s air bag is located in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s
side.
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 15 mph (14 and 23 km/h). 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.
It
is possible that in a crash, only one of the two air bags in your Cadillac
will deploy. This is rare, but can happen in a crash just severe enough to
make an
air bag inflate.
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 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.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity, the air bag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as a result
of
a crash. The sensing system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium
azide sealed in
the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which
inflates
a cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related hardware are all
part
of the air bag inflator modules packed inside the steering wheel and
in the instrument panel in front
of the passenger.
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