1994 CHEVROLET CAMARO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. To make the lap part tight, pull down
on the buckle end
of the belt as you
pull up on the shoulder belt. ’he
lap part
of the belt should be worn
ow and snug on the hips, just touching
he thighs. In a crash, this applies force to
he strong pelvic bones. And you’d be
zss likely to slide under the lap belt. If
‘ou slid under it, the belt would apply
orce at your abdomen. This could cause
erious or even
fatal injuries. The
houlder belt should go over the shoulder
nd across the chest. These parts
of the
lody are best able to take belt restraining
orces.
’he safety belt locks
if there’s a sudden
top or crash.
: What’s wrong with this?
: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won7
give nearly as much protection this
way.
23. .

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Restraint Systems
8
I
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong
place.
A CAUTION:
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 pel-
vic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries. Always buckle your
belt into the buckle nearest you.
1
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the
arm. It should be worn over the
shoulder at
all times.
A CAUTION: I
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 wuuld 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.
... 24

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
To unlatch the belt, just push the button
on the buckle. The belt should go back
out of the way.
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.
25 ...

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ’ Seats and Restraint Systems
This vehicle has AIR BAGS for front occupants.
A CAUTION: YOU NEED YOUR SAFETY BELT, EVEN WITH AN AIR BAG.
AND HERE’S WHY:
Air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers or in rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
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 air bag inflation
in a crash.
. An inflating air bag can seriously injure small children. Follow t\
he instructions on the passenger
safety belt Caution label.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS NOT REQUIRED. If the
air bag readiness light comes on while you are driving, or doesn’t come on when you first start
your vehicle, see your dealer for service.
PRINTED IN U.5.A See your Owner’s Manual for more information. PART NO. C20-30-355
Supplemental lnfhtable
Restraint System (Air Bags)
This section explains the Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint
(SIR), or “air bag,”
system.
Your Chevrolet has an air bag
for both the driver
and the right-front
passenger. Here
are the most important things to
know:
... 26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine air bag, or, worse, it could cause inju-
ry. . .
E
ne
Y
k
SC ..
0
R
d
V
Y
n
SC
A
BAG
1
kir Bag Readiness Light
’here is an air bag readiness light on the
xtrument panel, which shows
“AIR
LAG” on it. The system checks for
lectrical malfunctions, and the light tells
ou if there is a problem.
‘ou will see this light flash for a few
econds when you turn your ignition
to
Run” or “Start.” Then the light should g(
ut, which means the system is ready.
:emember, if the air bag readiness light
oesn’t come on when you start your
ehicle, or stays on, or comes on when
ou are driving, your air bag system may
ot work properly. Have your vehicle
zrviced right away.
How the Air Bag System Works
Where is the air
bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
27 ...

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Restraint Systems
The right-front passenger’s air bag is
located in the instrument panel on the
passenger’s side.
1.. /. ’* .
., ..
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 Camaro 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@).
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 sytem 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.
... 28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. 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. Some
components of the air bag module
in the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag
or the instrument panel for the
passenger’s bag 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. There will be small amounts of
smoke coming from vents in the deflated
air bags. The air bag will
rn impede the
driver’s vision or ability to steer the
vehicle, nor will
it hinder the occupants
from exiting the vehicle.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate
an air bag, windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional
windshield breakage may occur
in
vehicles with passenger air bags because
the windshield acts as a reaction surface
for the inflating air bag.
0 The air bags are designed to inflate only
once. After they inflate 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 air bag
modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual has information about the
need to replace other pans.
Your vehicle is equipped with a
diagnostic module. which records
information about the air bag system if
the air bag deploys
in a crash. The
module records information about the
readiness of the system, which sensors
activated the deployment, and whether
thr
driver’s safety belt was in use.
Let only qualified technicians work on
your air bag system. Improper service car
mean that your air bag system won’t work
properly. See your dealer for service.
If you damage the cover for the driv-
er’s
or the right-front passenger’s air
bag, they may not work properly.
You may have
tu replace the air bag
on the steering wheel or both the air
bag and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
29 ...

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Seats and Restraint Systems
Is the smoke from an air bag inflation
harmful?
The particles emitted during air bag
inflation are not harmful to most people.
Some people with respiratory ailments
may experience difficulty breathing if
they stay in the vehicle with the windows
closed after air bag inflation.
So, if your
air bag inflates, you
and any passengers
should exit the vehicle if and when it is
safe to do
so. If you or your passengers
can’t get out
of the vehicle, try to get
fresh air by opening
a window, turning on
the fan, or opening a door.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Chevrolet
Air bags affect how your Chevrolet
should be serviced. 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. Your Chevrolet dealer and
the
1994 Camaro Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle
and the air bag system. The air bag
system does not need regular
maintenance.
... 30