1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Owner's Manuals

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3: What’s wrong with this?
9: The belt is twisted across the body.
Supplemental Restraint
System (Air Bag)
This section explains the driver’s
Supplemental Restraint (SRS) system,
commonly referred to as an air bag.
Here are the most important things to
lalow:
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23

Seats &Restraint Systems
24
I
AIRBAO
I
I CHECK
9ir Bag Readiness Light
rhere is an air bag readiness light on
;he instrument panel, which shows
AIR
BAG. The system checks for electrical
nalfunctions, and the light tells you
if
;here is a problem.
fou will see this light flash for a few
;econds when you turn your ignition to
Run or Start. Then the light should go
)ut, which means the system is ready.
Xemember,
if the air bag readiness light
ioesn’t come on when you start your
rehicle, or stays on, or comes on when
~OU are driving, your air bag system
nay not work properly. Have your
rehicle serviced 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.
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 ltrn/h).
However, this velocity threshold
depends on the vehicle design and may
be several miles-per-hour faster or

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Seats & Restraint Svsterns
26
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.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the
driver’s air bag, it may not work
properly. You may have to replace
the air bag on the steering wheel.
Do not open or break the air bag
cover.
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
Oldsmobile
The air bag affects how your
Oldsmobile 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 Oldsmobile dealer and the
1994
Cutlass Supreme Service Manual have
information about servicing your
vehicle and the air bag system. The air
bag system does not need regular
maintenance.

I Right Front Pasertger
Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt
works the same way,% the driver’s
safety belt. See
Driver Position, earlier
.n this part. Adjust
the seat (to see
how, see Seat
Controls .in the Index) so you can sit up
straight. Move your seat far enough
forward that your feet touch the part of
the car that
is called the “toeboard”
(A). That,way you’d be less likely to
slide u:nder the lap belt in a crash.

Seats & Restraint Systems
28
Center Passenger Position
lap Belt
[f your vehicle has a bench seat,
someone can sit in the center position.
When you sit in a center seating
position, you have a lap safety belt,
which has no retractor.
To make the belt longer, tilt the latch
plate and pull it along the belt. To make the belt shorter, pull its free
end as shown until the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same
way as the lap part of a lap-shoulder
belt. If the belt isn’t long enough, see
Safety Belt Extender at the end of this
section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned
so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.

Rear Seat Passengers
(2-DOOR OLDSMOBILES)
It’s very important for rear seat
passengers to buckle up! Accident
statistics show that unbelted people in
the rear seat are hurt more often in
crashes than those who are wearing
safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren’t safety
belted can be thrown out
of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike others in
the vehicle who are wearing safety belts. Rear Seat Outside Passenger
Posifions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have
lap-shoulder belts. Here’s how to wear
one properlv.
. Pick up the latch plate and pull the
belt across you. Don’t let it get
twisted.
until it clicks.
I. Push the latch plate into the buckle
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If the belt stops before it reaches the
buckle, tilt the latch plate and keep
pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure
it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety
Belt Extender at the end of this section.
Make sure the release button on the
buckle is positioned
so you would be
able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down
on the buckle end of the belt as you
pull up
on the shoulder part. The lap part
of the belt should be worn
low and snug on the hips, just touching
the thighs. In a crash, this applies force
to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be
less likely to slide under the lap belt. If
you slid under it, the belt would apply
force at your abdomen. This could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest. These
parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden
stop or a crash.