1994 PONTIAC GRAND-AM Owners Manual

Seats & Restraint Systems
Here Are Questions
Many People
Ask
About Safety Belts --
and the Answers (CONT.)
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags
so people won’t have to wear safety
belts?
A: Air bags, or Supplemental Restraint
Systems, are
in some vehicles today
and
will be in more of them in the
future. But they are supplemental
systems only
-- so they work with
safety belts, not instead of them.
Every air bag system ever offered for
sale has required the use of safety
belts. Even
if you’re in a vehicle that
has air bags, you
still have to buckle
up to get the most protection. That’s
true not only
in frontal collisions, but
especially
in side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never
drive far from home, why should I
wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if
you’re in an accident -- even one that
isn’t your fault
-- you and your
passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things
beyond your control, such as bad
drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles
(40 km) of home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Warning Light
When the key is turned to “Run” or
“Start”, a chime
will come on for about
eight seconds to remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is already buckled. The safety
belt
light will also come on and stay on
for 20 seconds, then it will flash for an
additional
55 seconds. If the driver’s belt
is already buckled, neither the chime nor
the light will come on.
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1 How To Wear Safety
Belts Properly
Idults
his section is only for people of adult
ze.
e aware that there are special things to
now about safety belts and children. And
lere are different rules for smaller
ddren
and babies. If a child will be
ding
in your Pontiac, see “Children”
tcated later
in this section. Follow those
des for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint
systems your vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Vehicles First Sold In
Canada
Was your Pontiac first sold, when new, in
Canada? (If it was, a sticker on the
driver’s door will say “conforms to all
applicable Canada motor vehicle
...” etc.)
If so, then the rest of Part 1 does not apply
to your vehicle.
To leai-n how to use your safety belts,
please read the “Owner’s Manual Safety
Belt Supplement”. It comes with every
new Pontiac first sold
in Canada.
I
r
m
i a
I Driver Position
’his section describes the driver’s
zstraint system.
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Seats & Restraint Systems
automatic Lap-Shoulder
3elt
’his safety belt is called “automatic”
lecause you don’t have to buckle up
vhen you get into your vehicle.
P
Y
J1
SI
md you don’t have to unbuckle when
ou get out.
ust get into your vehicle. Then close and
Ick the door. Adjust the seat (to see how,
ee “Seats” in the Index) so you can sit up
traight.
‘
’he lap belt should be worn as low on the
ips as possible. In a crash, this applies
xce to the strong pelvic bones. And
ou’d be less likely to slide under the lap
elt. If you slid under it, the belt would
pply force at your abdomen. This could
ause serious or even fatal injuries. The
houlder belt should
go over the shoulder
nd across the chest. These parts
of the
ody are best able to take belt restraining
xces.
. . . 18
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The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden
;top or a crash.
[t’s possible that an automatic belt could
keep you from fully opening a door. That
:an happen
if the door was slammed shut
very hard. Just close the door all the way,
;hen slowly open it.
If that doesn’t fix it,
:hen your Pontiac needs service.
We hope you’ll always keep your
mtomatic belt buckled. However, you
nay need to unbuckle
it in an emergency.
To unbuckle the automatic belt, just push
the button
on the buckle.
To reattach the automatic belt:
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see
“Seats” in the Index) so you can sit up
straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the
belt across you. Don’t let it get
twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle
until it clicks. Pull up
on the latch
plate to make sure it is secure.
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Seats & Restraint Systems
automatic Lap-Shoulder
3elt (CONT.)
3: What’s wrong with this?
k The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t
give nearly as much protection this
way.
8
Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong
place.
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.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
supplemental Restraint
System
(SRS)
This section explains the driver’s
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS),
commonly referred to as an air bag. Here
are the most important things
to know:
21 ...
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Seats & Restraint Systems
Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS)
(CONE)
AIR BAG
9ir Bag Readiness Light
:here is an air bag readiness light on the
nstrument panel, which shows “Air Bag”
’he system checks for electrical
nalfunctions, and the light tells you
if
here is a problem.
lou will see this light flash for a few
seconds when
you turn your ignition to
‘Run” or “Start.” Then the light should g
)ut, which means the system is ready.
Remember, if the air bag readiness light
ioesn’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.
... 22
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-.
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 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.
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 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 the cloth bag.
The inflator, cloth bag, and related
hardware are all part of the
air bag inklator
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 protektion
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
:ollisions.
II
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