1995 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which
shows AIR
BAG or the air bag symbol.
The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness
for more information. Light”
in the
Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
I
c
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 in the
instrument panel
on the passenger’s side.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed
is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level
is
about 9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 kdh). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant. In
any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication of this.
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 the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
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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 help you 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 belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Somecomponents of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag,
or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, will
be hot for a short time, but the part of the bag that comes
into contact with you will not be hot to the touch. There
will be some smoke and dust coming from vents in the
deflated
air bags. Air bag inflation will not prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor will it stop people from leaving the vehicle. In
many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger
air bag.
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 for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module,
which records information about the air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of the system, when the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
0 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 NOTICE: I
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to replace the
air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s
air bag. Do not open or
break the
air bag covers. ,
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
1995 Monte Carlo Service
Manual have information about servicing your vehicle
and the
air bag system. To purchase a service manual,
see “Service Publications” in the Index.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Section 2 Features and Controls
.
Here you can learn about the many standard and
optional features on your Chevrolet, and information
on
starting, shifting and braking. Also explained are the
instrument panel and
the warning systems that tell you if
everything is working properly -- and what to do if you
have
a problem.
Keys
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trunk Lock
To unlock the trunk from
the outside, insert the door
key and turn it.
You can
also
use the Remote Lock
Control, if your vehicle has
Remote Trunk Release (Option)
Press the button under
the instrument panel on
the driver’s side. Your
transaxle shift lever
must
Remember that your trunk can be opened at any time
using this lock release. Be sure to lock your doors.
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