Page 48 of 372
Larger Children Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to a
window so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
Accident statistics show that cl-uldren are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
0 Children who aren't buckled up can be thrown out in
0 Children who aren't buckled up can strike other
a
crash.
people who are.
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Q=
A:
What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child
is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is
on the child's
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child's upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
If the
child is sitting
in a rear seat outside position, see
"Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides" in the Index. If
the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very
close to the child's fxe or neck, you might
want to place the child
in the center seat position,
the one that has
only a lap belt.
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Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force
to the child’s
pelvic bones
in a crash.
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Page 51 of 372

Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if ;L safety belt isn't long enough to fasten, your
retailer
will order you an extender. 1t.s free. When you
the extender
will be long enough for you. The extender
will be just for you. and just for the seat in your vehicle
that you choose. Don't let someone else use
it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it. just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
2 00 in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure all your belts. buckles, latch
plates, retractors, anchorages and reminder systems are
working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged
restraint system parts.
If you see anything that might
keep
a restraint system from doing its job. have it
repaired.
Torn or frayed belts may not protect you
in a crash.
They can
rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is torn
or frayed, get
a new one right away.
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Replacing Seat and Restraint System
Parts After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very
minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If you ever see a label on the driver’s or the right front
passenger’s safety belt that says to replace the belt, be
sure to do
so. Then the new belt will be there to help
protect you in an accident. You would see this label on
the belt near the latch plate.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time
of the collision.
If your seat adjuster won’t work after a crash, the special
part of the safety belt that goes through the seat to the
adjuster may need to be replaced.
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Safety Belt Reminder Light
FASTEN
BELTS
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.
The safety belt light will also
come on and stay on for about
70 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled, neither the chime nor the light
will come on.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light
tells you
if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensors and modules, the
wiring and
the diagnostic module. For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR BAG
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. This
means the system is
ready.
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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If you notice a reduction in sound quality, regardless of
when the tape player was last cleaned, try playing a
different cassette tape to see if the tape or the tape player is
at fault.
If the second cassette results in no improvement in
sound quality, try cleaning the tape player.
Proper tape player cleaning should be done
with a
scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette. This is
a wet-type cleaning system that uses a cleaning cassette
with pads which scrub the tape head as the hubs of the
cleaner cassette turn. If you use this type of cleaner, the
radio
may display an error and eject the cartridge. This
is normal and
is the result of an added feature in the tape
player that detects broken tapes.
If an error occurs, you
will need
to insert the cleaning cassette at least three
times to ensure thorough cleaning.
You may prefer to
use a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with
a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
cause an error, but may not clean as thoroughly as the
scrubbing-type cleaner. Whichever cleaning method
YOLI choose, follow the
instructions included with the cleaning cassette to
properly clean the tape player. Cleaning cassettes are
available
in most stores that sell audio products. A
scrubbing action cleaning cassette is available through
your retailer (SPO#
12344600).
Cassette tape adapter kits for portable CD players will
not work in your cassette player. These adapters will
cause the radio to display an error and the adapter
cassette
will eject.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean
it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick
up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge
of the hole and the outer edge.
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Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different
kinds of roads and
in varying weather conditions. We've
also included many other LIS~~LI~ tips on driving.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start
with a very important safety device in your
A~lr01-a: Buckle up. (See "Safety Belts" in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means "be ready for anything.
On city streets, rural roads. or freeways,
it means
"always expect the unexpected."
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
..
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are
cotnmon. Allow enough
following distance. It's the best defensive driving
maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle
in front of you is going to brake
or
turn suddenly.
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