1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Owners Manual

How the Air Bag System Works
,
The right front passenger's air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
Where is the air bag?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
1-18
ProCarManuals.com

When should an air bag Mate?
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 km/h). The ~.esh~Ld level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above m below this range. If your
vehicle strikes’something that willmove ar defm, such
as
a parked car, th6 thre@mld level will be higher, The
air bag is not designed to’inflate
in rollovers, side
impacts, or rear impacts, because Mation
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 darnage
is only one
indication
of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient seventy,
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.
ProCarManuals.com

How does an air bag restrain?
In modmate 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. Some components 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.
When an air bag inflates, th
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with
a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyon
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do
If you have breathing problems but can’t get
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates,
fresh air by opening a
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields
are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur frm the
right Eront passenger
air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they
inflate; you’ll need some new parts for your air
hag. system. If you Bon’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you
in another crash.
A new sys- wiIl include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service md for your
vehicle cov’ers the need to replace other parts.
1-20
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Pontiac
Air bags affect how your Pontiac 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
Pontiac dealer and the 1995 Bonneville 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.
1-21
ProCarManuals.com

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured
if they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be
worn as low as possible
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is t’o protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be
hurt in a crash. FOT
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position,”
earlier in
this section.
’ When the lap portion of the belt is pulled out all the
way, it will lock.
If it does, let it go back all the way and
start again.
If your vehicle has a center passenger position, be sure
to use the correct buckle when buckling your
lap-shoulder belt.
If you find that the latch plate will not
go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the buckle
for the center passenger position.
1-22
ProCarManuals.com

Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.
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.
1-23
ProCarManuals.com

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
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 Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
1-24
ProCarManuals.com

!. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t let
it get twisted.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure, When
the lap belt
is pulled out all the way, it will
lock.
If it does, let it go back all the way and start
again.
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.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
1-25
ProCarManuals.com