1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO tow

2-Way Front Seat
The bucket seats can be
adjusted forward or
rearward by the lever at
the front
of the seat.
Manual Lumbar Support (Option)
Move the seat adjustment lever at the front of the seat
toward the driver’s door to unlock
it. Slide the seat to
where you want it. Then release the lever and try to
move the seat with your
body, to make sure the seat is
locked
into place.
If you have this feature, there will be a knob on the
inboard side
of the driver and passenger bucket seats.
Turn the knob toward
the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the
vehicle
to decrease lumbar support.
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Head Restraints
Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable
on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down
so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of
your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches (Non-Touring
Bench Seats)
To fold your non-touring
seatback forward, pull up
on the latch release lever
while pulling the seatback
toward
you.
The lever is on the right rear
of your seat. unlock
the seat by pushing forward on the lever, while
pushing down
on the seat. Make sure the seatback is
locked when it is put back
in the upright position.
After the latch has been released, push the seatback
down until it locks
in place. To raise the seatback,
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move
forward
in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked.
Rear Seats
A seat that isn't locked into place properly can
move around in
a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.

1 A, CAUTION:
A safety belt that is twisted or not properly
attached won’t provide the protection needed in
a crash. The person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After installing the seat, always
check to be sure that the safety belts are not
twisted and are properly attached.
Bucket Seats
If you have rear bucket seats in your vehicle, they will
recline and adjust the same way as the front manual
bucket seats. See “Reclining Seatbacks” earlier in this
section or in the Index.
Bench Seats
If you have bench seats in your vehicle, each seat can
carry up
to three passengers. They can also be removed
to increase storage space. The
center and rear bench seats
can be adjusted forward
or rearward by
the lever at the front of the seat.
Move the seat adjustment
lever at
the front of the seat
toward the passenger’s side
to unlock
it. Slide the seat to
where you want it. Then
release the lever and try to
move the’seat with your
body,
to make sure the seat
is locked into place.
The non-touring center bench seat has a pivoting
right armrest. The left armrest can also be used as
a
storage compartment.
The optional touring bench seats come with moveable
armrests, individual reclining seatbacks, adjustable
headrests and a fold-down center console.
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4. If you are replacing the center seat, connect the right
lap-shoulder belt to
the attachment on the seat
cushion. If you have a safety belt guide on your seat,
pull the belt through the guide before reattaching the
lap-shoulder belt to the side of the seat. The release
hole should be facing outward.
If you installed the safety belt with the release hole
facing inward (toward the seat), slide the plastic
cov’er up
so you can see the buckle. Disconnect the
seat belt. Slide the cover back down and reinstall the
belt correctly.
NOTICE:
Be sure to put the correct seats back in the proper
positions
so the safety belts will work properly.
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not
do
with safety belts.
And
it explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR),
or air bag system.
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly
too.

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, rear impacts 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. The part of the bag that comes
into contact with
you may be warm, but it will never be
too hot to 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.
I A CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do
so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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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A CAUTION:
-
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces.
In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
@ 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?
A: Move the child toward the centex 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 face or neck, you might
want to place
the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
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Front Doors
To open the front side door from the outside, grasp the
handle and pull the door open.
To open the front side door
from the inside, pull the
lever toward you and push
the door open.
Rear Doors
If you have the Dutch doors, you must open the
hatch first.
To open the rear doors from
the outside, open the
passenger's side rear door
first. Grasp the handle and
pull the door open.
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Sliding Door
To open the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
back and slide the door to the rear until it latches in the
open position.
To close the sliding side door, pull the handle toward the
front to release
the rear latch, and slide the door forward.
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