1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

4. Lift up on the seat release latch. The latches are near
the floor
on the rear legs of the seat. To relieve
pressure
on the latch, pull back on the seat.
5. Lift up on the rear of the seat to remove the seat
assembly from the rear latch pins. Then, pull back
and lift the seat
out of the vehicle.
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Replacing the Rear Seats
To replace the rear seats, do the following:
1. Lower the seat into position. Make sure the front
retainers are hooked onto the anchor pins.
2. Pull the seat down to latch the rear retainers. Make
sure the seat is locked in by pulling up and down on
the seat.
3. Raise the seatback by pushing forward on the latch at
the right rear
of the seat. Pull up on the seatback
until it
is locked securely in the up position.
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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.

Your vehicle has a light that
comes
on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash,
you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many
of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have
been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on whee\
ls.
1-12 -5

I
I
Put someone on it. Get
it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield
...
or the instrument panel ...
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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.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
e.’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after
an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be
in most
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.

@ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
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.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware
that there are special things to know about safety
belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies. If a child will be riding
in your
vehicle, see the part
of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First,
you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
?. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
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