1996 CHEVROLET ASTRO Owners Manual

I A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position
for an air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with an air bag. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control of
~ the vehicle.
I A CAUTION: ..
AIR
BAG
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, See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle. To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
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1
I How the Gir Bag System Works
Where is the air bag?
’he driver’s air bag.is in the middle of the steering wheel.
I The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel
on the passenger’s side.
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Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to, the
steering wheel or instrument panel.
Also, don’t
put anything (such
as pets or objects) between any
occupant and the steering wheel or instrument
panel. And don’t hang anything from the assist
handle on the passenger’s side
of the instrument
panel. If something
is between an occupant and an
air bag, it could affect the performance
of the air
I bag -- or worse, it could cause injury.
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 11 to 16 mph (1 8 to 26 km/h). 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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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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Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
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.
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service.
0 Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle 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
GM dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To
purchase a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications”
in the Index.
NOTICE:
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.
.
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Adding Equipment to Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
@ If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the
front
of my vehicle, will it keep the air bags
from working properly?
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is
attached
to your vehicle so that the vehicle’s basic
structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep the
air bags from working properly in a crash.
Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the air bags from
working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or
height, they may keep the air bag system from working properly. Also, the air bag system may not
work properly if
you relocate any of the air bag
sensors. If you have any question about this,
you
should contact Customer Assistance before you
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.
modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two
of the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure”
in the Index.)
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mQther. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more
likely that the fetus won’t be
hurt in a crash. For
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 belt
is pulled out all the way, it will lock.
If
it does, let it go back all the way and start again.
Rear Seat Passengers
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt’
1 I It’s important for rear seat .passengers to buckle These positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here’s‘how to
; Accident statistics show that unbeited people in the rear wear one properly,
i 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.
..
1. .I :, ..
..
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1. 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. If
the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
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.
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