1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out of the way.
Before you close the
door, be sure the belt is out of the
way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the
belt and your vehicle.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
This part explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) or air bag system.
Your Oldsmobile has an air bag
for the driver.
Here are the most important things to know about the air
bag system:
I
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you aren’t wearing your safety belt -- even if you
have an
air bag. Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things
inside the vehicle or being ejected from
it. The air
bag is only a “supplemental restraint.” That is, it
works with safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
Air bags are designed to work only in moderate to
severe crashes where the front of your vehicle
hits
something. They aren’t designed to inflate at all in
rollover,
rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle, including the driver,
should wear
a safety belt properly -- whether or
not there’s an
air bag for that person.
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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, and sit as far back as you can
while still maintaining control
of your vehicle.
AIR BAG
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows the
words
AIR BAG.
I 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.
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How the Air Bag SysteL-- W - 1-3
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
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..
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A, LAUTION
-~ -
Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to, the
steering wheel. Also, don’t put anything (such as
pets or objects) between the driver and the
steering wheel.
If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, it could affect the
performance
of the air bag -- or worse, it could
cause injury.
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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
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 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 module
packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel.
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.
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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 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 bag. 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.
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I
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 bag is designed to inflate only once. After it
inflates, 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 the air bag module and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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 retailer
for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s air bag,
it may not work properly. You may have
to
replace the air bag module. Do not open or break
the air bag cover.
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile
The air bag affects how your Oldsmobile should be
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
serviced. There
are Parts of the air bag system in several
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
places around your vehicle. You don’t want the system
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.
I to inflate while someone is working on your vehicle.
I Your Oldsmoblle retailer and the Silhouette Service
1 Manual have information about servicing your vehicle
1 and the air bag system. To purchase a service manual,
see “Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
For up to two 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.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be
worn as low as possible, below
the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
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The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. 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.
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
n
U
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.
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1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
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.
The shoulder belt may lock if you
pull the belt across Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
You very quickly* If this let the go back If the belt is not long enough, see “Safety Belt
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you
more slowly. Extender” at
the end of this section. Make sure the
release button on the buckle is positioned
so you would
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever
had to.
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