1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

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Securing a Child Restraint in an Outside Seat Position
There’s a vinyl sleeve there; to get to the bracket, push
this vinyl sleeve aside slightly. Anchor the top strap to
the bracket. If you need to have an anchor bracket
installed for any additional passenger seat position, you
can ask your Oldsmobile retailer to put it in for you. If
you want to install an anchor bracket yourself, your
retailer can tell you how to do it.
Once you have the top strap anchored, you’ll be ready to
secure
the child restraint itself. You’ll
be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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7
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Seat Position
5. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down on the child restraint.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to
be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let
it go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger. You’ll be
using the lap belt. See the earlier part about
the top strap
if the child restraint has one.
1. Put the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
2. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
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3. Pull the lap belt all the way out without stopping.
4. While holding it out, run the belt through or around
the child restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show
you how.
5. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had
to.
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Larger Children
6. To tighten the belt, feed it back into the retractor
while you push down on the child restraint.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it
is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it
go back all the way. The safety belt
will move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
or larger child passenger. Children who have outgrown child restraints should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
If you have the choice, a child should sit next to
a
window so the child can wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
a crash.
people who are.
I 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 center 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 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 the center seat position, the one
that has only
a lap belt.
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I
A CAUTION:
I Never do this.
Here
a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt,
but the shoulder part is behind
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should
be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in
a crash.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
retailer will order
you an extender. It’s free. When you
go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear,
so
the extender will be long enough for you. The extender
will be just for you, and just for the seat
in your vehicle
that you choose. Don’t
let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. If your vehicle has
a
built-in child restraint, also periodically make sure the
harness straps, latch plates, buckle, clip, child head
restraint and anchorages are working properly. Look for
any other loose or damaged safety belt and built-in child
restraint system parts.
If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt or built-in child restraint system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Torn
or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If
a belt is
torn or frayed, get
a new one right away. If
your vehicle has the built-in child restraint, torn or
frayed harness straps can
rip apart under impact forces
just like torn or frayed safety belts can. They may not
protect a child in a crash. If
a harness strap is torn or
frayed, get
a new harness right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new safety belts or
built-in child restraint parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the safety belts or built-in child restraint harness
straps were stretched, as they would be if worn during a
more severe crash, then you need new safety belts or
harness straps.
If safety belts or built-in child restraint harness straps are \
cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also may
mean you will need
to have safety belt, built-in child
restraint or seat parts repaired or replaced. New
parts and
repairs may be necesscary even if the safety belt or built-in \
child restraint wasn’t being used at the time of the collis\
ion.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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