Page 49 of 387
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 sli’de under the belt. The
belt’s force would then
be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could
cause ‘serious or
fatal injuria
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. I
ProCarManuals.com
Page 50 of 387

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
dealer
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. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts.
If you see
anything that might keep
a safety belt 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
tom or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened OF broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The
air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
i
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a
very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But
if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If b’elts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you
will need to have safety belt
or
seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time
of the collision.
If your seat adjuster won’t work after a crash, the special
part
of the safety belt that goes through the seat to the
adjuster may need,to be replaced.
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.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 51 of 387
Page 52 of 387
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and
optional features on your Pontiac, and information on
starting, shifting and braking.
Also explained are the
instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if
everything is working properly -- and what to do if you
have a problem.
Keys
A CAUTION:
-
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the
ignition key
is dangerous for many reasons.
A child or others could be badly injured or
even killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don’t
leave the keys in
a vehicle with young children.
2-1
ProCarManuals.com
Page 53 of 387

The ignition keys are for the
ignition only.
The dam keys are for the
doors
and all other locks. When
a
new Bonneville is delivered, the dealer removes
the plugs
from the keys, and gives them to the fist
owner. However,
the ignition key may not have a plug.
If the ignition key doesn’t have a plug, it will have a
bar-coded key tag.
Each plug or tag has a code
on it that tells your dealer or
a qualified locksmith
how to make extra keys. Keep the
plugs or the tags in a
safe place. If you lose your keys,
you’ll be able to have new ones made easily
using these
plugs or the tag.
If you need a new key, contact your Pontiac dealer who
can obtain the correct key code. Remember to carry the
pre-cut emergency key
which Pontiac sends after
delivery.
In an emergency, call Pontiac Roadside
Assistance at 1-800-ROADSIDE
or 1-800-762-3743.
NOTICE:
I
Your Pontiac has a number of features that can
help prevent theft. But you
can have a lot of
trouble getting into your vehicle if you ever lock
your keys inside. You may even have to damage
your vehicle to get in. So be sure you have
extra keys.
2-2
ProCarManuals.com
Page 54 of 387

Door Locks
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your’vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your ,vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle. From the outside, use your door key
or Remote Keyless
Entry transmitter, if your vehicle has this option. With
your door key, turning the key toward the rear
of the
vehicle
will lock the door and turning the key toward the
front
of the vehicle will unlock it.
If your vehicle has a theft-deterrent system and it
is activated, unlock the doors only with the key or
Remote Keyless
Entry system. This will avoid
setting
off the alarm.
From the inside, to lock the door, slide the locking lever
rearward.
TQ unlock the
door, slidq the locking
lever forward.
2-3
ProCarManuals.com
Page 55 of 387
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, you can lock or unlock all the
doors of your vehicle using the driver’s or front
passenger’s door lock switch.
The switch on each rear door works only that door’s
lock. It won’t lock
(or unlock) all of the doors -- that’s
a safety feature.
Programmable Automatic Door
Locks (Option)
Close your doors and turn on the ignition. Every time
you move
your shift lever out of PARK (P) all of the
doors will
lock. And, every time you stop and move
your shift lever into
PARK (P) and turn the ignition
OFF, your doors will unlock. If someone needs to get
out while you’re not
in PARK (P), have that person use
the
manual or power lock. When the door is closed
again, it will
not lock automatically. Just use the m’anual
or power lock to lock the door again.
Overriding Lock Delay
If you need to lock your doors before shifting out of
PARK (P), just use the manual or power lock button to
lock the doors.
2-4
ProCarManuals.com
Page 56 of 387

Customizing Your Automatic Door Locks Feature
With Remote Keyless Entry, you can program the: automatic door locks feature to change to the following
modes:
Mode
1
2
3
Operation
No automatic door lock or unlock.
All doors automatically lock when shifted out of PARK (P).
No
automatic door unlock.
All doors automatically lock when
shifted out of PARK (P). All the
doors automatically unlock when shifted into
PARK (P) with the
ignition turned
OFF.
Vehicles are delivered programmed in Mode 3.
If your vehicle is equipped with Remote Keyless Entry,
use the following procedure to change modes:
1. Close all doors and turn the ignition on. Keep all
doors closed throughout this procedure.
2. Press and hold the driver’s power door lock switch
through Step
4.
3.
4.
5.
Press the LOCK button on the Remote Keyless Entry
transmitter. The automatic door locks will remain in
the current mode.
Press the LOCK button on the transmitter again.
Each time the transmitter’s LOCK button
is pressed,
the mode will advance by one,
going from 3 to 1 to
2, etc.
Release the power door lock switch. The automatic door locks will remain in the most recent mode
selected.
If your vehicle is not equipped with Remote Keyless
Entry, use the following procedure to change modes:
1. Close all doors and turn the ignition on. Keep all
doors closed throughout this procedure.
2. Press and hold the driver’s power door lock switch
through Step
3.
3. Cycle the PARK (P) shift lever starting in PARK (P)
position to advance by one mode.
4. Release the power door lock switch.
ProCarManuals.com