1996 PONTIAC PONTIAC Owners Manual

The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel.on the
passenger’s side.
.. a’
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. 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.
1-26
ProCarManuals.com

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 impagts,
., - .because. iflation. 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.
., -: .. ,
., t: _,
.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehcle
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
p,acked inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel
in front of the right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
t
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the steering.whee1 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.
ProCarManuals.com

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
corning 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-
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
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.
~ This dust could cause breathing problems for
I
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the
right front passenger’s air bag.
0 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.
ProCarManuals.com

0
0
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. Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Pontiac
Air bags affect how your Pontiac 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
Pontiac dealer and the Grand Prix Service Manual have
Let only qualified technicians work
on your air
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
bag system. Improper service can mean that your
system. To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
Owner Publications” in the Index.
for service.
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.
I
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned
off and the battery is discomiected, 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.
1-29
ProCarManuals.com

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt
is worn properly, it’s more
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
likely that the fetus won’t b’e hurt in a crash. For
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to
makrng
seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
(2-Door Models)
This part describes the right front passenger’s restraint
system.
If you hav’e a four-door model, see “Right
Front Passenger Position (4-DOOr Models)” later in
this section.
Was your two-door Pontiac first sold, when new, in
Canada? (If
it was, a sticker on the driver’s door will say
“conforms to all applicable Canada motor vehicle
. . . ”
etc.) If so, then this “Right Front Passenger Position
(2-Door Models)” part doesn’t apply to your vehicle. In
two-door models first sold in Canada, the right front
passenger’s
safety belt works the same way as the
driver’s safety belt. See “Driver Position (2-Door
Models)” earlier in this section.
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.
1-30
ProCarManuals.com

Automatic Lap-Shoulder Belt
(2-Door Models)
This safety belt is called “automatic” because you don’t
have
to buckle up when you get into your vehicle. And you don’t
have to unbuckle when you get out.
Just get into your vehicle. Then close and lock the
door.
Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index) so
you can sit up straight.
1-31
I I.
ProCarManuals.com

‘2
The lap belt ,should be worn as low on the hips as :: ,’ +-
possible. In a crash, this applies force to the strong ;; I
pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the
lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force
at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal
injuries.
The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder
and across the chest. These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
....
_.rr .
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or a crash.
It’s possible that an automatic belt could keep you from
fully opening a door. That can happen if the door
was
slammed shut very hard. Just close the door all_the way,
then slowly open it. If that doesn’t fix it, then your
Pontiac needs service.
We hope
you’ll always keep your automatic belt
buckled. Hqwever, you may need to unbuckle it in
an
emergency. And you would need to unbuckle it to let
someone get into the center front seat position,
if your
vehicle has one.
1-32 ‘I
ProCarManuals.com

To unbuckle the automatic belt, just push the button on
the buckle.
To
1.
2.
reattach the automatic belt:
Close and lock the door.
Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Don’t
let it get twisted.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
1-33
ProCarManuals.com