1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU belt

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .* a The 1997 Chevrolet Malibu Owner’s Manual
1-1
2-1
3-1
4- 1
5- 1
6-1
7-1
8-1
9- 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Chevrolet.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Chevrolet running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance \
and how to get service and owner publications.
It
also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-10.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
i

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 1 Seats and Seat Restraints
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Chevrol\
et and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should
not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
1-8 1-11
1-12 1-15 Seats and Controls
Manual Seats
Power Seats
Reclining Front Seatbacks
Rear Seats
Why Safety Belts Work
Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster 1-20
1-23
1-30
1-34
1-36
1-37
1-47
1-47 1-47 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Questions and Answers About Air Bags Safety Belt Comfort Guides
How to Use Child Restraints
Important Information for Buckling Children in Child Restraints
Child Restraint Top Straps
How to Obtain a Safety Belt Extender
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Replacing Parts After a Crash
1-1
-----

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because
it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front
of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck
or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either.
In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
CAUTION: (Continued) For proper
protection when the vehicle is
in motion, have the seatback upright. Then
sit well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest
to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
1-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not
do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(S ;), or air bag system.
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be
if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properly too.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed.
Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle
is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
1-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a
bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are
in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
. .. a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anythi: ,, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
1-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside
down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
1-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
H,,, to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If
a child will
be riding in your Chevrolet, see the part of this
manual called “Children.” Follow those rules for
everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
1-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly.
If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle
the belt.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it
is secure.
If the belt isn’t 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.
1-13