1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA Owners Manual

Q: What's wrong with this'!
I
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
I I I I I I 1
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn't have the full width
of the
belt
to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted,
make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
your retailer to fix it.
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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 Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) System
This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) system 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:
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. Air
bags are “supplemental restraints” to the safety
belts.
All air bags are designed to work with
safety belts, but don’t replace them.
Air bags are
CAUTION: (Continued)
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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 should wear
a
safety belt properly -- whether or not there’s an
air bag for that person.
/i CAUTION:
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 before and during 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 AIR BAG.
The system checks the air bag 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 System Works
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
A CAUTION:
Don’t attach anything to, or put anything
between an occupant and an air bag.
If
something is between the driver and the air bag,
the bag might not inflate properly or it might
force the object into you and cause injury. The
path of an inflating air bag must be kept clear,
so
don’t attach or put anything on or near the
steering wheel hub.
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When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. 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
14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 ktdh). 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
how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and
near-frontal impacts.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving“
in the Index for more tips on off-road driving.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. The sensing
system triggers
a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware
are all part of the air bag module 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 an air bag inflates,
it quickly deflates, 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 parts
of the bag that come into contact
with you may be
warm, but not too hot to touch. There
will be some
smoke and dust coming from vents
in the deflated air
bag. Air bag inflation doesn‘t prevent the driver from
seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor does
it
stop people from leaving the vehicle.
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 tu do so.
If you have breathing problenls but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening
a window or door.
0
e
e
The air bag is designed to inflate only once. After it
inflates. ~011’11 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,
the bag 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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Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Oldsmobile
The air bag affects how your Oldsmobile 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 Oldsmobile retailer and the Bravada Service
Manual have information about servicing your vehicle
and the air bag system.
To purchase a service manual,
see "Service and Owner Publications"
in the Index.
For up to
10 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 in,jured 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.
Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile
Q.' If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the
front of my vehicle,
will it keep the air bag from
working properly?
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is
attached to your vehicle so that the vehicle's basic
structure isn't changed, it's not likely to keep the
air bag from working properly
in a crash.
Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the
air bag from
working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle's
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or height,
they lnay keep the air bag system from working
properly. Also, the air bag system may not work
properly
if you relocate any of the air- bag sensors. If
you have any question about this, you should contact
Customer Assistance before you modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are
in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure
in this manual. See "Customer
Satisfaction Procedure"
in the Index.)
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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured
if they don’t wear safety belts.
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. 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 driver3 safety belt. See “Driver Position’’
earlier
in this section.
When the shoulder belt
is pulled out all the way, it will
lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again.
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.
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