1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE belt

Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
n
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
U
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured if the right front passenger’s air
bag inflates. This is because the back
of a
rear-facing child restraint would be very close
to
the inflating air bag. Always secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the rear seat.
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint. (See
“Seats” in the Index.)
2. ht the restraint on the seat. Follow the instructions
for the child restraint.
3. Secure the child in the child restraint as the
instructions say.
4. 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.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
1-39
ProCarManuals.com

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.
6. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor to set
the lock.
1-40
ProCarManuals.com

7. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
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.
directions
to be sure it is secure.
Larger Children
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.
ProCarManuals.com

Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who
are.
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.
A:
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?
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 sitting in a rear seat outside position,
see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” in the Index. 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.
1-42
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here
a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behinc
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, il
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.
1-43
ProCarManuals.com

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
torn or frayed, get a new one 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 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 belts 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.
1-44
ProCarManuals.com

Door Locks
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.
To lock the door
from the
inside,
slide the locking
lever rearward.
To unlock
the door, slide the locking
lever forward.
,
2-4
ProCarManuals.com

Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither the chime
B E LTS nor the light will come on.
FASTEN
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you
if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag modules, the
wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
This light will come on when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system
is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN.
If the
light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
2-65
ProCarManuals.com