1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM Owners Manual

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. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
down on the child restraint.
directions to be sure it is secure.
If it isn’t, secure the
restraint in a different place
in the vehicle and
contact the child restraint maker for their advice
about how to attach the child restraint properly.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or larger
child passenger.
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Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
A CAUTION:
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. Put 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.
1-43

Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed.
If the shoulder belt goes in front of the child’s face or
neck, put it behind the child restraint.
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.
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6. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while
you push down
on the child restraint.
7. 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.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
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.
e.’ 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?
A: 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.
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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 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.
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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 neces
san 1-
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,

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.
2-2 2-4
2-7
2-
10
2-12 2-13 2-13
2-
14
2- 16
2-19
2-2
1
2-25
2-28
2-29
2-3
1
Keys
Door Locks
Keyless Entry System (If Equipped)
Trunk
Theft
Passlock
TM
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Manual Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic Transaxle
Models Only) Shifting Out of PARK (P) (Automatic
Transaxle Models Only) 2-3
1
2-32
2-32
2-33
2-34
2-35
2-35 2-43
2-48
2-50
2-52
2-53
2-53
2-54
2-58
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle Only)
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transaxle)
Windows
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
Turn SignaUMultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
Accessory Power Outlet
Garment Hook
Sunroof (If Equipped)
The Instrument Panel
--
Your Information System
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
2-1