1997 PONTIAC GRAND AM child lock

How 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 Pontiac, 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.
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.
1-13

Door Locks
A CAUTION: '" '
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, you can use your key in the door lock.
You can also use the Keyless Entry System if your
vehicle has this option. From
the inside, you can lock the door by sliding the
locking lever rearward.
To unlock the door, slide the locking lever forward.
2-4

Rear Door Security Lock
Your Pontiac is equipped
with rear door security
locks that help prevent
passengers from opening
the rear doors of your
vehicle from the inside.
To use one of these locks:
1. Use a key to move the lock all the way up.
2. Close the door.
3. Do the same thing to the other rear door lock. The
rear doors of your vehicle cannot be opened from
the inside when this feature is in use. If you want to
open a rear door when the security lock is on:
1. Unlock the door from the inside.
2. Then open the door from the outside.
If you don’t cancel the security lock feature, adults or
older children who ride in the rear won’t be able to open
the rear door from the inside. You should let adults and
older children know how these security locks work, and
how to cancel the locks.
1. To cancel the rear door lock, unlock the door from
the inside and open the door from the outside.
2. Use a key to move the lock all the way down.
3. Do the same for the other rear door.
The rear door locks will now work normally.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your key, open your
door and set the locks from the inside. Then get out and
close the door.
2-6

Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over
a hill and find a
truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right
in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time \
for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Pontiac can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from
a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left
or
right depending on the space available. An
emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-12

Brake Adjustment
.......... ........ ... 6-34
Master Cylinder
.............................. 6-30
Parking
..................................... 2-2 8
Pedal Travel
................................. 6-34
Replacing System Parts
........................ 6-34
System Warning Light
.................... 2-60, 6-31
Trailer
...................................... 4-38
Transaxle Shift Interlock Check
.................. 7-43
Wear
....................................... 6-33
Brakes. Anti-Lock
............................... 4-7
Braking
........................................ 4-6
Braking in Emergencies
.......................... 4- 11
Break-In. New Vehicle
.......................... 2- 13
Brightness Control
.............................. 2-45
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-35
Back-up Lamps
.............................. 6-39
CHMSL
.................................... 6-38
DomeLamp
................................. 6-40
Headlamps .................................. 6-36
Taillamps
................................. 6-39
Fluid
....................................... 6-30
BTSICheck
................................... 7-43
c aliper/Knuckle Maintenance Inspection ........... 7-46
Canadian Roadside Assistance
...................... 8-8
Capacities and Specifications ...................... 6-64
Carbon Monoxide
.......... 2-10.2-32,2-33,4-29,4-38
Cassette Deck Service ........................... 7-41
Cassette Tape Player
.................. 3-10.3-13. 3-19
Cassette Tape Player Care
........................ 3-25
Cassette Tape Player Errors .................. 3-1 1. 3- 15
CD Adapter Kit ........................... 3-13. 3-16 CD Player Theft-Deterrent Feature
................. 3-21
Center Console Cupholder
........................ 2-50
Center Console Storage Area
...................... 2-50
Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp Bulb Replacement
... 6-38
Center Rear Passenger Position
.................... 1-33
Certification Label
.............................. 4-33
Chains. Safety
................................. 4-38
Chains. Tire
................................... 6-49
Changing a Flat Tire
............................. 5-22
Check Engine Light
............................. 2-65
Check Oil Light
........................... 2-68. 6-12
Checking Your Restraint Systems
.................. 1-48
Chemical Paint Spotting
.......................... 6-56
Child Restraints
................................ 1-36
Securing in a Rear Outside Seat Position
........... 1-39
Securing in the Center Rear Seat Position
.......... 1-41
Securing in the Passenger Seat Position
........... 1-43
Securing in the Right Front Seat Position
.......... 1-43
TopStrap
................................... 1-38
WheretoPut
................................ 1-37
Cigarette Lighter
............................... 2-51
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
....................... 6-59
Cleaner. Air
................................... 6-18
Cleaning
...................................... 6-49
Aluminum Wheels
............................ 6-55
Fabric
...................................... 6-50
Glass
....................................... 6-53
Inside of Your Pontiac
......................... 6-50
Instrument Panel
............................. 6-52
Leather
..................................... 6-52
Outside
of Your Pontiac ........................ 6-54
Special Problems
............................. 6-51
Stains
...................................... 6-51
Tires ....................................... 6-55
9-2

Radio Reception .............................. 3-23
Radios
........................................ 3-8
Rain, Driving In
................................ 4- 18
Reading Lamps
........................... 2-46, 2-47
Rear
Door Security Locks
........................... 2-6
Outside Seat Position
.......................... 1-27
Safety Belt Comfort Guides
..................... 1-3 1
Seatpassengers
.............................. 1-27
Window Defogger
............................. 3-6
Rear Seat Cupholder ............................ 2-5 1
RearTowing
................................... 5-12
Rearview Mirror
Inside
...................... .......... 2-48
Outside, Manual
.............................. 2-49
Outside, Power
............................... 2-49
Reclining Front Seatbacks
......................... 1-4
Recreational Vehicle Towing
...................... 4-30
Refrigerants, Air Conditioning
.................... 6-65
Remote Cassette Tape Player
.......................... 3- 19
Fuel Door Release
............................. 6-6
Trunk Release ................................ 2-1 1
Bulbs ...................................... 6-63
Parts ....................................... 6-65
Wheel
...................................... 6-47
Replacing Safety Belts
........................... 1-48
Reporting Safety Defects
......................... 8-10
Restraints
Replacement
Checking
................................... 1-48
Child
....................................... 1-36
Head
........................................ 1-5
Replacing Parts After a Crash ................... 1-48 Systemcheck
................................ 7-42
Reverse. Automatic Transaxle
..................... 2-22
Reverse. Manual Transaxle
....................... 2-26
Right Front Passenger Position
.................... 1-21
Roadside Assistance
.............................. 8-6
Roadside Assistance. Canadian
..................... 8-8
Rocking Your Vehicle ........................... 5-34
Rotation. Tires
................................ 6-43
safety Belt Extender
.......................... 1-48
Safety Belts
.................................... 1-7
Care
....................................... 6-53
Children
.................................... 1-35
Driver Position
............................... 1-13
Extender
.................................... 1-48
How to Wear Properly
......................... 1-13
Incorrect Usage .................... 1 - 16, 1-46, 1-47
LapBelt
.................................... 1-34
Lap-Shoulder
............ .......... 1-13, 1-27
Larger Children
.............................. 1-45
Passenger Position
............................ 1-21
Questions and Answers
........................ 1-12
Rear Comfort Guides
.......................... 1-31
Rear Seat Passengers
.......................... 1-27
Reminder Light
.......................... 1-8, 2-59
Replacing After a Crash
........................ 1-48
Right Front Passenger Position
.................. 1-21
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
................... 1-15
Smaller Children and Babies
.................... 1-35
Use
During Pregnancy ......................... 1-20
Adults ...................................... 1-13
Center Rear Passenger Position
.................. 1-33 .
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions ............ 1-27
WhyTheyWork
............................... 1-9
9-8