1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

A child in a child. restraint in the center €ront
seat can be
badly injnred ~1 killed by the sight
front passenger air bag if it idates, even though
your vehicle has reduced-force frontal air bags.
Never secure
a child restraiamt in the center
front seat. It’s always better to secure a child
restraint
in the rear seat. You may secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right
font passenger seat, but before you do, always
PPEQV~ the fr~nt passenger seat as far back as it
will gap. It’s better to secure the child restraint in
8 rear seat.
See the earlier part about the top strap if the child
restraint has one.
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I. Make the belt &Y !omg as possible by tilting the Batch
2. But &e reatmint on the seat.
3. Run the vehidc's safety belt through or around the
restraint.
The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
plate and pulling ,it dong the belt.
4. 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.
5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you're using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may find it
helpful to use
your knee to push down on the child
restraint
as you tighten the belt.
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6. Push and pull the child restraint in differezt
directions
to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
sa€ety belt.
It will be ready to work for an adult cr larger
child passenger.
U
YQUT vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
part aboemt the top strap if the chiid restraint has one. Be
sure to FokBow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it wi6i go
before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
(See “Seats” in the Index.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. 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.
- .. L - 7 &fcT
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4. 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.
5. Pull the rest of the kip belt dl the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.
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6. TQ tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push
down on the child restraint.
~QU may find it helpful to use pur knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
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.
7 Bush and pull the child restraint in different
$0 emove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
directions to be sure it is secure.
belt and let
it go back all the way. The safety belt
Nil1 move freely again and be ready to work for an adult
larger child passenger.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restmined in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
e Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out
e Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
in
a crash.
people
who are.
. . .. A: ~ove ~e c~d ~QWS~ &e center of fie vekcle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is 0111 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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If the vehicle's safety belt will fasteE around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn't long enough io fasten, your
dealer
will order you an extender. It's free. When you go
in io 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 bel:.
zsl.
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Now and then, make sure the safety belt rerniader 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.
Tom or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is tom or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for army opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired
or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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