1998 CADILLAC CATERA Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A rear-facing infant restraint (B) positions an infant
to face the rear
of the vehicle. Rear-facing infant
restraints are designed for infants of up to about
20 lbs. (9 kg) and about one year of age. This type
of restraint faces the rear
so that the infant’s head,
neck and body can have the support they need in a
crash. Some infant seats come in two parts
-- the
base stays secured in the vehicle and the seat part
is removable.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A forward-facing child restraint (C-E) positions a
child upright to face forward in the vehicle. These
forward-facing restraints are designed to help protect
children who are
from 20 to 40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg) and
about
26 to 40 inches (66 to 102 cm) in height, or up
to around four years of age. One type, a convertible
restraint, is designed
to be used either as a rear-facing
infant seat or
a forward-facing child seat.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children
who are about
40 to 60 lbs. (1 8 to 27 kg) and
about four to eight years
of age. It’s designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
Booster seats with shields use lap-only belts;
however, booster seats without shields use lap-shoulder belts. Booster seats can also help
a child to see out the window.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child
restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it
is, it
will have a label saying that it meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.
Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may
find these instructions on the restraint itself or in
a
booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system
in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured
within the restraint to help reduce the chance
of personal
injury. The instructions that come with the infant or
child restraint will show
you how to do that. Both the
owner’s manual and the child restraint instructions are
important,
so if either one of these is not available,
obtain a replacement copy from the manufacturer.
Where to Put the Restraint
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We at
General Motors therefore recommend that you put your
child restraint in the rear seat.
Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front passenger seat. Here’s why:
I
A child in a rearfacing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates, even though your
vehicle has Next Generation frontal air bags, This
is because the back of the rearfacing child
restraint would be very close
to the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rearfacing child restraint
in a rear seat,
You may secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, but before you
do, always
move the front passenger seat
as far back as it
will
go. It’s better to secure the child restraint in
a rear seat.
Wherever you install it, be sure to secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured child restraint can
move around in
a collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle.
Be sure to properly secure any
child restraint in your vehicle
-- even when no child
is in it.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Catera dealer to put it in for you. If you
want to install
an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell
you how to do it.
Canadian law requires that child restraints have
a top
strap, and that the strap be anchored.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Put the restraint on the seat.
2. 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.
3. 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock. 5. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the
retractor 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.
directions to be sure it is secure.
6. 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.
I 1-50

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position You’ll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See the earlier
part about the top strap if the child restraint has one.
Be
sure to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1.
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here’s why:
2.
3.
I
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s air bag inflates, even though your
vehicle has Next Generation frontal air bags. This
is because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflating air
bag. Always secure
a rear-facing child restraint
in the rear seat.
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.)
Put the restraint on the seat.
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.