1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Owner's Manuals

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1 A CAUTION:
A CAUTION:

Where are the air bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.

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When
An air
should an air bag inflate?
bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 14 mph (14 to 23 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
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What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front
of the
right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the
instrument panel.
Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts.
Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would
not help you
in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward those
air bags. Air
bags should never be regarded as anythng more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only
in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
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What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the
air bag inflated.
Some components of the
air bag module -- the steering
wheel hub for the driver’s
air bag, or the instrument panel
for the right front passenger’s bag
-- will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you
may be wm, but not too hot to touch. There
will be
some smoke and dust coming from vents in the deflated
air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t prevent the driver kom
seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor does
it
stop people kom leaving the vehicle.
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When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma
or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone m the
vehicle should get out as
soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
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Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they
inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air bag
system. If you don’t get them, the
air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information about
the
air bag system. The module records information
about the readiness of the system, when the sensors
are activated and driver’s
safety belt usage at
deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work
on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air
bag system won’t work properly. See your retailer
for service.
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NOTICE:
If you damage the covering for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, the bag may not
work properly. You may have to replace the
air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s
air bag. Do not open or
break the
air bag coverings.
If your vehicle ever gets into a lot of water -- such as
water up to the carpeting or higher
-- or if water enters
your vehicle and soaks the carpet, the air bag controller
can be soaked and ruined. If this ever happens, and then
you start your vehicle, the damage could make the air
bags inflate, even
if there’s no crash. You would have to
replace the air bags as well as the sensors and related
parts. If your vehicle is ever in a flood, or if it’s exposed
to water that soaks the carpet, you can avoid needless
repair costs by turning off the vehicle immediately.
Don’t let anyone start the vehicle, even to tow it, unless \
the battery cables are first disconnected.
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Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts
of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
retailer and the Cutlass Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system. To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured
if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the air bag system. Be sure to
follow proper service procedures, and make sure
the person performing work for you
is qualified
to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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1
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted,.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The positions next to the windows have lap-shoulder
belts. Here’s how
to wear one properly.

If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate
to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender” at the end
of this section. Make sure the
release button
on the buckle is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if
you ever had to.
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3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as-you pull up on the shoulder part.
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