2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manuals

1-85
CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the front passenger's
air bag inflates. This is because the back of the
rear
-facing child restraint would be very close
to the inflating air bag. If your vehicle is a
passenger van, always secure a rear
-facing child
restraint in a rear seat.
Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward
-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
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. Because your vehicle has a front passenger air bag,
always move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing a forward
-facing child restraint.
(See ªSeatsº 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.4. 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.

1-86
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. Some vehicles have a child restraint locking feature
on the shoulder belt retractor. You can tell if your
vehicle has this feature by pulling the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor. Then, let the belt go
back a few inches, and try to pull the belt out again.
If you can't pull the belt out because it has locked,
it means the retractor has the child restraint locking
feature. If the belt doesn't lock and you can pull the
belt out of the retractor again, it means your vehicle
doesn't have the child restraint locking feature on the
shoulder belt retractor.

1-87

If your vehicle has the child restraint locking
feature on the shoulder belt retractor, pull the
rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint. You may find it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.

If your vehicle doesn't have the child restraint
locking feature on the shoulder belt retractor,
tighten the belt by pulling up on the shoulder belt
while you push down on the child restraint. You
may find it helpful to use your knee to push down
on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.

1-88
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.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.

1-89
CAUTION:
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.
Q: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 ªRear Safety Belt Comfort Guidesº 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 a seat that has a lap
belt, if your vehicle has one.

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CAUTION:
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.

1-91
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. If your vehicle has a
built
-in child restraint, also periodically make sure the
harness straps, latch plates, buckle, clip, child head
restraint and anchorages are working properly. Look for
any other loose or damaged safety belt and built
-in child
restraint system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt or built
-in child restraint 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.
If your vehicle has the built
-in child restraint, torn or
frayed harness straps can rip apart under impact forces
just like torn or frayed safety belts can. They may not
protect a child in a crash. If a harness strap is torn or
frayed, get a new harness 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.)

1-92
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you've had a crash, do you need new safety belts or
built
-in child restraint parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the safety belts or built
-in child restraint harness
straps were stretched, as they would be if worn during a
more severe crash, then you need new safety belts or
harness straps.
If the frontal air bags inflate, you'll also need to replace
the driver's and right front passenger's safety belt
buckle assembly. Be sure to do so. Then the new buckle
assembly will be there to help protect you in a collision.If safety belts or built
-in child restraint harness straps
are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision damage also
may mean you will need to have safety belt, built
-in
child restraint or seat parts repaired or replaced. New
parts and repairs may be necessary even if the safety belt
or built
-in child restraint wasn't being used at the time
of the collision.
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.