2003 CHEVROLET ASTRO CARGO VAN belt

5. Pull the rest of the belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor while you push down on the
child restraint. You may ®nd 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.
1-61

Air Bag System
This part explains the air bag system.
Your vehicle has air bags ± one air bag for the driver
and another air bag for the right front passenger.
Frontal air bags are designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an in¯ating air bag. But these
air bags must in¯ate very quickly to do their job
and comply with federal regulations.
Here are the most important things to know about the
air bag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you aren't wearing your safety belt Ð even if
you have air bags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Air bags are designed to work
with safety belts, but don't replace them.
Air bags are designed to deploy only in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They aren't designed to in¯ate at all
in rollover, rear or low-speed frontal crashes,
or in many side crashes. And, for some
unrestrained occupants, air bags may provide
less protection in frontal crashes than more
forceful air bags have provided in the past.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly Ð whether or not there's an air
bag for that person.
1-62

{CAUTION:
Air bags in¯ate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. If you're too close to an
in¯ating air bag, as you would be if you were
leaning forward, it could seriously injure you.
Safety belts help keep you in position before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with air bags. The driver should sit
as far back as possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in¯ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle's safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see Older Children on page 1-35 and Infants
and Young Children on page 1-38.
1-63

What Makes an Air Bag In¯ate?
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
in¯ator, which in¯ates the air bag. The in¯ator, 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 many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is
not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
1-67

·Air bags are designed to in¯ate only once. After
they in¯ate, 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 system commands air bag in¯ation and
driver's safety belt usage at deployment. The
module also records speed, engine rpm, brake and
throttle data.
·Let only quali®ed technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air
bag system won't work properly. See your dealer for
service.
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.
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
in¯ate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-11.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still in¯ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it in¯ates. Avoid wires
wrapped with yellow tape or 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 quali®ed to do so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
1-69

Restraint System Check
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. 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.
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.
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.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in
your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may
not properly protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure your restraint
systems are working properly after a crash,
have them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
1-71

If you've had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH
system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be
if worn during a more sever crash, the you need
new parts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need to have LATCH
system, safety belt or seat parts repaired or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the belt
or LATCH system wasn't being used at the time of
the collision.If your seat adjuster won't work after a crash, the
special part of the safety belt that goes through the seat
to the adjuster may need to be replaced.
If an air bag in¯ates, you'll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier
in this section.
1-72

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
·Passengers Ð especially children Ð can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors aren't locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
·Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
·Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
To unlock your door from the outside, use your key
or remote keyless entry transmitter, if equipped.
For more information, see
Remote Keyless Entry
System on page 2-4.
To lock the front doors and
sliding side door from the
inside, slide the manual
lock levers down. To
unlock the front doors and
the sliding side door
from the inside, slide the
manual lock levers
up. When the red mark on
the lock lever is visible,
the door is unlocked.
2-7