1995 CHEVROLET CORVETTE instrument panel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument panel . . . or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and
your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such
good sense.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG . The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. See “Air Bag
Readiness Light” in the Index for more information.
How the Air Bag System Works
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Where is the air bag?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel. The passenger's air bag is in the instrument panel
on the passenger's side.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. 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 15 mph (14 to 24 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.
It is possible that in a crash only one of the two air bags
in your Corvette will deploy.
This is rare, but can
happen in a crash just severe enough to make an air bag
inflate.
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
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the 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. The air bag supplements 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 and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the passenger’s bag, will be hot for
a short time, but the part of the bag that comes into
contact with you will not be hot to the touch. There will
be some smoke and dust coming from vents in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation will not prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor will it stop people from leaving the vehicle. In many crashes severe enough to
inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
passenger air bag.
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The 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 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 dealer for
service.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
passenger’s air bag, they 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 passenger’s
air bag.
Do not open or break the air bag covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Corvette
Air bags affect how your Corvette 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
Chevrolet dealer and the
1995 Corvette Service Manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag system. To purchase a service manual, see
“Service Publications” in the Index.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and
optional features on your Corvette, and information on
starting, shifting and braking. Also explained are the
instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if
everything is working properly -- and what to do if you
have a problem.
Keys
2-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ignition Switch
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
ACC (A): Position in which you can operate your
electrical power accessories. Press in the ignition switch as you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position in which you can remove
the key.
This locks your steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission. If
you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to LOCK unless the shift lever is
in the PARK (P) position.
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position
if your
vehicle. must be pushed or towed.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in the
RUN position when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
RUN to operate your electrical power accessories and to
display some instrument panel warning and indicator
lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release
the key. The ignition switch will return to RUN
for normal driving.
When
the engine is not running, ACC and RUN allow
you to operate your electrical accessories, such as the
radio.
A warning tone will sound if you open the driver’s door
when the ignition
is in OFF, LOCK or ACC and the key
is in the ignition.