1995 CHEVROLET S10 Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System
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This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) system, or air
bag.
Your vehicle has an air bag for the driver.
Here are the most important things
to know about the air bag system:
A CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you aren’t
wearing your safety belt
- even if you have an air bag. Wearing
your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. The air
bag is only a %upplemental restraint.” That is, it works with
safety belts but doesn’t replace them. Air bags are designed to
work only in moderate to severe crashes where the front of your
vehicle hits something. They aren’t designed to inflate at
all in
mllover, rear, side, or low-speed frontal crashes. Everyone in
your vehicle, including the driver, should wear a safety belt
properly
- whether or not there’s an air bag for that person.?i;:? /: .. ., , ’:
A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating air bag, it could seriously
injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for an
air bag
inflation in
a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with an
air
bag, and sit as far back as you can while still maintaining
control
of your vehicle.
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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
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
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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 14 to
18
mph (23 to 29 kdh). 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 the
vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one indication of this.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under a wide range of
conditions, including off-road usage. Observe safe driving speeds,
especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See
“Off-Road Driving” in the Index for more tips on off-road driving.
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
module packed inside the steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel. 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.
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 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 bag. 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.
A CAUTION:
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 in 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.
The air bag is designed to inflate only once. After it inflates, 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 the air bag module and possibly other parts.
The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other
parts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s air bag, it may not work
properly. You may have to replace the air bag module.
Do not
open or break the air bag cover.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
The air bag affects 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 GM
dealer and the
1995 GM 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.
I A CAUTION:
For up to 2 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 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 qualified to do
so.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q t If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the front of my vehicle,
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is attached to your vehicle
will it keep the air bag from working properly?
so that the vehicle’s basic structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep
the air bags from working properly
in a crash.
Q: Is there anything I might add to the front of the vehicle that could
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s frame, bumper
keep the air bag from working properly?
system, front end sheet metal or height, they may keep the air bag
system from working properly.
Also, the air bag system may not work
properly if you relocate any
of the air bag sensors. If you have any
question about this, you should contact Customer Assistance before
you modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are
in Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure’’ in
the Index.)
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely
to be seriously injured if they don’t wear
safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible throughout the pregnancy.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt
is worn properly, it’s more likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash.
For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is
wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s
safety belt. See “Driver Position,” earlier
in this section.
When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it
go back all the way and start again.
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a bench seat, someone can sit in the center position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you sit in a center seating position, you have a lap safety belt, which
has
no retractor. To make the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along
the belt.
I
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap part of a
lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn’t 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.
Rear Seat Passengers (Extended Cab Jump
Seats)
Lap Belt
These are reserve seating positions equipped with lap belts only.
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics
show that unbelted people in the rear seat
are hurt more often in crashes
than those who are wearing safety belts.
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