1996 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine &= What's wrong,with this?
n
-
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt goes
over an armrest like this. The belt would be much
too high. In a crash, you can slide under the belt.
The belt force would then be applied at the
abdomen, not at the pelvic bones, and that could
cause serious
or fatal injuries. Be sure the belt
goes under the armrests.
A:' The belt is over an armrest.
1-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q.’ What’s wrong with this?
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In
a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force
to the
ribs, which aren’t as strong as shoulder bones.
You could also severely injure internal organs
like your liver or spleen.
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
I
1-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s wrong with this?
~~
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
You can be seriousl, injured by a twisted belt. In
a crash, you wouldn’t.have the full width of the
belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted,
make it straight
so it can work properly, or ask
your dealer to
fix it.
1-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out
of the way.
Before you close the
door, be sure the belt is out of the
way.
If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the
belt and your vehicle.
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) System
This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
(SIR) system or air bag system.
Your vehicle has an air bag for the driver.
Here are the most important things to know about the air
3ag 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 “supplemental 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
rollover, 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.
1-2.9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows AIR BAG.
~
I 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.
1-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How the Air Bag System Works
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
A CAUTION:
Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to, the
steering wheel. Also, don’t put anything (such as
pets or objects) between the driver and the
steering wheel.
If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, it could affect the
performance of the air bag
-- or worse, it could
cause injury.
1-31

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 16 mph (14 to 26 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
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.
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, rear impacts 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.
1-32

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 will be hot for a short time. The
part of the bag that comes into contact with you may be
warm, but it will never be too hot to 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.
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.
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.
bag systemAmproper service can mean that your air bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer
for service.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air
I 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 b,ag cover.
1-33