2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

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CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don't put
anything between an occupant and an air bag,
and don't attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other air bag
covering. Don't let seat covers block the
inflation path of a side impact air bag.
When should an air bag inflate?
The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near
-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system's designed
ªthreshold level.º
In addition, your vehicle has ªdual stageº frontal air
bags, which adjust the amount of restraint according to
crash severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these air
bags inflate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs. If the
front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't
move or deform, the threshold level for the reduced
deployment is about 12 to 18 mph (19 to 29 km/h),
and the threshold level for a full deployment is about 18 to
24 mph (29 to 38.5 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 driver's and right front passenger's frontal
air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts because inflation
would not help the occupant.

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The driver's side impact air bag is designed to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes involving the driver's
door. The side impact air bag will inflate if the crash
severity is above the system's designed ªthreshold
level.º The threshold level can vary with specific
vehicle design. The driver's side impact air bag is not
designed to inflate in frontal or near
-frontal impacts,
rollovers 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. For
frontal air bags, inflation is determined by the angle of
the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in
frontal and near
-frontal impacts. For the side impact air
bag, inflation is determined by the location and severity
of the impact.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both
frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates
the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware
are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering
wheel, instrument panel and the side of the driver's
seatback closest to the door.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. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. 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 the frontal 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 the air bag. The side impact air bag would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
that 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 for the driver's and right front passenger's
frontal air bags, and only in moderate to severe side
collisions for the driver's side impact air bag.

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What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag inflated.
Some components of the air bag module
-- the
steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, the instrument
panel for the right front passenger's bag, the side of the
seatback closest to the door for the driver's side impact air
bag
-- will be hot for a short time. The parts of the bag
that come into contact with you may be warm, but not
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from the vents in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation doesn't prevent the driver from seeing or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from
leaving the vehicle.
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 a door.
Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the air
bags inflate (if battery power is available). You can lock
the doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using
the door lock and interior lamp controls.

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In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur
from the right front passenger air bag.

Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After an
air bag 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 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 an electronic frontal
sensor, which helps the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. Your vehicle is also equipped
with a crash sensing and diagnostic module, which
records information about the frontal air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of the system, when the system commands air bag
inflation and driver's safety belt usage at
deployment. The module also records speed, engine
rpm, brake and throttle data.

Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an 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, or the air bag
covering on the driver's seatback, the bag may
not work properly. You may have to replace the
air bag module in the steering wheel, both the
air bag module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger's air bag, or the air
bag module and seatback for the driver's side
impact air bag. Do not open or break the air
bag coverings.

1-31 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see
ªService and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds 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 yellow connectors. They
are probably part of the air bag systems. Be sure
to follow proper service procedures, and make
sure the person performing work for you is
qualified to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Center Front Passenger Position

1-32 Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit in
the center position.
When you sit in the center front 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.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown until
the belt is snug.
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 ªSafety Belt Extenderº 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.

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Rear Seat Passengers
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.
Rear passengers who aren't safety belted can be thrown
out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
Rear Seat Passenger Positions
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All rear seating positions have lap
-shoulder belts.
Here's how to wear one properly.
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

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Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
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. If the belt is not long enough, see ªSafety
Belt Extenderº 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.
3. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder part.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you'd be less likely
to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt restraining forces.