2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE belt

{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact 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 for air bag in¯ation before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with frontal air bags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle. Front
occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door.
{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 the part of this manual called ªOlder
Childrenº or ªInfants and Young Children.º
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol.
1-54

Seat Position Sensors
Vehicles with dual stage air bags are also equipped with
special sensors which enable the sensing system to
monitor the position of both the driver and passenger
front seats. The seat position sensor provides
information which is used to determine if the air bags
should deploy at a reduced level or at full depoyment.
Side Impact Air Bags
Your vehicle may or may not have a side impact air
bag. SeeAir Bag Systems on page 1-52. Side impact air
bags are designed to in¯ate in moderate to severe
side crashes. A side impact air bag will in¯ate if
the crash severity is above the system's designed
ªthreshold level.º The threshold level can vary with
speci®c vehicle design. Side impact air bags are
not designed to in¯ate in frontal or near-frontal impacts,
rollovers or rear impacts, because in¯ation would not
help the occupant. A side impact air bag will only deploy
on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
Air Bag Systems
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have in¯ated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal air bags, in¯ation is determined by the angle
of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
air bags, in¯ation is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
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 with Your Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle in the
Index for tips on off-road driving.
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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. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the in¯ator, which
in¯ates the air bag. The in¯ator, the air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules.
Frontal air bag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with side
impact air bags, the air bag modules are located in the
seatback closest to the driver's and/or right front
passenger's 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. Side impact air bags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear 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 for the driver's and right front passenger's
frontal air bags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for vehicles with a driver's and right front
passenger's side impact air bag.
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In many crashes severe enough to in¯ate 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 in¯ate only once. After an
air bag in¯ates, 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 electronic frontal
sensors which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate 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 and when the system commands air
bag in¯ation. It records the status of the driver's
safety belt usage in a crash in which the air
bag deploys or a crash in which the air bag nearly
deploys. The module also records speed, engine
rpm, brake and throttle data.
·Let only quali®ed 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 and right front
passenger'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 both the air bag module
and seatback for the driver's and right front
passenger's side impact air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
1-61

Passenger Sensing System
If your rearview mirror has one of the indicators pictured
in the following illustrations, your vehicle has a
passenger sensing system. The indicator will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to START or RUN.
The words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible on the rearview mirror during the system
check. When the system check is complete, either
the word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off will be visible. See
Passenger Air
Bag Status Indicator on page 3-34. If your rearview
mirror doesn't have either of the indicators pictured, then
your vehicle doesn't have the passenger sensing
system.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger's frontal air bag under certain
conditions. The driver's air bag and the side air bags
are not part of the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger's seat and safety belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if the
passenger's frontal air bag should be enabled (may
in¯ate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors, therefore, recommends that child
restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a
booster seat. Never put a child in rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger seat unless your Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ± United States
Passenger Air Bag
Status Indicator
± Canada
1-62

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the passenger's frontal air bag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint or a booster seat
is detected. If the child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off, remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer's
directions and refer to
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on page 1-48of this manual.
If after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle
and check with your dealer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may in¯ate) the right front passenger's frontal air
bag anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger's seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed the
air bag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the air bag is active.For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger's
frontal air bag, depending upon the person's seating
posture and body build. Everyone in your vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly Ð whether or not there is an air bag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger's seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person isn't sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person
to place the seatback in the full upright position,
then sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person's legs comfortably extended. Restart
the vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for about two minutes. This will allow the system to
detect that person and then enable the passenger's
air bag.
1-64

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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
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 severe crash, then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a more
severe crash, you may need new LATCH system 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 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.
1-67

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.
You can use the keyless entry system.
You can use your key.
You can also use the manual lock/unlock levers (from
the inside).
To lock the door from the
inside, slide the manual
lock/unlock lever rearward.
To unlock the door,
slide the manual
lock/unlock lever forward.
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