2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE Owners Manual

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 3-39. 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. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ± United States
Passenger Air
Bag Status
Indicator ± Canada
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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
vehicle has the passenger sensing system and the
passenger air bag status indicator shows off. Never put
a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger
seat unless the air bag is off.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag in¯ates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the in¯ating air bag. Be
sure the air bag is off before using a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat
position.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger's frontal air
bag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an air bag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. General Motors,
therefore, recommends that rear-facing child
restraints be secured in the rear seat whenever
possible, even if the air bag is off.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger's frontal air bag if:
·the right front passenger seat is unoccupied
·the system determines that an infant is present in a
rear-facing infant seat
·the system determines that a small child is present
in a forward-facing child restraint
·the system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat
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·a right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time
·the right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints
·or if there is a critical problem with the air bag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
passenger's frontal air bag, the off indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the air bag is off.
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 1-69of 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.
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{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
air bag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger's seat may not have the protection
of the frontal air bag. See ªAir Bag Readiness
Lightº in the Index for more on this, including
important safety information.
Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
You may want to consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the passenger
sensing system.
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{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger's seat
or between the passenger's seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There air bag system parts in several places around
your vehicle. You don't want the system to in¯ate while
someone is working on your vehicle. Your dealer
and the service manual have information about servicing
your vehicle and the air bag system. To purchase a
service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 7-11.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still in¯ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it in¯ates. Avoid 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 quali®ed to do so.
Air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
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Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the air
bags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle's
frame, bumper system, front end or side 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 questions 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 on page 7-2
.
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.)
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Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems in
your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may
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.
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-NOTES
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