2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO steering wheel

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inates 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,
seeOlder Children on page 1-32andInfants
and Young Children on page 1-34.
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the air
bag symbol.The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAir Bag Readiness Light on page 3-36
for more information.
Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
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The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not inate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inating 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.
1-69

Seat Position Sensors
Vehicle’s 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 deployment.
Single Stage Air Bags
If your vehicle has frontal air bags with single stage
deployment and your vehicle goes straight into a wall
that does not move or deform, the threshold level
is about 13 to 16 mph (20 to 25 km/h). The threshold
level can vary, however, with specic 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 inate in
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because
ination would not help the occupant.
What Makes an Air Bag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
inator, which inates the air bag. The inator, air bag,
and related hardware are all part of the air bag
modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
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. Air bags supplement 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 many
side 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.
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What Will You See After an
Air Bag Inates?
After an air bag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inated. Some components of the air bag module – the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
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 deated air bags. Air
bag ination does not 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 inates, 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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can not get out of the vehicle after an air bag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an air bag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
In many crashes severe enough to inate the 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 inate only once. After
they inate, you will need some new parts for
your air bag system. If you do not get them, the air
bag system will not 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.
1-72

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 ination. 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 qualied technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an air
bag system will not 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, the bag
may not work properly. You may have to replace the
air bag module in the steering wheel or both the
air bag module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
Air Bag Off Switch
Regular Cab and Extended Cab Models
If your vehicle is a regular cab model or an extended
cab model, it has a switch on the instrument panel
that you can use to turn off the right front passenger’s
air bag.
United States with Passenger Sensing System
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OnStar®Virtual Advisor
With OnStar®Virtual Advisor you can listen to your
favorite news, entertainment and information topics,
such as traffic and weather reports, stock quotes
and sports scores. You listen to your e-mail through
your vehicle’s speakers, and reply with your hands on
the wheel and your eyes on the road.
OnStar®Steering Wheel Controls
g
: If your vehicle is
equipped with the steering
wheel control buttons
you can use them
to interact with the
OnStar
®system.
See the OnStar
®manual provided with your vehicle for
more information.
Storage Areas
Your vehicle includes a number of storage
compartments for storage of often-used items.
Some vehicles have storage areas in the
instrument panel.
Some models have a storage pocket on each of the
front doors.
Some vehicles have a storage area behind the seat.
Glove Box
To open your glove box, pull the lever upward and pull
the door downward.
Cupholder(s)
Your vehicle may have cupholders located in the front
console, or in the fold-down armrest.
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Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-127
Audio Steering Wheel Controls......................3-127
Radio Reception.........................................3-128
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player...............3-129
Care of Your CDs and DVDs........................3-130Care of Your CD and DVD Player.................3-130
Fixed Mast Antenna....................................3-130
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System............3-130
Chime Level Adjustment...............................3-130
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-2

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Dome Lamp Button. See “Dome Lamps” under
Interior Lamps on page 3-18.
B. Exterior Lamp Controls. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-13.
C. Air Outlets. See “Climate Controls” in Section 3.
D. Automatic Transfer Case/Electronic Transfer
Case/Traction Assist System (TAS). SeeFour-Wheel
Drive on page 2-36.
E. Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn Signal/Multifunction
Lever on page 3-7.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-34.
G. Gearshift Lever (Automatic Transmission). See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-27.
H. Tow/Haul Selector and Overdrive Disable (Allison
Transmission
®Only) Button (If Equipped). See
Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-27.
I. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-72.
J. Comfort Control System. SeeClimate Control
System on page 3-20.
K. Instrument Panel Fuse Block.Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-123.L. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-12.
M. Steering Wheel Control Buttons (If Equipped).
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-53.
N. Center Instrument Panel Utility Block. SeeFuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 5-123.
O. Parking Brake Release. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-48.
P. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-7.
Q. Lighter and Accessory Power Outlet. SeeAccessory
Power Outlets on page 3-19, andAshtrays and
Cigarette Lighter on page 3-20.
R. Storage Area. See “Storage Areas” in Section 2.
S. Ashtray. SeeAshtrays and Cigarette Lighter
on page 3-20.
T. Manual Selectable Ride Control (If Equipped). See
Manual Selectable Ride on page 4-11.
U. 4WS Switch (If Equipped). SeeQUADRASTEER™
on page 4-15.
V. Passenger Air Bag Off Switch. SeeAir Bag Off
Switch on page 1-73.
W. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-67.
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