2004 GMC SIERRA DENALI instrument panel

{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on when you have
turned off the air bag, it means that something
may be wrong with the air bag system. The
right front passenger's air bag could in¯ate
even though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly.
Until you have the vehicle serviced, do not let
anyone whom the national government has
identi®ed as a member of a passenger air bag
risk group sit in the right front passenger's
position (for example, do not secure a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger's seat). See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in
the Index.
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-44. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-40if your child restraint has one.If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child restraint. Secure
the child in the child restraint when and as the
instructions say.
1. Your vehicle has a right front passenger's frontal air
bag. See
Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-68andPassenger Sensing System on page 1-73. If your
child restraint is forward-facing, move the seat as far
back as it will go before securing the restraint in
this seat. See
Power Seats on page 1-3. If you need
to use a rear-facing child restraint in this seat,
make sure the air bag is off once the child restraint
has been installed.
When the passenger sensing system or the air bag
off switch has turned off the right front passenger's
frontal air bag, the off indicator in the passenger
air bag status indicator should light and stay lit when
you turn the ignition to RUN or START. See
Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator on page 3-33.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-58

{CAUTION:
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 before
and during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt, even with air bags. The driver should sit
as far back as possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
{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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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
Older Children on page 1-29and
Infants and Young Children on page 1-32.
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. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-30for more information.
1-63

Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.The right front passenger's air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
1-64

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 depoyment.
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. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
in¯ator, which in¯ates the air bag. The in¯ator, 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.
What Will You See After an Air Bag
In¯ates?
After an air bag in¯ates, it quickly de¯ates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
in¯ated. 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 de¯ated air bags. Air
bag in¯ation does not prevent the driver from seeing or
being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
1-66

{CAUTION:
When an air bag in¯ates, 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
in¯ates, 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 in¯ate 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 in¯ate only once. After
they in¯ate, 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 bagmodules 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 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.
1-67

Air Bag Off Switch
Your vehicle has a switch on the instrument panel that
you can use to turn off the right front passenger's
air bag. The switch will look like one of the following
illustrations.
United States with Passenger Sensing System
United States without Passenger Sensing System
1-68

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 RUN or START.
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 3-33. If your rearview
mirror does not have either of the indicators pictured
below, then your vehicle does not 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 is not part of the
passenger sensing system. In addition to the passenger
sensing system, your vehicle also has an air bag off
switch located on the instrument panel.
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
1-73

{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. SeeAdding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-78for more
information about modi®cations that can affect how the
system operates.
{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.
1-77