2004 GMC SIERRA instrument panel

A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward facing
child restraint. SeeWhere to Put the Restraint on
page 1-42. If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat position, move the
seat as far back as it will go before securing a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Manual Seats on
page 1-3orPower Seats on page 1-4.
{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). See²Air Bag Off Switch²in
the Index.If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, see
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-48. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-43if 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 1-76andPassenger Sensing System on page 1-81. 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
Manual Seats on page 1-3orPower
Seats on page 1-4. 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 3-40.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
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{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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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
Older Children on page 1-33andInfants
and Young Children on page 1-35
.
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 3-36for more information.
1-71

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.
1-72

Dual Stage Air Bags
If your vehicle has frontal air bags with dual stage
deployment, the amount of restraint will adjust according
to crash severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these
air bags in¯ate 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
does not move or deform, the threshold level for the
reduced deployment is about 10 to 16 mph
(16 to 25 km/h), and the threshold level for a full
deployment is about 20 to 25 mph (32 to 40 km/h). The
threshold level can vary, however, with speci®c
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 in¯ate in
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because
in¯ation would not help the occupant.
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 speci®c 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 in¯ate in
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because
in¯ation would not help the occupant.
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.
1-74

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 thede¯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.
{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.
1-75

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 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 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.
1-76

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.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat.
General Motors 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 a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front passenger seat unless 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. Passenger Air Bag Status Indicator ± United States
Passenger Air Bag
Status Indicator
-Canada
1-82

{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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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. See
Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-86for 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.
1-85