2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

The passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s side.If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the driver, it is
in the side of the driver’s seatback closest to the door.
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If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the right
front passenger, it is in the side of the passenger’s
seatback closest to the door.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly or
it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear. Do
not put anything between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put anything on
the steering wheel hub or on or near any other
airbag covering. Do not let seat covers block
the ination path of a side impact airbag.
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When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and passenger’s frontal airbags are
designed to inate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inate
only if the impact exceeds a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds take into account a
variety of desired deployment and non-deployment
events and are used to predict how severe a crash is
likely to be in time for the airbags to inate and
help restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal airbags
will or should deploy is not based on how fast your
vehicle is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit,
the direction of the impact and how quickly your
vehicle slows down.
If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not
move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 15 mph
(14 to 24 km/h). (The threshold level can vary,
however, with specic vehicle design, so that it can be
somewhat above or below this range.)
Airbags may inate at different crash speeds. For
example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbag
could inate at a different crash speed than if
the object were moving.
If the object deforms, the airbag could inate at a
different crash speed than if the object does not
deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole) the
airbag could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle the
airbag could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
The frontal airbags (driver and passenger) are not
intended to inate during vehicle rollovers, rear impacts,
or in many side impacts because ination would not
likely help the occupants.
Side impact airbags are designed to inate in moderate
to severe side crashes. A side impact airbag will
inate if the crash severity is above the system’s
designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary
with specic vehicle design. Side impact airbags are
not designed to inate in frontal or near-frontal impacts,
rollovers or rear impacts, because ination would not
likely help the occupant. A side impact airbag will
only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle
slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side
impact airbags, ination is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
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What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the airbag. The inator, the airbag and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside
the steering wheel, the instrument panel, and the side of
the front seatbacks closest to the door.
How Does an Airbag 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. Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
a frontal airbag 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 a frontal airbag.A side impact airbag 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 a side airbag. Airbags
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 frontal
airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions
for side impact airbags.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inated. Some components of the airbag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and the
instrument panel for the passenger’s frontal airbag.
For vehicles with side impact airbags, the side of the
seatback closest to the driver’s and/or passenger’s door
will be hot. 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 airbags. Airbag ination does
not prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the
vehicle.
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{CAUTION:
When an airbag 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
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
In many crashes severe enough to inate an airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
passenger’s airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
your airbag system. If you do not get them,
the airbag system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual for your vehicle covers the need to
replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders on page 7-8.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
system. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the passenger’s airbag, or the airbag covering
on the driver’s and passenger’s seatback, the airbag
may not work properly. You may have to replace
the airbag module in the steering wheel, both
the airbag module and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s airbag, or both the airbag module
and seatback for the driver’s and passenger’s side
impact airbag. Do not open or break the airbag
coverings.
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Airbag Off Switch
Your vehicle has a switch in the glove box that you can
use to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag (if equipped).
A. Canadian Switch
B. United States SwitchThis switch should only be turned to the off position if
the person in the passenger’s position is a member of a
passenger risk group identied by the national
government as follows:
Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old) must
ride in the front seat because:

my vehicle has no rear seat;
my vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
the infant has a medical condition which, according
to the infant’s physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:

my vehicle has no rear seat;
although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear
seat(s) whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12
sometimes must ride in the front because no space
is available in the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
the child has a medical condition which, according
to the child’s physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
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Medical Condition.A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his or
her physician:

causes the passenger airbag to pose a special risk
for the passenger; and
makes the potential harm from the passenger
airbag in a crash greater than the potential
harm from turning off the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard
or windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) are turned off for a
person who is not in a risk group identied by
the national government, that person will not
have the extra protection of an airbag. In a
crash, an airbag will not be able to inate and
help protect the person sitting there. Do not
turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) unless the person
sitting there is in a risk group.To turn off the passenger’s airbag or airbags, insert
your vehicle key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the off position.United States
Canada
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A. Canadian Light
B. United States Light
The airbag off light on the center console will light to let
you know that the passenger’s airbag or airbags are
off. The light will stay lit to remind you that the airbag or
airbags are off. The passenger’s airbag or airbags
will remain off until you turn the switch to the on position.To turn the passenger’s airbag or airbags back on,
insert your vehicle key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the on position.
United StatesCanada
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