Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position. The passenger airbag
status indicator will be visible when you turn your ignition
key to ON 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.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-35.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbags 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. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag
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.
We recommend 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.
United States
Canada
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Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate a
rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front.” This
is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s airbag in ates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the in ating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal
airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one
can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
If you need to secure a forward-facing child
restraint in the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far back as it will
go. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag 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.
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.
There is a critical problem with the airbag system
or the passenger sensing system.
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When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator in
the rearview mirror will light and stay lit to remind you
that the airbag is off. SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 3-35.
If a 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 child restraint
following the child restraint manufacturer’s directions
and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position on page 1-50.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make
sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the
child restraint into the seat cushion. If this happens,
slightly recline the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the
seat cushion if possible. Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint.
If this happens, adjust the head restraint.
If 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
airbag 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 airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the airbag 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 airbag, 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 — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
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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 is not sitting properly in the seat.
If this happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person
to place the seatback in the fully 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
airbag.
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{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be wrong with
the airbag 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 airbag. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 3-34for more on this, including
important safety information.
A thick layer of additional material such as a blanket,
or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers, seat
heaters and seat massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system operates. Remove
any additional material from the seat cushion before
reinstalling or securing the child restraint or small
occupant. 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 Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-68for more information about modi cations
that can affect how the system operates.
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the airbag system in several places
around your vehicle. You do not 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 airbag system.
To purchase a service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-16.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key
is turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an airbag can still in ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close
to an airbag when it in ates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is quali ed to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Mirrors
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with OnStar
®
The vehicle may have an automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror with OnStar®controls. For more
information about OnStar®, seeOnStar®System on
page 2-43.
O(On/Off):The on/off button, located on the lower left
side of the mirror, is used for the automatic dimming
functions of the rearview mirror.
Mirror Operation
The automatic dimming feature comes on each time the
vehicle is started. Automatic dimming reduces the
glare of lights from behind the vehicle.
To turn the automatic dimming feature on or off, press
and release the on/off button. The indicator light will
come on when this feature is on.
Passenger Airbag Indicator
The mirror may have a passenger airbag indicator on
the mirror glass, just above the buttons. If the vehicle
has this feature, the mirror will display the word ON, or
an airbag symbol in Canada, when the passenger
airbag is enabled. SeePassenger Sensing System on
page 1-63for more information.
Cleaning the Mirror
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause
the liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing.
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with OnStar
®and Compass
The vehicle may have an automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror with a compass and OnStar®controls.
For more information about OnStar®, seeOnStar®
System on page 2-43.
The mirror has an eight-point compass display in the
upper right corner of the mirror. When on, the compass
automatically calibrates, or sets the driving direction,
as the vehicle is driven. If the vehicle has the navigation
option, the direction the vehicle is facing will be
displayed on the navigation screen.
O(On/Off):The on/off button is located on the lower
left side of the mirror and is used for the automatic
dimming and compass functions of the rearview mirror.
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To adjust for compass variance, do the following:
1. Find your current location and variance zone
number on the zone map that follows.
2. Press and hold the on/off button until a zone
number appears on the display.
3. Once the zone number appears on the display, press
the on/off button quickly until you reach the correct
zone number. If C appears in the compass window,
the compass may need calibration. See “Compass
Calibration” listed previously.Passenger Airbag Indicator
The mirror may have a passenger airbag indicator on
the mirror glass, just above the buttons. If the vehicle
has this feature, the mirror will display the word ON, or
an airbag symbol in Canada, when the passenger
airbag is enabled. SeePassenger Sensing System on
page 1-63for more information.
Cleaning the Mirror
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause
the liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing.
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If the airbag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on while you are driving, your
airbag system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the airbag system
may not be working properly. The airbags in
your vehicle may not in ate in a crash, or they
could even in ate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
If there is a problem with the airbag system in your
vehicle, the Service Air Bag message will appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) display. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-61for more
information.
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your rearview mirror has a passenger airbag status
indicator.
When the ignition key is turned to ON or START, the
passenger airbag status indicator will light ON and OFF,
or the symbol for on and off, for several seconds as a
system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either ON or OFF, or either
the on or off symbol to let you know the status of the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag.United States
Canada
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