Page 92 of 464

empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
“child” category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (see Section on Child Restraints) should
be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats shouldride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. Refer to the section on Child Restraint.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
3.The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front airbags
room to inflate.
4.If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against
the door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 93 of 464
5.If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accomodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under
If You Need Assistancein Section 9 of this manual.WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you
have airbags.
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel during front airbag deployment could
cause serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate.
Sit back, comfortably extending your arms to
reach the steering wheel or instrument panel.
•If the vehicle has side airbags, they also need
room to inflate. Do not lean against the door. Sit
upright in the center of the seat.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93
2
Page 94 of 464

The front airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller
•Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (If Equipped)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Front Seat Mounted Side Airbags (If equipped)
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Driver Inflatable Knee Blocker
•Front Acceleration Sensors
•Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
•Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the Front
Passenger Seat
Occupant Classification Module
Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
Weight Sensors
How The Airbag System Works
•
TheOccupant Restraint Controller (ORC)determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. The front airbag inflators are de-
signed to provide different rates of airbag inflation
from direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may
also modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant
size provided by the Occupant Classification Module.
The ORC will not detect roll over.
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 95 of 464

The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or RUN positions. These include all of the
items listed above except the steering wheel and
column, and knee bolsters. If the key is in the OFF
position, in the ACC position, or not in the ignition,
the airbags are not on and will not inflate.
During a moderate-to-severe rear impact the ORC may
deploy the seat belt pretensioners alone.
Also, the ORC turns on the AIRBAG warning
light and PAD indicator light in the instrument
panel for 6 to 8 seconds for a self-check when
the ignition is first turned on. After the self-
check, the AIRBAG warning light will turn off. The PAD
indicator light will function normally (Refer toPassen-
ger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Lightin this section).
If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the
system, it turns on the AIRBAG warning light eithermomentarily or continuously. A single chime will sound
if the light comes on again after initial start up.
WARNING!
Ignoring the AIRBAG light in your instrument panel
could mean you won’t have the airbags to protect
you in a collision. If the light does not come on, stays
on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes on as you
drive, have the airbag system checked right away.
•TheOccupant Classification System (OCS)is part of
a Federally regulated safety system required for this
vehicle. It is designed to turn off the front passenger
airbag for occupants that weigh less than a very small
adult.
NOTE:Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95
2
Page 97 of 464

child restraint or booster seats, most children that can
properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt, and when an
adult passenger is properly seated in the front passen-
ger seat. In this case, the air bag is ready to be inflated
if a collision requiring an airbag occurs.
For all other occupants, the PAD indicator light will be
illuminated indicating that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and will not inflate.
NOTE:
Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
occupant classification system, children 12 years and under
should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in an
appropriate child restraint (see section on child restraints).
WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
airbag. A deploying passenger airbag can cause death
or serious injury to a child in a rear facing infant seat.
Front Passenger
Seat OccupantPassenger
Airbag Disable
(PAD) Indicator
LightAirbag Status
Adult OFF ON
Child ON OFF
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases
and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob-
jectsON OFF
Empty or Very
Small ObjectsOFF* OFF
* Since the system senses weight, some small objects
will turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
Drivers and adult passengers should verify that the PAD
Indicator Light is not illuminated when an adult is riding
in the front passenger seat. If an adult occupant’s weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the door
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97
2
Page 102 of 464

NOTE:A frontal collision that is not severe enough to
need airbag protection will not activate the system. This
does not mean something is wrong with the airbag system.
If you do have a collision which deploys the airbags, any
or all of the following may occur:
•The nylon airbag material may sometimes cause abra-
sions and/or skin reddening to the driver and front
passenger as the airbags deploy and unfold. The
abrasions are similar to friction rope burns or those
you might get sliding along a carpet or gymnasium
floor. They are not caused by contact with chemicals.
They are not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly within a
few days, or if you have any blistering, see your doctor
immediately. As the airbags deflate you may see some
smoke-like particles. The particles are a normal by-
product of the process that generates the nontoxic gas
used for airbag inflation. These airborne particles mayirritate the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin
or eye irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For
nose or throat irritation, move to fresh air. If the
irritation continues, see your doctor. If these particles
settle on your clothing, follow the garment manufac-
turer’s instructions for cleaning.•It is not advisable to drive your vehicle after the
airbags have deployed. If you are involved in another
collision, the airbags will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed airbags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the airbags,
seat belt pretensioners, and the front passenger seat
belt retractor assembly, replaced by an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. Also, have the Occupant
Classification System serviced as well.
102 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 105 of 464

•Diagnostic trouble code(s) and warning lamp status
for electronically-controlled safety systems, including
the airbag system
•Airbag disable lamp status (if equipped)
•Ti m eof airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage)
•Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
•Seatbelt status
•Brake status (service and parking brakes)
•Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
•Engine control status (including engine speed)
•Cruise control status
•Traction/stability control status
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times — babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats, rather than in the front.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 105
2
Page 106 of 464

WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child’s size.
Infants And Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner’s manual to ensure you have the correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
•Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers andconvertiblechild seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system.
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).Convertiblechild seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 9 kg (20 lbs) but are
less than one year old.
106 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE