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In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have in¯ated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. In¯ation is determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle
slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts.
What Makes an Airbag In¯ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag 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 airbag. The in¯ator, airbag,
and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules
inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel
in front of the right front passenger.
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. 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 airbags 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 airbags. 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.
What Will You See After an Airbag
In¯ates?
After the airbag in¯ates, it quickly de¯ates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
in¯ated. 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 right front passenger's frontal
airbag. 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 airbags. Airbag 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.
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California Fuel
If your vehicle is certi®ed to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California speci®cations. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal speci®cations, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-28. If this occurs, return to your authorized GM
dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, you should not have to add
anything to your fuel. However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of additive required to
meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
To help keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean,
or if your vehicle experiences problems due to
dirty injectors or valves, look for gasoline that is
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also, your
GM dealer has additives that will help correct and
prevent most deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area. General Motors recommends that you use
these gasolines if they comply with the speci®cations
described earlier. However, E85 (85% ethanol)
and other fuels containing more than 10% ethanol must
not be used in vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.
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8. Turn the vertical aiming screw (A) until the
headlamp beam is aimed to the horizontal tape line.
If you turn it clockwise, it will raise the beam and
if you turn it counterclockwise, it will lower the beam.
The top edge of the cut-off should be positioned
at the bottom edge of the horizontal tape line.
9. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 for the opposite headlamp.
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on page 5-49.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
Driver's Side
To replace the driver's side headlamp bulbs, ®rst do the
following:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood Release on page 5-11for more information. Passenger's Side Shown
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2006 - Pontiac GTO Owner Manual