Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system.
The passenger airbag status indicator in the
rearview mirror 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 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 217.
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 and safety belt. 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. 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.
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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,
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
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.
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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.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned
off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the
airbag is off.
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 84.
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.
{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. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 215for
more on this, including important safety
information.
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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 Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 103for 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.
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 510.
{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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Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your vehicle has the passenger sensing system.
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 indicatorwill 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.
If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it means that
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag is enabled
(may in ate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have
a rear-facing child restraint installed in the
right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag.
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. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s
seat if the airbag is turned on.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:
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 failsafe, 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.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the
airbag status indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has turned off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 98for more on this,
including important safety information.If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights or the passenger
sensing system. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag
readiness light ever come on together, 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 seat may not have
the protection of the frontal airbag. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 215.
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Passenger Seatbelt Reminder
Message
If your vehicle has the
passenger sensing
system, this message
reminds the passenger
to buckle their
seatbelt.
This message will come on and a chime will
sound when the following conditions exist:
The ignition is ON,
the passenger’s seatbelt is not buckled,
a passenger is detected by the passenger
sensing system.
This light and chime will be repeated if the
ignition is on, the vehicle is in motion,
the passenger is still unbuckled and the
passenger airbag is enabled. You should
buckle your seatbelt. If the passenger’s
seatbelt is already buckled, this message and
chime will not come on.
Service Traction System Warning
Message
If your vehicle has the Traction Control System
(TCS) and this message is displayed when you are
driving, there may be a problem with your TCS.
Your vehicle may need service.
When this message is displayed, the TCS will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
If there is an engine-related and brake system
problem that is speci cally related to traction
control, the TCS will turn off and the warning
message will come on.
If the TCS warning message comes on and stays
on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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