2007 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE airbag off
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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. For frontal airbags, in ation is
determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle
of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows
down. For roof-mounted rollover airbags,
in ation is determined by the location and
severity of the impact or a rollover event.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
SeeOff-Road Driving on page 368for tips on
off-road driving.
What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. In the case of a roof-mounted rollover
airbag, the sensing system detects that the
vehicle is about to roll over or has been in a severe
frontal impact or a moderate to severe side
impact. 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. For vehicles with
roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules
are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near
the side windows.
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
the frontal 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 the airbag.
Roof-mounted rollover airbags would not help
you in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts.
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Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and
ash the hazard warning ashers when the airbags
in ate. You can lock the doors again, turn the
interior lamps off, and turn off the hazard warning
ashers by using the controls for those features.
In many crashes severe enough to in ate the
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to in ate only once.
After an airbag in ates, 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 has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information
after a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection
and Event Data Recorders on page 594.
Let only quali ed technicians work on the
airbag system. Improper service can mean
that an airbag system will not work properly.
See your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system.
The passenger airbag status indicator on the
overhead console will be visible when you turn
your ignition key to RUN 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. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 243.
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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 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.
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.
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.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s 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
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 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 68.
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.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to
enable (may in ate) the right front passenger’s
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 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.
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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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 600.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds, after the ignition 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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{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 the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving,
your airbag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
The airbag readiness light should ash for a
few seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the light does not come on then, have
it xed so it will be ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your vehicle has the passenger sensing system.
Your overhead console has a passenger airbag
status indicator.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN 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.
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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.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 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.
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 81for more on this, including
important safety information.
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