2007 CHEVROLET AVEO Owners Manual

If your vehicle has a side impact airbag for the
right front passenger, it is in the side of the
passenger’s seatback closest to the door.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and
an airbag, the airbag might not inate
properly or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury or even
death. The path of an inating airbag must
be kept clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an airbag, and
do not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block
the ination path of a seat-mounted side
impact airbag.
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When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal
airbags are designed to inflate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are
designed to inflate only if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds take into account a variety of desired
deployment and non-deployment events and are
used to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in
time for the airbags to inflate and help restrain the
occupants. Whether your frontal airbags will or
should deploy is not based on how fast your vehicle
is traveling. It depends largely on what you hit, the
direction of the impact, and how quickly your
vehicle slows down.
If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a wall
that does not move or deform, the threshold
level is about 9 to 14 mph (14 to 23 km/h). The
threshold level can vary, however, with specific
vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above
or below this range.Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash
speeds. For example:•If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a moving object.
•If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle hits an object that
does not deform.
•If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole),
the airbags could inflate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object
(like a wall).
•If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle,
the airbags could inflate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle goes straight into
the object.
Frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inflate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Your vehicle may or may not have side impact
airbags. SeeAirbag System on page 68.
Side impact airbags are intended to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes.
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A side impact airbag will inflate if the crash
severity is above the system’s designed “threshold
level.” The threshold level can vary with specific
vehicle design. Side impact airbags are not
intended to inflate in frontal or near-frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts. A side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that
is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inflated simply because
of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the
repair costs were. For frontal airbags, inflation 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. For
side impact airbags, inflation is determined by the
location and severity of the impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
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 inflator, which inflates the
airbag. The inflator, the airbag and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules.Frontal airbag modules are located inside the
steering wheel and instrument panel. For seating
positions with side impact airbags, there are
also airbag modules in the side of the seatbacks
closest to the door.
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.
Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including many frontal or
near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts.
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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 for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate
to severe side collisions for vehicles with side
impact airbags.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inflated. Some components of the airbag
module — the steering wheel hub for the driver’s
frontal airbag, the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, and for
seating positions with side impact airbags, the side
of the seatback closest to the door — may be
hot for a short time. The parts of the airbag that
come into contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot to touch. There may be some smoke
and dust coming from the vents in the deflated
airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver
from seeing out of the windshield or being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be
dust in the air. This dust could cause
breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is
safe to do so. If you have breathing
problems but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following
an airbag deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on,
and turn on the hazard warning flashers when the
airbags inflate. You can lock the doors, turn the
interior lamps off, and turn the hazard warning
flashers off by using the controls for those
features.
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In many crashes severe enough to inflate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front passenger airbag.
•Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you will need some new parts for
the 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 413.
•Let only qualified technicians work on your
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 for
the right front passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible when you
turn your ignition key to ON or START.
If you have a sedan, the airbag off symbol will be
visible near the clock, located in the center of
the instrument panel, during the system check.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator (Sedan) on
page 161.
United States – SedanCanada – Sedan
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If you have a hatchback, the airbag off symbol will
be visible in the Secondary Information Center
(SIC) during the system check. SeeSecondary
Information Center (SIC) (Hatchback Only)
on page 174. When the system check is complete,
the airbag off symbol will be visible under certain
conditions.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) under certain
conditions. The driver’s airbags are not part of the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with a
sensor that is part of the right front passenger’s
seat cushion. The sensor is designed to detect the
presence of a properly-seated occupant anddetermine if the passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag (if equipped) should be enabled
(may inflate) 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 inates.
CAUTION: (Continued)
United
States – HatchbackCanada – Hatchback
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CAUTION: (Continued)
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very
close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) 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 or
airbags are 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 and
side impact airbag (if equipped) 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 frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped), the off symbol will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag or
airbags are off. SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator (Sedan) on page 161.
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If a child restraint has been installed and the off
symbol is not 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 64.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the off symbol is still not 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 off symbol is still not 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 inflate) the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and side impact airbag (if equipped)
anytime the system senses that a person of
adult size is sitting properly in the right frontpassenger’s seat. When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag or airbags to
be enabled, the off symbol will not light.
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 and side
impact airbag (if equipped), 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 symbol is lit, it
could be because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens do the following:
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 or airbags.
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