2007 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Owners Manual

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 inator, which inates the
airbag. The inator, 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.
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.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After an airbag inates, it quickly deates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inated. 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 deated
airbags. Airbag ination 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 ashers when the
airbags inate. You can lock the doors, turn the
interior lamps off, and turn the hazard warning
ashers off by using the controls for those
features.
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In many crashes severe enough to inate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front passenger
airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once.
After they inate, 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 Recording and
Privacy on page 470andEvent Data
Recorders on page 470.
Let only qualied technicians work on your
airbag system. Improper service can mean
that an airbag system will not work properly.
See your dealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system.
The passenger airbag status indicator in the
rearview mirror will be visible when you start the
vehicle.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and
off, will be visible during the system check.
United States
Canada
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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 192.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the
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
sensors that are part of the 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
and side impact airbag (if equipped) should
be enabled (may inate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints not be transported in your vehicle, even
if the airbag is off.Your vehicle has a label on the sun visor that
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.
Never put a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the passenger’s seat unless the passenger
airbag status indicator shows off and the airbags
are off.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if the
passenger’s airbag inates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
inating airbag. Be sure the airbag is off
before using a rear-facing child restraint
in the passenger’s position.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
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
transported in vehicles with a rear seat
that will accommodate a rear-facing child
restraint, whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the passenger’s seat,
always move the passenger’s 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 passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) if:The passenger’s 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 passenger takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
The passenger’s 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’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) have been turned off
by the passenger sensing system, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the
airbags are off.
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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 Passenger Seat Position
on page 46.
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.
If the on indicator is still lit, do not secure the
child restraint in this vehicle and check with
your dealer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to
enable (may inate) the 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 passenger’s seat. When
the passenger sensing system has allowed
the airbags to be enabled, the on indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbags
are 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
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
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 frontal airbag and side impact airbag
(if equipped).
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{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 an airbag.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 191
for 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 65for more information about
modications 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 inate 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 468.
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