2007 CHEVROLET OPTRA 5 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 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.
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 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 400.
•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.
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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.
The airbag off symbol
will be visible near the
clock, located in the
center of the instrument
panel, during the
system check.
When the system check is complete, the airbag off
symbol will be visible under certain conditions.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 165. The passenger sensing system will turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted 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 and
determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted 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 the 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.
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{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag inates. 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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted 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 right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
the off symbol near the clock will light and stay
lit to remind you that the airbag or airbags are off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 165.
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 62.
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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 seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped) 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 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
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.
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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 one of 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 three minutes. This will allow the system
to detect that person and then enable the
passenger’s airbag or airbags.
•Take the right front passenger’s weight off of
the seat for more than three seconds, place the
seatback in the fully upright position, and then
sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person’s legs comfortably
extended. Have the person remain in this
position for about three minutes. This will allow
the system to detect that person and then
enable the passenger’s airbag or airbags.
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