2007 HUMMER H2 Owners Manual

When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal
airbags are designed to inate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they are
designed to inate 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 inate 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 17 mph (14 to 27 km/h). The
threshold level can vary, however, with specic
vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above
or below this range.Frontal airbags may inate at different crash
speeds. For example:If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inate 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 inate 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 inate 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 inate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
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In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inated simply because
of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the
repair costs were. Ination is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and
how quickly the vehicle slows down.
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 317for more tips
on off-road driving.
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, 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.
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. The
airbag supplements 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 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 those airbags.
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.
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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
airbag or the instrument panel for the right
front passenger’s bag — 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 the hazard warning ashers on when the
airbags inate. You can lock the doors again,
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 Collection and
Event Data Recorders on page 546.
Let only qualied technicians work on the
airbag system. Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work properly. See
your dealer for service.
Airbag Off Switch
Your vehicle has a switch on the instrument panel
that you can use to turn off the right front
passenger’s airbag.
United StatesCanada
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This switch should only be turned to the off
position if the person in the right front passenger’s
position is a member of a passenger risk group
identied by the national government as follows:
Infant.An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:

my vehicle has no rear seat;
my vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
the infant has a medical condition which,
according to the infant’s physician, makes
it necessary for the infant to ride in the front
seat so that the driver can constantly
monitor the child’s condition.
Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:

my vehicle has no rear seat;
although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear
seat(s) whenever possible, children ages
1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear
seat(s) of my vehicle; or
the child has a medical condition which,
according to the child’s physician, makes
it necessary for the child to ride in the front
seat so that the driver can constantly monitor
the child’s condition.
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Medical Condition.A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his or
her physician:

causes the passenger airbag to pose a
special risk for the passenger; and
makes the potential harm from the passenger
airbag in a crash greater than the potential
harm from turning off the airbag and allowing
the passenger, even if belted, to hit the
dashboard or windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s airbag is
turned off for a person who is not in a risk
group identied by the national
government, that person will not have the
extra protection of an airbag. In a crash,
the airbag will not be able to inate and
help protect the person sitting there. Do
not turn off the passenger’s airbag unless
the person sitting there is in a risk group.To turn off the right front passenger’s airbag,
insert your ignition key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the off position.
The airbag off light will come on to let you know that
the right front passenger’s airbag is off. The airbag
off light will stay on to remind you that the airbag is
off. The right front passenger’s airbag will remain off
until you turn it back on again.
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{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the airbag, it
means that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. The right front
passenger’s airbag could inate even
though the switch is off. If this ever
happens, do not let anyone whom the
national government has identied as a
member of a passenger airbag risk group
sit in the right front passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s
seat) until you have your vehicle serviced.
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 207
for additional information.To turn the right front passenger’s airbag on
again, insert your ignition key into the switch, push
in, and move the switch to the on position.
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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 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 553.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds, after the ignition is
turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an airbag can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are
close to an airbag when it inates. 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
qualied to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular
maintenance.
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