After more than 40 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.Put someone on it.
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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.
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.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or
seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
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/retailer.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way.
If your seat has a safety belt guide, insert the safety belt
into the guide on the head restraint by sliding the
webbing through the opening on the guide.Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger
Your vehicle may also have the following airbags:
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right
front passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
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Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The right front passenger’s airbag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
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If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not in ate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an in ating 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.
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your vehicle by
routing the rope or tie down through any door
or window opening. If you do, the path of an
in ating roof-rail airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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In addition, your vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. Your vehicle has an electronic frontal
sensor, which helps the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage
airbags in ate at a level less than full deployment.
For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
Your vehicle may have roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag
System on page 1-51. Roof-rail airbags are intended to
in ate in moderate to severe side crashes. Roof-rail
airbags will in ate if the crash severity is above
the system’s designed threshold level. The threshold
level can vary with speci c vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to in ate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
A roof-rail 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 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-rail airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and severity of
the side impact.
What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from
the in ator. Gas from the in ator lls the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
in ator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling
of the vehicle, near the side windows that have
occupant seating positions.
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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. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-56for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
In ates?
After the frontal airbags in ate, they quickly de ate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize an
airbag in ated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially in ated for some time after they deploy. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-57.
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
de ated airbags. Airbag in ation 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.
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Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts
of the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner
or pillar garnish trim, front sensors, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger’s position,
which includes sensors that are part of the
passenger’s seat. The passenger sensing system
may not operate properly if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or
with GM covers, upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket
seat heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat fabric, could alsointerfere with the operation of the passenger sensing
system. This could either prevent proper deployment
of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-60.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modi ed. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about the location of the
airbag sensors, sensing and diagnostic module and
airbag wiring.
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Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition
switch, you can turn it to
four different positions.
In order to shift out of PARK (P), automatic transmission,
the ignition must be in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY
and the regular brake pedal must be applied.
Notice:Using a tool to force the key from the
ignition switch could cause damage or break the
key. Use the correct key and turn the key only with
your hand. Make sure the key is all the way in. If
none of this works, then your vehicle needs service.
9(LOCK/OFF):This position locks your steering
column. It is a theft-deterrent feature. You will only be
able to remove your key when the ignition is turned
to LOCK/OFF.If the steering wheel is locked, move it from right to left
and turn the key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If none of
this works, then your vehicle needs service.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch cannot be turned to LOCK/OFF unless the shift
lever is in PARK (P).
If you have a manual transmission, the ignition switch
can be turned to LOCK/OFF in any shift lever position.
{CAUTION:
If you have a manual transmission removing
the key from the ignition switch will lock the
steering column and result in a loss of ability
to steer the vehicle. This could cause a
collision. If you need to turn the engine off
while the vehicle is moving, turn the key to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):This position operates
some of your electrical accessories. It unlocks the
steering wheel and ignition.
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