2008 SATURN ASTRA seats
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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 seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of
an in ating bag, all airbags must
in ate very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{CAUTION
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Wearing
your safety belt during a crash
helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. All airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
{CAUTION
Frontal airbags are designed to
deploy in moderate to severe
frontal and near frontal crashes.
They are not designed to in ate
in rollover, rear crashes, or in
many side crashes.
Seat-mounted side impact
airbags and roof-rail airbags are
designed to in ate in moderate
to severe crashes where
something hits the side of your
vehicle. They are not designed
to in ate in frontal, in rollover,
or in rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle
should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there
is an airbag for that person.
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{CAUTION
Airbags in ate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when
it in ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the
airbag, as you would be if you
were sitting on the edge of your
seat or leaning forward. Safety
belts help keep you in position
before and during a crash.
Always wear your safety belt,
even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on
or sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions
with seat-mounted side impact
airbags and/or roof-rail airbags.
{CAUTION
Airbags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection
for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither
the vehicle’s safety belt system
nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 1-37or
Infants and Young Children on
page 1-38.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 4-14
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
The right front passenger’s frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger’s side.
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The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers 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.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not use seat accessories
that block the in ation path of
a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the
roof of a vehicle with roof-rail
airbags by routing a 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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When Should an Airbag
In ate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
in ate in moderate to severe frontal
or near-frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries mainly to the driver’s or right
front passenger’s head and chest.
However, they are only designed
to in ate if the impact exceeds
a predetermined deployment
threshold. Deployment thresholds
are used to predict how severe a
crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to in ate and help restrain
the occupants.
Whether the 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.Frontal airbags may in ate at
different crash speeds. For example:If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could in ate at
a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could in ate
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
in ate 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
in ate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight
into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with
speci c vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
in ate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help 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.
The vehicle has seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-23.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are intended to
in ate in moderate to severe side
crashes. Seat-mounted side impact
and 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.
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Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are not intended to
in ate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact
airbag is intended to deploy on
the side of the vehicle that is struck.
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 seat-mounted side impact and
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
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to the
door. 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.
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.
Seat-mounted side impact and
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 1-27
for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
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What Will You See After
an Airbag In ates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact 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, seeWhat Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-28.
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.
{CAUTION
When an airbag in ates, 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 in ates, 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.
In many crashes severe enough
to in ate the airbag, windshields
are broken by vehicle deformation.Additional windshield breakage
may also occur from the right
front passenger airbag.Airbags are designed to in ate
only once. After an airbag in ates,
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.
The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and
Privacy on page 11-15andEvent
Data Recorders on page 11-16.
Let only quali ed technicians work
on the airbag systems. Improper
service can mean that an airbag
system will not work properly.
See your dealer/retailer for
service.
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Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible
in the rearview mirror when you start
the vehicle.
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. 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 4-15.
The passenger sensing system will
turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag 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 right front passenger’s seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
should be enabled (may in ate)
or not.
Accident statistics show that
children are safer if they are
restrained in the rear rather than
the front seat.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat; an older
child riding in a booster seat; and
children, who are large enough,
using safety belts. United States
Canada
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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.
{CAUTION
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag in ates.
This is because the back of
the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the
in ating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or
killed if the right front passenger
airbag in ates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact
airbag (if equipped), no system
is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will
not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even
if the airbag(s) are off. If you
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
seat-mounted side impact airbag 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 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.
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